𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬

42

Airah POV:

I woke up an hour ago to find my bed empty. Arsalan was nowhere to be seen. I searched the whole house, thinking he might be in the kitchen or on the rooftop, but he wasn't. Nowhere. Just completely disappeared into thin air. I called him, but his phone was switched off. Where is he? It's 4 am now and he's still not home.

I pace in the bedroom, checking my phone and glancing at the clock every few minutes. The silence of the house is deafening, amplifying my worry. My mind races with possibilities, each one more distressing than the last.Suddenly, the door creaks open, and I look up from my phone. Arsalan steps inside, his movements slow and deliberate as he shuts the door behind him. He sees me and stills for a second, then his shoulders relax.

"You scared me, my love," he says softly, his voice tinged with exhaustion. He moves to take off his watch, his fingers fumbling with the clasp. I watch him as he unbuttons his shirt and disappears into the dressing room. After a few minutes, he returns with a fresh shirt in his hand and glances at me.

"Where were you?" I ask, my voice trembling. I sound angry, but I'm not. I'm just worried. "Nothing. Just had some work," he replies, brushing off my concern as he heads to the bathroom.

I quietly lie on the bed and pull the covers over me, my heart heavy with unease. Minutes later, I hear the bathroom door open and the soft rustling of sheets. The bed dips beneath his weight as he lies down beside me, and strong arms wrap around me, pulling me close. My back presses against his front, and I feel the warmth of his body seep into mine.

I look down at his hands, now wrapped around me. In the darkness, I can't quite make out the details, so I grab my phone and turn on the flashlight. The light reveals his knuckles, raw and bleeding, his nails broken and his skin bruised."Arsalan, what's this?" I ask, my voice shaking as I turn to look at him. But he holds me in place, his grip gentle yet firm."Nothing. Don't mind it," he mumbles into my neck, his breath warm against my skin.

I let him be and soon after, I hear him snoring softly. Just then, pain shoots through my chest, sharp and intense. My breathing quickens, each breath feeling shallow and hard to take. I clutch my chest, the pain spreading and making it hard to think. I try to take a deep breath, but it's as if my lungs can't fill up. Panic rises as I struggle to get enough air, my heart pounding wildly. I feel dizzy, the room spinning a little. The pain keeps going, fierce and unrelenting, while my breaths come in quick, shallow gasps. I grip the edge of the bed, desperate for relief, as my world narrows to the pounding of my heart and the burning pain in my chest. Slowly, after what feels like forever, the pain begins to go away, leaving me weak and shaking, my breaths still coming in rough, uneven bursts.

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"Christian Henry Robinson, the founder and CEO of Robinson Enterprises, surrendered himself to police this morning at 10 am..."

I pause on my track as the reporter's voice cuts through the morning quiet. I had just woken up and come downstairs for breakfast, only to find everyone gathered around the table, eyes glued to the TV. Yasir is eating without paying attention to the news.

Arsalan stops behind me, his presence comforting as he looks at the TV too. He bends down to my level and whispers near my ear, "Is it him?"

I nod, feeling confused. Everything seems too coincidental. Arsalan's sudden disappearance last night, his return home with bloodied knuckles, and now Christian surrendering this morning with a face beyond recognition. My thoughts are a mess, and I can't make sense of it all.

I glance at Arsalan. He's staring intently at the TV, his jaw clenched and eyes hard. This morning, I bandaged his hands, gently wrapping the gauze around his raw, broken knuckles. I didn't ask any questions; I just did what needed to be done.