Inferno Hearts | Xu Minghao

64. Come to you

𓆩⟡𓆪

"Hey Nabi," the man started, his voice tinged with familiarity, and Nabi's eyes widened in disbelief. It couldn't be. She had hoped, but dared not believe.

"What..." she whispered, her voice barely audible, overcome with shock. The man stood there, framed by the door, gazing at her. Tears welled up in her eyes, her cheeks spotted with the evidence of her disbelief and overwhelming emotions.

It was a moment frozen in time, the gravity of the situation sinking in as memories and the present collided.

He sighed, a mixture of emotions clouding his eyes. With a deliberate movement, he shut the door using his leg, and then, taking cautious steps, he advanced towards her.

She wiped her tears and stood up abruptly from the bed, confusion etched across her face. "What's happening, Keeho? Why am I here?" she asked, her voice tinged with a mix of surprise and disorientation. The shock of the unexpected encounter was still sinking in, leaving her bewildered and seeking answers in a whirlwind of emotions.

"Hey, I'm sorry if I scared you. That wasn't my intention," he said in a soft, reassuring tone, gradually closing the distance between them. Carefully, he took her hand in his, his eyes filled with a familiar warmth. "Nabi, I've finally managed to rescue you from that man. I'm so sorry it took me this long," he confessed.

She let out a sigh, feeling her heart gradually calming. The mere thought that her father could be behind this kidnapping sent shivers down her spine. However, the man standing before her seemed to tell a different story.

"Keeho..." she trailed off, the name heavy on her lips. Uncertain of what to say, she searched for answers in his eyes, hoping to find the truth and clarity in the depths of his gaze.

"Nabi," he started, his voice steady and sincere, "I know this must be unexpected, and my men most likely scared you. For that, I apologize. But I needed to get you out from his grasp. I've waited so long for him to make a move, to release you," he explained, his eyes filled with a mix of relief and concern.

His gaze briefly flicked to her neck, where he noticed the bandages beneath her turtleneck, a visible sign of the ordeal she had been through.

His eyes widened, concern and shock flooding his expression, and his hand instinctively moved towards her neck. "Oh god, Nabi, are you okay? Did he do this?" he asked, his eyes desperately searching for hers. Nabi sighed again, a mixture of emotions playing across her features.

"Keeho... I'm fine. He didn't hurt me," she said, her voice holding a reassuring tone. But her words only caused him to furrow his brows in puzzlement.

"Nabi, you literally ran away from him and even resorted to working as a stripper just to escape from that motherfucker. And now you say this?" he said, a hint of frustration seeping into his voice.

The conflicting pieces of her story were starting to perplex him, intensifying the enigma of the situation.

"Things got... complicated," she responded.

"You didn't seem happy to be here, away from him," he observed, his words tinged with a hint of disappointment. The complexity of her emotions and the situation weighed heavily on the air, stirring a sense of longing and confusion within him.

"Keeho... so much has happened," she started, choosing her words carefully to convey the depth of the situation. "You made a bold decision by kidnapping me. He might hurt you when he finds out," she continued.

In response, he let out a scoff, displaying the resolve in his character that was built upon their shared history and the strength of his determination.