Forever His

Chapter 59: Murder

Mahnoor's POV:

Two weeks later...

The two weeks that followed the charity ball were nothing short of torment. Shahmeer had shut me out completely, his presence in the house reduced to a ghostly shadow. He came and went without a word, barely acknowledging me, leaving me in a suffocating silence that threatened to unravel everything inside me.

The man who had once, if only briefly, shown glimmers of something deeper—of care, of tenderness—was gone. And I was done waiting. Done trying to tiptoe around his moods, done being invisible in a marriage that already felt like a prison.

Tonight, I decided, things would change.

Standing in front of the mirror, I smoothed down the fabric of the dress I had chosen—a bold, dark violet dres that hugged my curves and showed off just enough skin to make my intentions clear. It wasn't the kind of outfit I'd normally wear, but tonight wasn't about playing it safe. Tonight, I wanted his attention. I needed it, even if it meant provoking him.

Grabbing my clutch, I made my way downstairs. The house was eerily quiet, the usual guards by the main doors conspicuously absent. My heels clicked sharply against the marble floors as I reached for the door handles and pushed them open.

The cool night air greeted me, but just as I stepped forward, a large hand shot out from behind me and slammed the doors shut with a resounding thud.

I froze.

Slowly turning around, my breath hitched as I found myself face-to-face with Shahmeer. His tall frame loomed over me, his hand still braced against the door, trapping me between him and the solid wood. The other hand came up beside my head, caging me completely.

My heart raced, not from fear, but from the raw, unspoken tension crackling in the air between us. His eyes raked over me, dark and intense, his gaze lingering on the neckline of my dress before snapping back up to meet mine.

"Going somewhere?" he asked, his voice dangerously low, laced with something that sent a shiver down my spine.

I tilted my chin up, refusing to let him intimidate me. "Out with my friends," I said evenly, though my voice wavered just slightly.

His lips curved into a slow, wicked smirk. "Dressed like that?"

I crossed my arms, glaring at him. "Yes. Any problem with that?"

He let out a low chuckle, the sound vibrating through the small space between us. "Not at all," he said, leaning in slightly, his breath warm against my cheek. "But let me make one thing clear."

His voice dropped even lower, each word deliberate, searing. "You don't get to play these little games with me."

"Games?" I shot back, my frustration boiling over. "You've been ignoring me for weeks, Shahmeer. What else was I supposed to do? Wait around like some pathetic doll for you to finally notice me?"

His eyes darkened, the smirk slipping from his face. "Is that what you think this is?" he asked, his tone sharp, cutting. "That I don't notice you?"

I opened my mouth to reply, but before I could, he stepped even closer, closing the already minimal gap between us. My back pressed against the door, my breathing uneven as his gaze bore into mine.

"Trust me, Mahnoor," he murmured, and his words sent a tremor through me. "I notice you. Too much."

The admission hung in the air, heavy and electric. Before I could process it, he reached down, scooping me up into his arms in one swift motion.