The Mafia Boss's Bride

Chapter 102 : "Seems your clumsiness extends beyond spilled wine, Mrs. Lim."

After the phone call with Yusuf, Ibrahim rose from the bed. Taking a deep breath, Ibrahim extended his arms above his head, feeling the gentle pull and release of his muscles. Then he slowly leaned to one side and repeated the motion on the other side. Now he was feeling fresh. 

As he completed his stretches, Ibrahim murmured softly to himself, "Where's my baby girl?" 

He opened the door and made his way to his study. Expecting to find his wife there but the study room was empty, "Where could she be?" 

Ibrahim strode out of the bedroom, his bare feet gliding silently across the plush carpet. His first stop was the study. But Ava wasn't there, her chair was vacant. Then he went towards the grand dinning hall. 

And There, he found his mother, sitting on the sofa completely observed in a magazine. She sat with poise, her back straight and her posture exuding an air of elegance. Approaching her, Ibrahim asked, "Where's Ava, mother?" 

Aliya looked up from her reading, "She went to the vet, son. Tasha, her kitten, injured its leg while playing."

Concern flickered across Ibrahim's face. "Ava went to vet with whom?" 

Aliya chuckled, "Don't worry, Ibrahim. Your mother wouldn't send Ava out alone. Samir went with her."

He nodded, the tension easing slightly, "I'll go and check on them." 

He already turning towards the hallway but Aliya's words stopped him, "Don't go. She has a life too, you know. Don't interfere in every little matter. Ava is safe, at least let her breathe."

Ibrahim looked towards Aliya and sighed, sinking onto the sofa opposite his mother. The truth of her words stung, though he wouldn't admit it. He felt the need to know every step she took, every thought that crossed her mind. Ava had become his world, and the thought of losing her control even for a moment fueled a quiet panic within him.

"But I have every right, Mother," Ibrahim argued softly. "After all, I'm her husband."

Aliya's eyes softened, "Marriage, Ibrahim, is a partnership, not a cage. It's about two souls intertwined, yet independent. Give Ava the space to grow. Let her have her moments, her independence. Don't follow her every step."

Ibrahim felt a prickle of resistance. "There should be no secrets between husband and wife, Mother."

Aliya shook her head, a hint of sadness in her eyes. "You're so much like your late father, Ibrahim," she sighed, "But trust me, son, too much obsession can turn the sweetest flower into a wilting weed."

Ibrahim's gaze fell to his hands, clenched into fists, "What should I do, Mother? Ava... she's so lovely, so perfect, that I can't bear to be away from her for a minute."

Aliya smiled, a knowing glint in her eyes. "Who would have thought my stoic, unyielding son would be reduced to this by love?" she teased, her voice laced with amusement. "I remember the days when you wouldn't even look at a woman twice."

"Ava fills a void I never knew existed, Mother," he confessed with smile, "She's the sun that melts the ice in my soul. I just... I want to hold onto that light, to keep her safe within my embrace."

...

The veterinary clinic is filled with the soft hum of medical equipment and the scent of antiseptic. Sunlight filtered through the window, casting soft squares of light on the examination table where Tasha lay, tiny and trembling. The doctor, a woman with kind eyes framed by wire-rimmed glasses, carefully parted Tasha's fur, revealing a small gash on her tiny paw. A small crimson stain of dried blood marred the white fur.