His name was Nathaniel

12

Nathaniel sat in the dimly lit study, his back straight, fists clenched tightly in his lap. The room felt like a trap, with its heavy furniture and the scent of old, polished wood pressing down on him. His father paced in front of him, the sound of his polished shoes tapping rhythmically against the hardwood floor, each step a reminder of the impending storm. Nathaniel's heart pounded in his chest, but he kept his face neutral, his gaze fixed ahead.

"You've been sneaking around like some delinquent," his father began, his voice low and controlled, laced with barely concealed fury. "And now you refuse to explain yourself? You defy me, your father, with silence?"

Nathaniel didn't flinch. He knew that anything he said would only escalate the situation. His father was like a predator, waiting for the slightest sign of weakness, a reason to pounce. Silence was his only shield.

His father stopped pacing and turned to face him, eyes narrowing. "I'll ask you again," he said, his tone hardening. "What were you doing outside? Who were you meeting?"

Nathaniel's jaw tightened, but he remained silent, his gaze steady. Admitting to anything would endanger Adaliya, and that was something he couldn't allow.

His father's eyes gleamed with frustration and something more—a dangerous curiosity. He was searching, probing for cracks in Nathaniel's defenses. "Is it a woman?" he asked suddenly, his voice softer, but more insidious, as if he were testing a new tactic.

The question hit Nathaniel like a punch to the gut. For the briefest moment, his eyes widened, betraying his surprise. It was just a split-second reaction, but it was enough. His father caught it, his expression shifting from suspicion to triumph.

"So it is a woman," his father said, a cruel smile tugging at his lips. "I knew it. You've been sneaking out for some... girl."

Nathaniel cursed himself internally. He'd let his guard down, given away more than he intended. His father had him cornered, and the satisfaction in his eyes was unmistakable.

"Who is she?" his father demanded, stepping closer, his tone turning sharper. "What's her name?"

Nathaniel clenched his fists tighter, refusing to answer, refusing to let his father have this victory. But the silence only seemed to infuriate his father more.

The room was thick with tension, the air practically crackling with it. His father's voice dropped to a dangerous whisper as he asked, "Do you love her?"

The question struck Nathaniel harder than anything else. Love. The word hung in the air, charged with emotions he'd been too afraid to confront, let alone admit to himself. His father's eyes bored into him, waiting, watching for any reaction.

Nathaniel's silence stretched on, but it wasn't the same controlled, defiant silence as before. His father noticed the change—noticed how the question had unsettled him. Nathaniel could feel his heartbeat quicken, his pulse pounding in his ears, but he forced himself to remain still, to not give anything more away.

His father's eyes narrowed as he took in Nathaniel's silence, and then, with a cruel chuckle, he said, "You do, don't you? You actually think you love this girl."

Nathaniel's heart lurched. He knew his father was mocking him, twisting the knife in, and the realization that his emotions were so transparent, so easily read, made him feel vulnerable and exposed.

"Pathetic," his father spat, his voice dripping with disdain. "You think she feels the same? That she could love someone as weak as you?"

The words stung, but Nathaniel refused to rise to the bait. He kept his face as impassive as he could, even though every fiber of his being screamed in anger and shame.

"Answer me!" his father roared, his voice echoing through the room, but Nathaniel stayed silent, his resolve hardening. He wouldn't let his father use his feelings against him—wouldn't let him taint what he had with Adaliya.

His father's patience snapped. "Enough of this nonsense," he said coldly, stepping back. "If you won't tell me willingly, then I'll make you talk."

Two burly men entered the room at his father's command, their expressions blank as they grabbed Nathaniel by the arms, forcing him to his feet. He struggled against their grip, but they were too strong, their hold unyielding. They dragged him out of the study and down the corridor, his father's cold, detached gaze following behind.

They brought him to a small, windowless room with a large basin in the center. The walls were lined with cold, white tiles, and the air was thick with the scent of chlorine. A sickening realization dawned on Nathaniel as he understood what was about to happen.

"No," he whispered, panic rising in his chest. "No, you can't—"

But his pleas fell on deaf ears. The men forced him to his knees beside the basin, one of them grabbing his hair and pulling his head back. Nathaniel gasped as cold water splashed against his face, his breath coming in ragged bursts.

His father stood over him, his expression unreadable as he watched his son struggle. "You will tell me who she is, Nathaniel," he said, his voice calm and almost gentle. "Or you will suffer the consequences."

One of the men forced Nathaniel's head under the water. The shock of the icy liquid filled his lungs, and he thrashed violently, desperate for air. His mind screamed at him to fight, to resist, but the water was relentless, drowning out all coherent thought.

After what felt like an eternity, they pulled him up, and Nathaniel gasped for breath, coughing and sputtering. The world spun around him, his vision blurred, but he could still see his father standing there, watching with that same cold detachment.

"Who is she?" his father asked again, his voice unwavering.

Nathaniel shook his head, water dripping from his hair and clothes. He couldn't—wouldn't—give in. No matter what they did to him, he had to protect Adaliya. But the fear gnawed at him, the terror of what they might do next, of what could happen to her if his father ever found out.

"Again," his father ordered, and the men forced Nathaniel's head under the water once more.

The cold engulfed him, his lungs burning as he fought to hold his breath. Every muscle in his body screamed for relief, for air, but there was no escape. His mind swirled with images of Adaliya—her smile, her laugh, the way she looked at him with such trust and warmth. He couldn't let them break him. He couldn't betray her.

They pulled him up again, and Nathaniel's body convulsed as he gasped for air, his vision dimming at the edges. His father leaned closer, his voice a sinister whisper in his ear.

"You're making this harder than it needs to be, Nathaniel. Just tell me who she is, and this will all stop."

But Nathaniel remained silent, his resolve unbroken. His father's eyes narrowed, and Nathaniel knew that he was on the brink of losing control, of pushing his father to a point of no return. But he had to endure. He had to.

"Very well," his father said coldly, straightening up. "We'll continue this later. Perhaps some time alone will make you reconsider your defiance."

With that, the men released him, letting him collapse onto the cold, wet floor. Nathaniel's chest heaved as he fought to catch his breath, his body trembling with exhaustion and fear.

"Take him to his room," his father commanded. "And make sure he stays there."

The men hauled Nathaniel to his feet, dragging him back down the corridor. His thoughts were a chaotic swirl of pain and determination, but one thing remained clear in his mind: he couldn't let his father win. He couldn't let him destroy the one thing that mattered in his life.

As they threw him into his room and locked the door behind him, Nathaniel stumbled to the bed, collapsing onto the mattress. His body ached, his mind was a fog of exhaustion, but even through the haze, his thoughts turned to Adaliya.

He had to protect her, no matter the cost. Even if it meant enduring his father's wrath, even if it meant losing everything else. He couldn't let her get caught in the crossfire. He wouldn't.

And so, as the darkness of the room closed in around him, Nathaniel made a vow to himself. He would find a way to keep her safe, to keep their secret hidden, no matter what it took. Even if it meant defying his father until the very end.