Chapter # 19

According to her, they started to live the moment they imagined. He would go to work, she would wait like a housewife, a normal life. Things were going beautifully for her, she indulged in everything except for one. Each time he would mention Zoran, her mood got ruined. His hatred for him sometimes distressed her so much that she didn't say anything. 'What are you thinking?" Nathaniel was beside her with his hand on her shoulder. It was Sunday, his shift was off today. They were watching a movie but her mind was elsewhere. 'Hey, I was wondering, why do you hate Zoran so much?" She decided to ask bluntly today. 'You don't need to know," He shrugged nonchalantly. 'What do you want me to do then?" She frowned. She didn't mind helping him in his vengeance but watching him lose his composure for a man with an unknown reasoning was stressful. 'Stay with me," He merely smiled, pinching her cheeks to not let her be tense about anything at the moment. 'What if I get scared of you, Nathaniel?" He became serious about her innocent question, moving his thumb over her shoulder, he turned her body to press it harder into his. 'Okay, I agree I have frightened this world, everyone but you- Zari, you are my exception. Let this whole world be angry but not you," Whispering seductively, his other hand moved across her jawline to soothe her stiff shoulders, brushing his nose on the side of her face. 'Though that was also a reason why I wanted you to be away from me and left you," 'What do you mean?" She questioned in bafflement. 'I didn't want my darkness to consume you, how my mother's affected my father." He spoke sorrowfully, closing his eyes, fingers trailing to her locks. 'He died, I don't want you to have the same fate," 'If… If you could have talked long before, we might have sorted a way out," She mumbled, placing her hand in between before creating some distances between them. 'We both had our hesitation." 'I guess." 'First your father, then your revenge on me, then my execution, me blindly following my promise, exhaustions," He chuckled huskily, moving down to lay on her laps. She couldn't help but to smile faintly while running her fingers down his locks. 'I guess we attached fetters to ourselves," She agreed. After paying heed to them, she realized their circumstances never allowed them to confess. Though no worries, they were together now. 'Hmm, I agree but I am glad that we are here and will be… right?" To her hesitation, he laughed a little. Taking her hand to kiss them sincerely because his intentions aside, caging Zariah eternally had been his heartfelt desire. 'Of course, now that you are here I won't let you go," They remained like this for a few moments, going back to their movie, watching it with full attention he received a call. 'Who is it, Zari?" Nathaniel asked, not removing his eyes from the screen. 'The country code… is from India," She informed vaguely, forming her lips in a thin line. His tenderness faded, replaced with a scowl. It was highly unfavorable to receive his call but they had to. 'Yeah, it must be Zoran," Scoffing, he sat up, turning off the movie and attending the call. He waited for a few moments only to be greeted by a muffled scream. 'Mhhm!!" 'What the-" 'Put it on speaker, let your Zari hear the wails of her mother before I cease her breaths," Zoran growled and Zariah heard faintly too with horror creeping on her features. 'Mama!" She shouted, Nathaniel held her shoulders, glaring at her to not display weakness before him. 'Zari," 'I thought we had joined hands for his file, Zariah, but you decided to hide yourself in your ex-husband's arms," Zoran mocked, reminding her how she ended up there in the first place. 'Let her go, Zoran," Zariah growled. He couldn't care less about Isis but the fact she was Zariah's mother, he knew he must do something. 'I will. If you come to me," 'Why would she-" 'Alone." Zoran added strictly, deepening Nathaniel's discontent. The merest idea of her going to him sounded unsavory. What if something horrible occurred? 'She won't," 'Okay, if she won't come to me in the next three days, I will send you your mother's head," She gasped, dread taking over her, 'No! You won't do anything like this!" 'Then come to me in the next three days. We joined hands and you must come," Placing his demand openly, Zoran cut the call, successfully ravaging their mood. 'Tsk!" 'Fuck!" 'Do you think he is tricking us?" Nathaniel asked. 'That was my mother's voice, Nathaniel, I have to go and save her," 'Why? She lied to you, hid the truth from you," He frowned, not approving the idea of placing her life at risk for her. 'Whatever it is Nathaniel, she is my mother…" 'Why do you have to go? This is what he wants," He hissed, holding her wrist. 'And I can't risk her life for ‘your' hatred, I must save her," She hissed back, yanking her hand back. It was transparent that he would trick them but she couldn't help it, she must save her mother. 'I won't let you-" 'You are no one to stop me from the only bond I have left in my life," She enunciated strictly, grabbing her phone to call and book tickets so she could leave hastily. 'And me? What am I?" Nathaniel scowled, going after her. 'If you remember, you are my ex-husband." She replied in the same tone that froze him. His jaw dropped, steps freezing to the ground. He blinked a few times to sink into the depth of her words but was left speechless. 'I am leaving," She declared. 'This has to be trap, Zariah, he is using you to hurt me," 'I know and I am not weak to fall into his web," Remaining firm and holding faith in her capabilities, she was about to leave as he grabbed her wrist in a hopeless grip. 'Zari," 'Don't try to stop me, Nathaniel," 'Be safe," He spoke sincerely. She passed a faint smile, pecking his lips before leaving to save her Mother. After she left he cursed under his breath loudly and threw his phone away furiously. 'Fuck!" ‘I have to do something, he is not to be trusted. Who knows what he would do to them?' After two days, he decided to call his special man. His apprentice whom he trusted wholeheartedly, knowing only he could count on him in that matter. 'Hey," Nathaniel breathed out, rubbing his temples from dismay. 'So she didn't listen huh?" He chuckled. 'You know she is stubborn. When she wants to do something she will do it- except for killing me, of course," He chuckled dryly, pouring himself a glass of whiskey. 'So what command do you have for me, Sir?" 'You trust me blindly, right? You can do anything for me, right?" Nathaniel paused, making him titter. 'Of course, you are my Alice's brother, after all," He sighed in relief, knowing he could trust him, he wouldn't betray him and smiled faintly, requesting him. 'Then protect my precious there if you have to lay your life for it, Elton," 'Understood, Sir. Your precious is my precious." After cutting the call, Nathaniel was slightly relaxed that he was there for him only to make him suppress an evil chuckle in India. 'Mhh!!" A muffled scream came along with silent tears blurring the black-eyed woman, scowling at the man before her. Witnessing the blood from her mother's corpse tainting her body too, soaking her clothes. Making her shake to get away from the blood at least but to no avail, it soaked her clothes, then her cheeks. 'Hmph," Elton scoffed, throwing his phone on the couch. Resting his hands in his pocket, he smirked at the woman on the ground, her mouth and hands were covered, restricting her movements. 'Did you hear that, Zariah?" Using a tempting tone, Elton traced his finger on the side of her face, bending on one knee with a heartless, wicked laugh. 'Your lover is telling me to protect you,"