Whispers in the Dark

Ahiya: A Romantic Encounter Part 5

Chapter name : Burning with Desires

Ava leaned back in her chair, staring out the window of her lavish penthouse, the city lights flickering like dying stars beneath her. In her forties, she had built an empire from the ashes of her family's betrayal. The underworld feared her name, and those who didn't know her only saw the luxurious facade she kept. But deep down, Ava knew that her empire was built on blood, and her heart had grown cold long ago.

She allowed herself a bitter chuckle, her thoughts drifting to Arthur. She had watched him rise from nothing—a boy broken by the violence of the streets, shaped by betrayal, and hardened by the necessity of survival.

In her mind, he was more than just a pawn. She had seen in him the spark of something she had once felt—a hunger for power, a need to survive in a world that devoured the weak. But that foolish boy, Arthur, had allowed emotions to complicate his path. And now, with that girl, Ahiya, he seemed to be losing his edge.

Ava scoffed at the memory of their earlier conversation.

"Do you really own her? I've never seen you so mad for anyone before," she had asked, studying his expression for a sign of weakness.

Arthur had smirked, brushing off the question with his usual irreverence. "Yes, I've already lost my virginity to you," he'd said in a sarcastic tone, trying to mask his emotions with humor.

Now, sitting alone in her fortress, Ava whispered to herself, "That foolish boy. I know he is still pure. I thought I could give him everything, leave this life behind, and die in peace. But look at him—don't know if he's foolish or if I am."

Arthur, meanwhile, was making his way down the corridor of the hotel, his mind clouded with thoughts of both Ahiya and Ava. He had been her right-hand man for years, and in that time, he had learned to navigate the treacherous currents of Ava's world. But things were changing. His life, once dominated by cold calculations, was now entangled with something far more dangerous—emotion.

As he approached his room, Mr. Liam, another player in the underworld, blocked his path.

"You think you've won her over, don't you?" Liam sneered, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "But Ava—she'll be mine. Just you wait. I'll take her from you as easily as that."

Arthur barely glanced at him, his lips curling into a smirk. "Go ahead. But Ava likes a man who has... more to offer," he said, his eyes drifting downward mockingly. "Can't say that about you, though."

Liam's face flushed with anger, his fists clenched. "You just wait," he hissed, but Arthur had already brushed past him, unconcerned.

Inside his room, Arthur found Ahiya fast asleep on the bed. Her soft, even breaths filled the room, and for a moment, all the weight of his life seemed to lift. He had given her space, knowing that rushing things would only complicate their already tangled situation. But now, as he stood there, watching her, he felt a pang of something unfamiliar—something dangerously close to tenderness.

He sat down beside her, careful not to wake her. Her hair fell gently across her face, and with the lightest of touches, he brushed it aside, tucking a stray lock behind her ear. She stirred slightly but remained asleep, her face peaceful and unguarded in a way he had rarely seen.

Arthur's mind wandered to earlier times, moments long buried in the recesses of his memory. He had known her longer than she could ever realize. He had been there, in the shadows, when her mother died. He had watched her struggle, watched her fight to survive in a world as cruel as his own.

Earlier:

Arthur had admired Ahiya from afar for years, a secret crush that he never dared act on. He had been a ghost in her life, always observing but never interfering. He had seen her strength, her resilience, and her vulnerability. The night her mother passed away, he had been there—hidden, unnoticed—watching as her world fell apart. That was when he had first promised himself he would protect her, though she would never know.

Now, here she was, in his life, in his world. He had saved her once, but as much as he wanted to, he knew he couldn't save her from everything.

Now:

Arthur let out a deep sigh, his fingers lightly trailing over the sleeve of his jacket that still covered her. She had been thrust into a dangerous game, one that she was never meant to play. His world was one of power, control, and violence, and he couldn't let her be consumed by it.

But that didn't stop the growing feelings inside him, feelings that he had long denied. He had spent so long being hardened by the life he lived, suppressing any trace of weakness. But now, watching her sleep so peacefully, he knew it was too late to turn back.

"Why does it have to be you?" he whispered under his breath, almost as if he were afraid of the answer.

Arthur leaned back, his gaze lingering on her one last time before standing up. The night was far from over. His responsibilities—his real life—were calling him back to the shadows, where men like him belonged.

Before he left the room, he took one last glance at Ahiya. This night should never end, he thought, his heart heavier than it had ever been before. He knew what he had to do, but that didn't make it any easier.

As he closed the door behind him, the cold reality of his world settled back in. He had chosen this life long ago, and there was no escaping it.

But with Ahiya in his heart, the lines between his past and his future were beginning to blur, and Arthur knew that whatever happened next would change everything.

For better or worse.

Their mutual feelings developed day by day. He allowed her to go to her home as there were her brother and sister. Without said anything they felt everything for each other.