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.
Zara turned around, wide-eyed. "Ayesha... what is this?"
Ayesha's face morphed into a chilling smirk. The warmth in her eyes disappeared, replaced by something dark and malicious. She locked the door behind them with a sharp click. "Welcome, Mrs. Ibrahim Kardar."
Zara's heart raced as she stumbled back, her mind spinning. "What... what's going on Ayesha?"
Ayesha stepped forward, her posture commanding as the men in the room bowed their heads in her direction. "Let me introduce myself properly. My name isn't Ayesha... it's Isabella Vinchester."
Isabella-no longer Ayesha-smirked, taking a step back, relishing in Zara's confusion. "Does the name 'Vinchester' ring any bells, Zara?"
Zara's breath caught in her throat. Vinchester? The name felt like a slap in the face. She had heard it before-whispered in conversations, mentioned in reports... connected to death, violence, and revenge.
Isabella's smirk deepened as she motioned for the men to grab Zara by the arms. They held her at gunpoint, their grips cold and unforgiving. Zara struggled against them, her heart pounding in her chest. "What are you doing? Let me go!"
Isabella's eyes gleamed with twisted amusement as she settled into a chair, crossing her legs leisurely. "Ibrahim killed my father when I was only five years old, Zara. Jackson Vinchester was his name. Your husband stole him from me, and I've spent my whole life planning for this moment."
Zara's throat tightened, her mind reeling from the revelation. She took a step back, her back hitting the cold, hard wall behind her. "No... this can't be true..."
"It is true, Zara," Isabella spat. "And I've spent my entire life waiting for this moment. I've dreamed of avenging my father's death for years, but your husband..." Her eyes narrowed, filled with loathing. "He's untouchable. No one can get close to him. We tried everything, even tracking his daughter. We knew she was in Barcelona, but it's as if she disappeared from the face of the earth. No one knew where she exactly was in Barcelona."
Zara's heart twisted at the mention of Sofia. They had even tried to get to her?
"All of this time, Zara..." Isabella continued, pacing slowly in front of her like a predator toying with its prey. "All this time, I was searching for a way to make him pay. And then you came along."
Zara felt like the floor was falling away beneath her. "Me?" she croaked, her voice breaking.
Isabella's smile returned, this time filled with wicked satisfaction. "Yes, you, Zara. The day I found out about you, it was like the universe had finally given me the weapon I needed. You were the missing piece of the puzzle. The perfect way to destroy him."
Zara shook her head, tears filling her eyes as she backed further into the corner. "No, Ayesha please, this can't be... You were my friend. I trusted you..."
Isabella's eyes glinted with amusement, her voice dripping with mock sympathy. "Oh, darling, you think this was friendship? I've been playing this game for a long time. Enrolling in your university under a different name, pretending to be the perfect friend, the supportive confidant. No one knows me in university except you. Always with you after your class" She paused, a wicked smile curling her lips. "And you never suspected a thing, did you?"
Zara's tears spilled over, her chest heaving with the weight of betrayal. "Why, Ayesha? I treated you like my sister. I trusted you with everything... How could you do this to me?"
Isabella chuckled, her voice dripping with mock sympathy. "Oh, sweet Zara. You were so naive. So trusting." She leaned in closer, her eyes gleaming with malice. "I needed to get close to Ibrahim, and you were the perfect way in."
Tears streamed down Zara's face as the weight of betrayal crushed her. "I trusted you! I thought we were friends!"
Isabella's smile turned cold. "This isn't about friendship. This is about revenge. And unfortunately for you, you're just a pawn in this game."
Zara's voice cracked, her heart breaking with each word. "How can you do this? How can you betray me like this?"
Isabella shrugged, her tone icy. "Everything is fair in love and war, Zara. And you, my dear, are in the middle of a war."
Zara felt the world closing in around her. Her mind raced, trying to make sense of it all, but it was too much. The betrayal cut deeper than any physical pain she had ever felt.
Isabella leaned forward, her voice lowering. "But here's the thing, Zara. This war can end... if you cooperate."
Zara blinked through her tears, confused. "What do you mean?"
Isabella's gaze softened, but there was still a dangerous edge to her voice. "I no longer want revenge. I want peace. But Ibrahim doesn't. He's been destroying everything my family built, piece by piece. If he keeps going, there will be nothing left of us."
Zara's mind whirled as Isabella continued. "I offered a peaceful settlement, but your husband refused. He's too proud, too focused on revenge himself. But you... you can stop him. You can access his plans, help us stop this madness, and we can finally move on."
Zara shook her head, horrified. "Helping you means betraying Ibrahim and I can't betray him. I love him."
Isabella's eyes darkened, her voice turning cold. "Then prepare to be a widow, Zara. Because if you don't help me, I'll kill him. Last time, I shot near his heart to send a message. Next time, I won't miss."
Zara's breath hitched, her eyes widening in shock. "You... you were the one who tried to kill him?"
Isabella's evil smirk sent chills down Zara's spine. "Yes. And I'm the best assassinator, I never miss my shot. Consider that my warning, Zara. Help me, or watch him die."
Zara's heart raced as Isabella's words echoed in her mind. Her world crumbled around her. The love she had for Ibrahim clashed with the fear for his life, and in that moment, she knew there was no easy way out, she was trapped. She had no choice. For his sake, she had to agree.
"Fine," Zara whispered, her voice breaking. "I'll help you."
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Meanwhile, Ibrahim's world was crumbling. He had gathered his most trusted men at his headquarters, the tension in the air thick and suffocating. His eyes burned with a mix of rage and fear, his mind racing as they searched for any sign of Zara.
"I want every man on this!" Ibrahim shouted, slamming his fist onto the table. "I don't care what it takes. Find her!"
His men nodded, scrambling to carry out his orders, but Ibrahim could see the fear in their eyes. They all knew what would happen if Zara wasn't found soon.
Ibrahim clenched his fists, his entire body trembling with anger. "If anything happens to her... I'll burn this whole city to the ground."
His voice was low, deadly, and the promise of violence in his words was clear. Ibrahim was a man who would stop at nothing to protect the ones he loved. And right now, that meant he was willing to tear the world apart to find Zara.
"I'll kill anyone who stands in my way," Ibrahim growled, his eyes flashing with cold fury. "No one takes her from me."
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