A walk on thorns

Chapter 25| Crushed

Sabrina's POV

"What?!" Anisha sniffled, her voice quivering with disbelief. "You called the police on them?"

"Yes, I did! I called the police on them, and they're on their way as we speak!" I affirmed, my tone unyielding.

"What is your problem, you silly girl?!" Mukhtar roared, raising his hand as if to slap me. I stepped back, dodging his attempt with sharp precision.

"Touch me, and I promise you'll sleep in a police cell tonight, no matter how influential you think you are! I'll defame you, I'll record a video of your arrest and make it go viral. I'll create a fake account, tag every blogger, every media platform, and ensure your name becomes synonymous with disgrace!"

"Are you insane?!" Nadeera snapped, her voice thick with disbelief.

"Maybe I am," I shot back, laughing coldly, "because I'm already recording this entire conversation."

"What?!" they gasped in unison, their faces contorting with shock.

At that moment, Rubina burst into the room, running straight into my arms and clutching me tightly.

"Hey, Rubina, what's wrong?" I asked gently, lowering my voice to soothe her.

"No, no, no, no," she whimpered repeatedly, trembling in my arms.

"Calm down, sweetheart. Talk to me, what is it?" I coaxed, kneeling to her level as her little body heaved with panicked breaths.

"They're so many," she sobbed, choking on her words.

She was talking about the police. My heart clenched as I pulled her closer, wiping her tears while she hiccupped.

"Shh, calm down, baby. I'm here. No one will hurt you, I promise. They're not here to harm anyone, okay?" I whispered, stroking her hair as I tried to steady her fragile composure.

I watched as Anisha limped toward us, her eyes darting nervously toward Nadeera before settling on Rubina. She knelt beside me and placed a trembling hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Rubina, it's okay. They're our friends, alright?" she said softly.

But Rubina flinched violently, burying her face in my chest. "Don't touch me!" she cried, clutching me as though I were her lifeline.

For a moment, I looked into Anisha's eyes and saw a brokenness that struck me to my core. The pain etched into her face was far deeper than anything I'd ever seen before, greater even than the day she was forced to introduce Nadeera to me.

The silence was shattered as Jenny rushed in, Karima trailing close behind her. Their expressions were tense, their movements frantic.

"Good evening, sir," they greeted Mukhtar uneasily. Jenny's voice faltered, but it was Karima who finally stammered, "We've... we've welcomed some visitors... the police. They're coming in now." Her gaze flicked nervously to the gun in Nadeera's hand.

"Put the gun in the drawer, now!" I barked at Nadeera. "And you, Anisha, lie on the bed!"

"What?!" they both exclaimed, Nadeera in indignation, Anisha in fear.

"Stay and waste more time asking questions," I snapped, my tone cutting, "and when they walk in, the truth will spill out, and you'll all be finished!"

Teeming with defiance, Nadeera shoved the gun into the drawer while Anisha staggered to the bed, lying down reluctantly.

Mukhtar stepped closer, his face inches from mine, his voice a venomous hiss. "You'd better know what to say to those officers, or I'll make sure your life is ruined beyond recognition."