Chapter 110 : "Are you drunk?" 

Ava's heart overflowed with joy and she threw her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. "Wow, Ibrahim, it would be amazing! It's November 30th today… only one month to go!"

Ibrahim hugged her back, savoring the warmth of her body against his. But Ava continued, And there's another amazing thing happening tomorrow!"

Ibrahim, still, embracing her, gently asked, "What?" His hand soothingly patted her head.

"The scholarship list comes out tomorrow! If I get it, I can go to Manchester University for my final year!" Ava exclaimed.

The news of the scholarship slammed into Ibrahim like a rogue wave. As the word "scholarship" echoed through the air, his grip on her tightened, not in affection, but in a desperate attempt to anchor himself against the rising tide of his own guilt. He pulled her closer, not to share her joy, but to mask the turmoil brewing within him. 

He had anticipated this, planned for it, but hearing it from her lips, so full of hope and dreams, was another blow. 

Ava, oblivious to the turmoil within him, continued to pour her dreams into the night air. "I studied so hard, Ibrahim," she whispered, her voice laced with a vulnerable hope. "Only a few students get this scholarship. Pray for me, please? I want to be a good architect, build beautiful buildings and bridges..."

It seemed as Ava's words were pouring oil on Ibrahim's burning heart. He had, with his own hands, yanked the rug out from under her dreams, and now she was asking him to pray for something he had already ensured would not happen. 

Ibrahim's heart sank because he was the one who told Faisal to reject the scholarship on Ava's behalf. He wanted to see her dreams take flight, but the idea of losing her was an unbearable thought. Ava's innocent trust, her belief in his support, was the most painful torture of all. It was like watching a bird with clipped wings, singing a song of flight, oblivious to the cage he had built around her.

He imagined for a second the heartbreak Ava would experience when she discovered that her name was not on the list. He took deep breath, forcing a faint smile to conceal the pain he felt. He didn't want Ava to see how much her words were hurting him. All he desired was for Ava to stay by his side, studying in Kuala Lumpur rather than going to Manchester.

With a heavy heart Ibrahim pulled away from the embrace and started blankly at Ava. He whispered, "What is better for you, it will happen and What is meant to be, will be," trying to convince himself that he was making the right decision.

Yes he was the betrayer, not of a stranger, but of the woman he supposedly loved. He loved her, yes, in his own twisted way. And He craved her presence, the sunlight in her eyes, the warmth of her hand in his everyday, everynight. Ava was his, he'd convinced himself. And he would keep her safe, sheltered within the golden walls of his world, even if it meant sacrificing the wings she was meant to stretch.

The fireworks continued their dazzling display, but for Ibrahim, the night had lost its vibrancy. But Ava.....She remained captivated by the spectacle. The fireworks, the lake, the wooden bridge, the night, the moonlight everything were perfect. It was a beautiful and heartbreaking scene at the same time.

"Ibrahim," Ava began, her voice laced with a hesitancy that only he could decipher. "I…"

Ibrahim leaned and gripped the railing. His eyes were clouded with his inner turmoil, "Hmmm?"

Ava blushed, her cheeks mirroring the fiery bursts of the fireworks. "I…" she stammered, "I was thinking… maybe… we could sleep together on ... on same bed." 

Only Ava knew how many courage she had to gather to say these words. She never thought she would say something like this infront of Ibrahim.

And ofcourse Ibrahim would be surprised. His disbelief was palpable. He stared at her, his mind reeling from the audacity of her proposition. Sleep together? Ava, the woman who once swore she'd never surrender her body, was now suggesting a shared bed? Was this a dream, a cruel trick of the moonlight?

"Do you know what you're saying?" Ibrahim rasped, "Are you drunk?" 

He scanned her face, searching for any trace of jest, of intoxication, of anything that could explain the sudden shift in their conversation. He couldn't fathom what Ava was saying. This was really his Ava, the woman who'd built walls around her heart, the woman who'd sworn to never surrender her body. 

Ava blushed even deeper. She took a deep breath before clarifying, "I'm not drunk. I just... I don't know how to say it... but I don't have a problem with sleeping with you. In the same bed, I mean."

Ibrahim felt his heart skip a beat. The words, simple as they were, held the weight of a revelation. But the timing. The timing wasn't right. The timing gnawed at his conscience. He was drowning in the guilt of sabotaging her scholarship, of clipping her wings before she could soar, and now being offered the ultimate prize - her trust, her vulnerability. But this unexpected offer was a lifeline he couldn't resist. And Ibrahim couldn't deny the opportunity, couldn't let this moment slip through his fingers. He wouldn't. 

"Wait," Ibrahim murmured, "wait a minute... you're not dreaming, are you?"

"Ibrahim," Ava's blush deepened, "Don't make me feel bad about it."

Ibrahim chuckled, "Bad? Don't blush like that now, there will be more moments like that when you have to blush."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the car. Ava, caught off guard by his sudden movement, stumbled along. "The fireworks aren't over yet," Ava protested.

Ibrahim turned back to her. "I'll make your heart the real fireworks, Baby Girl." his voice a low growl against her ear. 

Ava, her breath hitching, tried to pull away. "Wait, wait, Ibrahim," she stammered, her words tumbling over each other. "Just because I said we could sleep together, it doesn't mean..."

She tried to voice her apprehension, to clarify that sleeping together wasn't synonymous with... her voice died in her throat as Ibrahim gently pushed her into the passenger seat.

 Ibrahim slid in the driver's seat and started the engine, "And why would you think we will just sleep? Do you think you could offer me an invitation like that and expect me to be a saint, Hmm? Do I look like a good guy to you, babygirl?"

Ava's proposal backfired. She was trying to apply Farah's advice but things were going in different directions, "I... I just meant..."

"You gave me the green light. Till now I was waiting for your permission, Ava. Now that you've given it, I won't waste a single second."

Ava's cheeks burned, a mixture of fear and anticipation swirling within her. She hadn't meant for things to move this fast, hadn't envisioned the raw heat in his gaze, the barely veiled possessiveness that coiled around her like a boa constrictor.

 "I... I didn't think of that," she mumbled while gripping the seatbelt.

Ibrahim's chuckle sent a shiver down Ava's spine, "Don't worry, my love. I'll take care of everything. All you have to do is… let me show you how good it can be."

Ava took deep breathes. His words, so seductive and yet so possessive, left her both exhilarated and terrified. She had offered a hesitant invitation, and now Ibrahim, was devouring it whole.

Ibrahim, his foot heavy on the pedal, pushed the speedometer needle past 120 kmph, the engine roaring like a hungry beast. The wind whipped through the open windows, tearing at Ava's hair and whipping her breath away.

"Ibrahim," she called out, her voice barely audible over the wind's howl. "Where are we going? This isn't the way to Rahman Mansion."

"My guest house, Baby Girl." he replied, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. "Wouldn't want anyone to hear your… screams of pleasure, now would we?"

Ava's mouth agape, she stared at him in disbelief, "Ibrahim, I… I don't have the courage to face this. Can't it wait? Tomorrow? Or the next day?"

He glanced at her, "Uh-uh, Today. It happens today. And I'll make sure you scream my name loud enough to wake the dead."

Panic clawed at Ava's throat. The car swerved around a bend, the headlights cutting through the darkness like predatory eyes. "Slow down, Ibrahim!" she pleaded, "Why are you driving so… so roughly?"

But Ibrahim was Ibrahim. His remained unmoved, "Don't doubt on my driving skills, Ava...There's another option, you know. I can park this car right here, and… just fuck you here in inside the car. Hmm? Will it be good?"