13 Chapter 13 : Trying to Escape.
The evening had descended, shrouding the Rahman Mansion in darkness. Ava had been biding her time, waiting for the right moment to escape. Her gaze fixed on the small window at the top in the bathroom. In the window, the glass was sealed with pudding.
She returned to the room and glanced around for anything that could help her. Her gaze fell on the broken pieces of glass vases. She approached the broken vase and picked up a piece. The jagged edge felt cool against her trembling fingers. She stared at the shard, she mused, "There's no turning back now. You can do it, Ava. You can."
Ava retraced her steps back to the bathroom. She climbed onto the toilet, her feet cold against the porcelain, and reached for the reserved tank for additional support.
What if I fail? What if they catch me? ... Ava's mind started to question. "No, I must take this chance. I let anyone to torture me."
Ava climbed further, her breaths echoing in the silence of the bathroom. And finally, she reached the window. She held the glass shard tightly, her fingers sticky from sweat.
Ava carefully scraped away the dried pudding. But it wasn't a easy job to do. Her arms growing weary from the effort. The task felt endless, but she refused to give up. Each movement, each scrape, was a step closer to her escape. She whispered to herself, "Just a little more, Ava. You can do this. You've come so far."
After what felt like an eternity, the pudding sealing the window gave way. She carefully removed the large glass from the window and came down to place it on the floor. Once more, she stood on the toilet and used the reserved tank for support. She began to ascend .
The window frame was narrow, and her slim frame allowed her to squeeze through. But in her haste, she misjudged her approach, and as she wriggled through, her hand got several scratches.
And then the unthinkable happened. As she desperately pushed herself through the narrow frame, the iron frame of the window sliced into her waist, leaving a deep, painful gash. Summoning every ounce of strength, Ava pushed through the window.
Just when she thought she couldn't endure the pain any longer, she managed to break free. In her haste, she lost her grip and tumbled to the ground below. A heavy thud echoed through the night as Ava hit the ground.
She lay on the grass, the cool night air washing over her. But Ava couldn't afford to lie on the ground. Gritting her teeth against the pain in her waist, she quickly pushed herself to her feet. Her trembling hands were stained with blood from the cut of her waist.
The darkness of the night covered the surroundings and Ava had no clear idea of the mansion's layout. She noticed, glimpses of guards in black suits patrolling various areas here and there. Though no one saw her till now.
Spotting a tree nearby, she hide herself from any prying eyes. From her hiding spot, Ava tried to survey her surroundings. She could make out two cars parked in the driveway. The mansion's main gate was nowhere in sight. That meant, she was at the back of the property.
Gathering her courage, she decided to try to move along the walls of the mansion. It was the safest option she could think of in this state. Her trembling fingers grazed the cold stone walls as she moved.
Ava turned a corner. But to her dismay, her path was blocked by a guard in a black suit. It was Kamir, and he spotted her almost immediately. "Hey, girl," he called out.
Ava's heart sank as she realized she had been discovered. The guard approached her and wasted no time in announcing, "You're coming with me. I'll take you to Ibrahim. How can you escape? He'll decide what to do with you."
Ava's mind raced, and in desperation, she pleaded with Kamir, "Please, you don't understand. You can't take me to Ibrahim. I didn't choose to be here. I was kidnapped, and I need to go, please."
Kamir listened to her pleas.His gaze softened, but his intentions were far from pure. His original orders were clear, to hand Ava over to his boss, Ibrahim. However, another plan began to take shape in his mind. Ava was a valuable pawn, and he knew she could be used to weaken Ibrahim in the future. Kamir had been sent from Ibrahim's rival gang. And he was doing job as a guard in The Rahman Mansion. Kamir thought his original boss would be pleased to hear that he had managed to get close to the girl who meant so much to Ibrahim.
Kamir hold Ava's hand and moved to the corner. He leaned closer to Ava and whispered, "I can help you escape from here, but it'll be on my terms. You'll need to trust me."
Ava was taken aback. The guard's sudden change of heart surprised her. She believed he was helping out of pity. She believed the guard is showing mercy to her.
Ava nodded and whispered, "Thank you. Just please, get me out of here."
Kamir led the way along the mansion's hidden pathways and through secret passages that were well away from the mansion's CCTV cameras, and Ava followed Kamir closely. Though Ava's steps aren't fast as Karim's. Her wound made her moves more slow.
Kamir whispered as they moved, "Stay close. We have to avoid any other guards. They won't hesitate to report your escape to Ibrahim. Once She's outside, she'll go to the woods."
Ava nodded in agreement. She was determined to do anything for her freed. She made her steps quickened. But her body ached with every steps. They were guided solely by the glow of the moon. Kamir led Ava towards a looming boundary wall that was to be their best chance of slipping away from the mansion unnoticed.
Ava summoned her remaining strength and began to climb the wall. Karim helped her a little, not too much. He didn't want to touch Ibrahim's woman. The rough texture of the bricks scraped at her hands and feet, but she was determined not to let pain hold her back. She winced in discomfort, her injuries protesting with each movement. Slowly but steadily, Ava made her way up the wall. Karim didn't cross the boundary wall. He stayed inside the mansion. Kamir whispered, "After coming down, you'll straight go to the woods. Okay? I'll come in 5 mins."
Ava nodded and jumped to the other side on the ground. The world outside the mansion's walls stretched before them. Ava took a moment to breath, "Finally I'm free."
She started to run. As fast as she could. The dim streetlights overhead bathed her path. Just as she was about to cross the street and went towards the woods, a sudden, jarring impact brought her to a halt. Her heart pounded in her chest, and for a moment, she thought she had collided with a wall.
But it wasn't a wall that had stopped her. She staggered backward, dazed and disoriented. For a moment, she was confused not sure what she had run into.
Then, her eyes focused. To her horror, the obstacle turned out to be none other than her captor, Ibrahim Rahman. Under the intense glare of the streetlight, Ava could clearly see his face.
Ibrahim looked down at her, and for a split second, Ava's world seemed to freeze. Her breath caught in her throat as she took a couple of steps back, realizing she had been caught.
Ibrahim's voice, calm and almost casual, broke the silence, "You're quite a good runner, Ava. I'm impressed."
Ava wanted to respond, to say something, but she found herself at a loss for words. She had been so close to freedom, and now her captor stood before her.
