Chapter 36: Betrayal

                                    

                                          
Ibrahim paced back and forth in his office, his hands clenching and unclenching into fists. The air around him was thick with tension, and his face was hard with fury. He had been trying to reach Zara for hours, but her phone was off. His mind was racing with possibilities, each one darker than the last. She always let him know where she was, and the silence was driving him mad.
"Why isn't she answering?" Ibrahim muttered under his breath, his voice low and dangerous. All the men of his mob watching him with cautious eyes. Ammar stood nearby said, "Maybe she's still at university, sir. It's possible her phone just died."
Ibrahim's eyes flashed with anger. "Then why didn't she charge it? Why didn't she call me from someone else's phone?"
Amaar remained silent, knowing better than to speak when Ibrahim was in this state. Ibrahim's hands were shaking with barely controlled rage as he pulled out his phone and called Zara's driver.
"Where the hell are you?" Ibrahim demanded, his voice sharp as a blade.
The driver's voice came through the phone, confused and nervous. "Sir, I've been waiting for two hours outside the university, but Miss Zara hasn't come out. I tried calling her, but her phone seems to be off."
Ibrahim's blood ran cold. "Two hours?!" His voice boomed through the room. "Why didn't you call me sooner?"
"I-I thought she might be busy with something, sir. I didn't want to disturb you," the driver stammered, clearly terrified.
Ibrahim ended the call abruptly, his face twisting with fury. His chest tightened, and for the first time, real fear gripped him. Something wasn't right. His instincts, honed by years of living in the underworld, screamed at him that Zara was in danger.
"Get the CCTV footage from the university," Ibrahim ordered Amaar, his voice shaking with barely contained rage. "I want to know where she is right now."
Minutes later, Ibrahim stood in front of the monitor, his eyes scanning the footage with a cold, calculating gaze. His heart pounded in his chest as each second passed, but Zara was nowhere to be seen. It was like she had vanished into thin air.
"How is this possible?" Ibrahim whispered to himself, his hands gripping the edges of the table so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "Where the hell is she?"
Amaar exchanged a nervous glance with the other men in the room. "There's no sign of her, sir. She didn't leave through any of the main exits."
Ibrahim's fury boiled over. He slammed his fist into the table, sending papers flying. "Find her! I want every resource we have looking for Zara! NOW!"
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Meanwhile, Zara and Ayesha were in the car, laughing and chatting as they made their way to Ayesha's family home. Zara was relaxed, enjoying the carefree moments with her friend, unaware of the storm brewing behind her. 
"You know, Zara, I'm really glad we've gotten so close," Ayesha said with a warm smile, her hands gripping the steering wheel.
Zara smiled back. "Me too. You've become one of my closest friends. I trust you with everything."
Ayesha's smile faltered for a brief second before she turned to park the car outside a large, unfamiliar house. "Well, we're here. My mom's really excited to meet you."
Zara got out of the car, her face lighting up. "I can't wait to meet her!"
But as soon as she opened the door and stepped inside, Zara froze. Her heart dropped into her stomach. The room was filled with men-armed, masked men-sitting silently, their eyes cold and deadly. They held guns, their fingers casually resting on the triggers. Fear surged through Zara as she instinctively took a step back, her back colliding with Ayesha.