In the Heart of Darkness

Chapter 40: Deceits

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Zara's heartbeat drummed in her ears as she lay on Ibrahim's chest, her mind swirling with doubt, guilt, and dread. The sound of his steady breathing should have been comforting, but tonight it was a reminder of the threat. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked up at his face, his strong jaw softened by sleep. His hand lay protectively over her back, his warmth engulfing her.

But her heart raced with anxiety. She know he will not wake up anytime sooner. The sleeping pills she had slipped into his water were working. His deep, rhythmic breaths told her that he was out for the night.

Zara held her breath and gently lifted his arm off her. She moved cautiously, afraid any sudden motion might stir him. Her body felt tense as she slipped out of the bed, her legs trembling slightly. She grabbed her robe, wrapping it tightly around her naked body as she tiptoed toward the door.

Each step felt like it stretched into eternity, every creak in the floorboards sounding like a thunderclap in the silence.

The study room was dark, but the moonlight streaming through the window gave her enough light to navigate. Her fingers trembled as she sat down at Ibrahim's desk, reaching for his laptop. She knew the password. Months ago, she had used his computer for a project, and Ibrahim had casually typed it in without thinking. Who would have guessed she'd be using it against him now?

Her fingers moved quickly on the keys, her breath shaky as she navigated through his files. A wave of nausea hit her as she scanned through the documents-shipments, weapons, transactions. Everything was laid out in brutal detail. It was worse than she had imagined. She found the file containing the details of his latest shipment-supplies for the war that was brewing in the shadows.

Zara's heart pounded so hard, it felt like it might leap out of her chest. "I'm doing this for him", she told herself. To save him from this mess... from a future where blood and violence would drown him. But the guilt gnawed at her as she copied the files onto the USB drive.

With the information safely stored, Zara closed the laptop and quietly left the study. Her legs felt weak, and her mind was spinning, but she forced herself to walk back to the bedroom. She slipped off her robe, sliding back into bed beside Ibrahim. His arm instinctively curled around her, pulling her close. The touch that once felt like home now felt suffocating, the weight of her secret pressing down on her. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them away. She couldn't break. Not now.

As Ibrahim's warmth enveloped her, Zara closed her eyes, hoping sleep would come and offer her some peace. But all she could feel was the chasm opening between them.

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Ibrahim jolted awake at the first light of dawn. His head was pounding, a dull ache that seemed to settle right behind his eyes. Groggily, he reached for his phone on the nightstand. When he saw the time, his eyes widened in disbelief.

"Damn it," he muttered, throwing the covers off him. He was never late-never. He prided himself on his punctuality, on being in control of every detail of his day. But today, something felt off. His body felt sluggish, his thoughts heavy.

He rushed into the bathroom, splashing cold water on his face. How had he overslept? It made no sense. His hands trembled slightly as he dressed in his usual black attire. The sharp, familiar scent of his cologne filled the air, but even that didn't shake the uneasy feeling crawling under his skin.