Mafia's Contracted Bride

Chapter 9

Dawood stormed out of the cellar, his mind reeling from the revelation. Ali, his closest friend, his confidant, his most trusted ally, had betrayed him. The weight of the realization hit him like a crushing blow, and his heart raced with a dangerous mix of fury and confusion. The sound of his shoes echoed down the dimly lit hallway, each step louder than the last as his anger simmered just below the surface.

His jaw clenched tightly, and his fists balled up at his sides as he made his way toward his office. The words of the intruder echoed in his mind: "Ask Ali. He’s the one who let me in." Ali had orchestrated the whole thing. Ali had tried to stop the wedding.

But why?

Dawood's thoughts flashed back to the days leading up to the wedding. He remembered the moment when Ali had spoken out against his plan to kidnap Yara, urging him to reconsider. At the time, Dawood had brushed it off as mere caution, Ali being overly protective of him, warning him of the risks. But now, the truth was clear. Ali hadn’t wanted Dawood to have Yara because he loved her.

Dawood slammed open the door to his office, pacing back and forth as his mind raced. His emotions, a turbulent storm of rage and betrayal, threatened to consume him. He couldn't believe it, Ali, the man who had stood by his side through countless battles, the man who had always been there to protect him, had fallen for Yara.

Was this why he had been hesitant? Was this why he had warned Dawood against the kidnapping?

With a growl of frustration, Dawood snatched a knife from his desk, the cold steel gleaming in the dim light of the room. His hand shook with pent-up rage as he plunged the blade into the wall repeatedly, the sound of the knife sinking into the wood echoing in the otherwise silent office. Each stab was an outlet for his anger, a way to release the storm inside him.

He was furious at Ali for the betrayal, furious at himself for not seeing it sooner, and furious at the situation that had led him here, trapped in a web of deceit and betrayal, forced into a marriage with a woman he barely knew, and now, questioning everything he thought he understood about loyalty.

After a few moments, his breathing steadied, and he pulled the knife from the wall, the splintered wood a testament to his frustration. He slumped down into the chair behind his desk, running a hand through his hair as he tried to calm his mind.

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In the bedroom, Yara lay on the soft bed, her body trembling from the weight of the day’s events. Tears streamed down her face, soaking into the delicate fabric of her pillow as she sobbed uncontrollably. She had cried so much that it felt like there were no more tears left, but still, they came. Her heart ached with a mixture of fear, hopelessness, and despair.

This was her life now, married to a man she didn’t love, forced into a union she hadn’t wanted. The thought alone made her stomach churn, and she buried her face deeper into the pillow, wishing she could disappear into the fabric, escape the nightmare she was living.

Yara’s mind raced with thoughts of her fate. How had it come to this? She had dreamed of a life filled with love and happiness, not one filled with fear and despair. Her sobs quieted, her body exhausted from the emotional turmoil, and eventually, sleep overtook her. Her chest still rose and fell with uneven breaths, but the weight of exhaustion finally pulled her under, offering a brief respite from the chaos of her world.

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Dawood stood outside Yara’s room for a moment, his hand hovering over the doorknob. He had been so consumed by his own anger that he hadn’t thought about her, about how she must be feeling, trapped in this forced marriage. For a moment, he hesitated, wondering if he should just leave her alone, but something pulled him inside.

He opened the door quietly, stepping into the dimly lit room. His eyes immediately landed on Yara’s sleeping form. She lay curled up on the bed, her face pale, tear-streaked, and utterly defeated. Her hands clutched the edge of the blanket as if holding on to the last shred of her hope.

Dawood walked closer, his footsteps soft on the carpet. He stood by the side of the bed, watching her for a moment. She looked so fragile, so delicate in her sleep. The hard lines of his face softened slightly as he gazed down at her. She didn’t deserve this. No matter what had brought them to this point, she didn’t deserve to be trapped in a marriage she didn’t want.

Reaching out carefully, Dawood brushed a strand of hair away from her face. His fingers lingered for a moment on her cheek, feeling the warmth of her skin beneath his touch. She was so beautiful, so innocent-looking in her sleep. The tears on her face had dried, but the traces of her sorrow were still evident.

For the first time, a strange feeling stirred in Dawood’s chest, something he hadn’t expected. He had married her for revenge, for control, but standing there beside her now, watching her sleep, he felt a pang of guilt. She looked peaceful now, but he knew the pain that lurked just beneath the surface.

Did she really deserve this? Did she deserve to be dragged into his world of power and violence, of betrayals and deals? She hadn’t asked for any of it, yet here she was, a victim of his actions.

He sat down on the edge of the bed, his fingers still brushing lightly against her hair. He didn’t know what to make of these feelings, this strange tenderness that he hadn’t expected. His life had always been about control, about power. But here, with Yara, he felt something different. She was vulnerable, and for some reason, that vulnerability stirred something inside him.

After a few moments, Dawood stood up, his expression hardening once more. This wasn’t the time to be soft. He had a job to do, a betrayal to confront, and questions that needed answers. He couldn’t let himself get distracted by emotions, not now. Not when everything was at stake.

With one last glance at Yara, Dawood turned and left the room, his mind once again filled with thoughts of Ali and the betrayal that had rocked his world.

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Dawood returned to his office, the tension in his body still unresolved. He paced the room, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of everything. Ali, his most trusted friend, the one person he had always relied on, had betrayed him, and for what? A woman?

His fingers tapped restlessly against the desk as he tried to suppress the growing storm inside him. He would confront Ali. He had to know the truth, no matter how painful it was.

As if on cue, the door to the office swung open, and Ali stepped inside. His face was tense, his eyes hard as they locked onto Dawood’s.

"Why?" Ali’s voice cut through the room like a blade. "Why did you marry her?"

Dawood’s eyes narrowed, and the tension between the two men crackled in the air. Ali's demand was the question Dawood had been avoiding, but now, there was no escaping the confrontation.

Ali took a step forward, his fists clenched. "I warned you not to do this. I told you this wasn’t the right way to handle things. But you didn’t listen. And now...." He paused, his voice thick with emotion. "Now you’ve gone and married her. Why, Dawood? What were you thinking?"

Dawood’s jaw tightened. His betrayal still fresh, his anger simmered just beneath the surface. He couldn’t ignore the hurt in Ali’s voice, but he wasn’t ready to forgive. Not yet.

The two men stood in the office, the weight of their past friendship hanging heavily in the air. Neither of them moved, both waiting for the other to make the first move, to break the silence that had grown between them.

The confrontation had begun, and there was no going back.

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Hiii / Assalamu Alaikum
I hope all of you are doing good ❤️

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-Nuska Nisthar 🌼