The Mafia Boss's Bride

Chapter 8 : The Student Arts Exhibition.

Ava was in her apartment at night, working on a project for her university. She was making a tiny model of a modern building as part of her architecture assignment. Ava had spent the entire holiday on this project. She was serious about making it just right. Her hands were covered in glue, and her clothes had paint stains. 

With precision scissors, she cut out the final piece, a small replica of a modern building. She added it carefully, making sure it fit perfectly with the rest of the model.

When she stepped back to look at her work, she felt proud. The model turned out just as she had imagined it. Every little detail, from the streets to the trees and tiny people, was exactly as she had planned. She needed to show it to her brother. 

Ava entered the kitchen where Elara was busy preparing dinner. She could smell the delicious aroma of Elara's cooking.

 Elara noticed Ava's presence and turned to her holding a spatula in one hand, a smile on his face. "Hey there, little architect! How's the model coming along?"

Ava grinned and replied, "It's finally finished! I'm really excited about it. But I won't show it to you here. Let's go to my room. I've set up a small display for it."

Elara playfully raised an eyebrow. "Oh, going all fancy with a private exhibit, huh? Alright, I'll be there in a minute. Just let me finish up here."

Ava was too excited to wait, and she playfully grabbed her brother's hand. "Nope, you can't wait. It's a surprise! Come on!"

Ava was too excited to wait, and she playfully grabbed her brother's hand. "Nope, you can't wait. You'll see now."

Elara laughed as Ava pulled him away from the kitchen, abandoning his cooking temporarily. Ava guided her brother into her room, and there on her desk stood the architectural model. 

Elara looked at the model with genuine interest. "Wow, Ava, this is impressive!" he exclaimed. "You've really outdone yourself, Ava."

Ava beamed with joy. "I'm glad you like it. I put a lot of effort into this, and it's a big part of my final project."

 Elara looked at his watch. "I hate to break up the discussion, but dinner won't cook itself. Let's head back to the kitchen."

Ava sighed in resignation but then smiled. "Alright, let's go back. But promise me, when I become a famous architect, you'll visit one of my real buildings, not just models."

Elara grinned. "Deal, Ava. I'll be the first in line for the grand opening."

Just then, her phone started buzzing. Ava glanced at the screen and noticed that it was Ibrahim calling. Panic crept into her eyes, but she tried to keep her normal. She wasn't ready to discuss about Ibrahim with her brother just yet.

She quickly made an excuse. "Oh, it's Farah calling me. I should take this."

Elara nodded understandingly. "Sure, go ahead. I'll finish up dinner while you talk to Farah." With that Elara went to kitchen.

Ava stood on her balcony, anxiety gnawing at her as she held the phone to her ear. 

"Hello," he greeted, "what are you doing, Ava?" The sound of Ibrahim's voice, deep and confident, immediately set her on edge.

Ava took a deep breath to steady herself. She replied, "I'm just working on my project for university."

Ibrahim, on the other end of the line, took a drag from his cigarette as he peered out the window. The dim glow of a cigarette visible in the darkness.

"Good," he replied, "Have you thought about my proposal? What's your answer, Ava?"

Ava remained silent, her heart pounding in her chest. Ibrahim spoke firmly, "Ava? I'm waiting for your answer."