LET ME HATE YOU

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Aslan saw his brother's struggle in the rearview mirror, noting the prominent vein on his neck—a clear sign of his inner turmoil. He sighed, glancing at his father, Salar, who seemed to notice the same.

When a lead brought them to the police station to identify Asmaira, the initial instinct was to leave Amaan behind. However, Amaan insisted on coming, and Salar couldn't refuse. While Amaan was responsible for Asmaira's disappearance, his shattered eyes revealed a man broken by remorse. As a father, Salar couldn't deepen his son's misery by denying him a chance at relief. This decision was made against Feriha's wishes, as she was adamant that Amaan should not be anywhere near Asmaira.

Seeing Amaan's hand tremble, Aslan took the wheel and drove them to the police station. As the building came into sight, Amaan inhaled a shaky breath, shame consuming him. A desperate part of him prayed that this was not where they would find Asmaira—especially not a police station or hospital.

Salar gave Amaan time, waiting until he was ready before they stepped out of the car. Since the girl's identity wasn't confirmed, Salar was also wrestling with his own dilemma. Borris, the police commissioner, was a close friend. But if the girl turned out to be Asmaira, how would he tell Feriha that her daughter-in-law was found in a brothel? Such a revelation would only strain their already fragile relationship.

"Salar, long time, my friend," Borris greeted them outside, shaking his hand.

"Yes, it has been long, Borris," Salar replied, following his friend inside.

Despite the early hour, Borris had kept the meeting discreet. He met them himself instead of having an officer escort them, ensuring minimal staff involvement at his friend's request.

Inside the cabin:

"This is Officer Jose," Borris said, gesturing towards a man in a red shirt.

"Last night, we received a tip about a place operating an illegal brothel in disguise," Jose began.

Aslan's head snapped first toward Amaan, then to his father. Salar subtly shook his head, urging them not to show shock, fearing Amaan might spiral further into guilt. The priority was confirming the identity. Borris had only mentioned a woman with a similar appearance to the one Salar described.

Amaan, however, felt a physical wrenching in his chest, as if his heart were being ripped out.

"We raided the place and made arrests. But one girl kept insisting she was married. Initially, I dismissed it as a lie, especially when she went silent after I asked about her family."

Married? Silent about her family even in a crisis? A chilling certainty struck Amaan: only one woman would choose silence to protect her family's reputation, even at the cost of her own safety.

"What made you think she was the one I alerted all stations about?" Borris asked.

Jose replied, "Two of the arrested women were mocking her, telling her to call Amaan, the man she claimed would find her. I ignored it at first. But then, the urgent message from the control room came about a missing member of the Hashmi family. What caught my attention was that she was claiming to be the wife of Amaan Hashmi. Since no picture was attached, I took a guess and informed the commissioner."

Amaan shot up from his seat. "Where is Asmaira?"

"We are still not sure about her identity, son. The only clue is that she knew your name," Borris started, but Amaan cut him off, his voice dangerously low. "Where. Is. She?"

Salar saw Amaan's hand quivering and recognized the dangerous edge in his son's eyes. Afraid of a reckless outburst, he intervened. "Amaan."

"I understand, Salar. Officer Jose, please bring her in," Borris instructed. Jose shifted uncomfortably, and under the glare of four pairs of eyes, he finally admitted, "She's unconscious."