𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧| I'll always come for you

Aryan’s pov;

I felt my heart skip a beat as I heard a soft, familiar voice call my name.

"Aryan!" Louder and more desperate this time, her voice made my body go rigid. I recognized it instantly.

It was Zaira.

Fury began boiling in my veins, stepping back and ramming the door with all my strength.

Again and again, I struck the door, my frustration mounting with each failed attempt. Finally, the lock gave way with a loud crack, and the door flew open.

I pushed it wide, my heart dropping at the sight before me. Fury surged through every vein in my body.

"Zaira..."

Zaira—pale and trembling—was pressed against the wall. Her terrified eyes met mine for a brief moment before I shifted my gaze to the man who dared to touch her.

His eyes widened in shock as he loosened his grip on her. Without a second thought, I sprinted toward him, grabbing the back of his neck and yanking him away from her.

"You fuvvking piece of shit."

With all my strength, I slammed his face against the wall. The sickening sound of impact was followed by his groan of pain.

I didn't give him a chance to recover. Gripping him tightly, I slammed his head against the wall again, and again, until blood started to trickle down.

"You made a grave mistake by putting your hands on someone you shouldn’t have," I snarled.

My grip on his neck tightened as I smashed his head against the wall one last time, harder than before. If Zaira weren’t here, I might have ripped him apart for even daring to lay his filthy eyes on her.

Finally, I let go. He crumpled to the ground, groaning in pain. I kicked him twice in the stomach, relishing his cries as he curled up in agony. Dragging him by the hair, I hauled him to the washbasin. As I prepared to slam his head against the mirror, a soft, quivering voice stopped me.

"A...stop."

I turned around, my anger momentarily replaced by guilt at the sight of her tear-streaked face.

Releasing the man with one last kick to his stomach to ensure he stayed down, I walked over to Zaira. Before I could say a word, she threw her arms around me, catching me completely off guard.

My hands trembled slightly at the gesture.

Seven years

I had only dreamt of holding her hand, and now that she was pressed against me like this, I didn’t know what to do.

Awkwardly, I draped an arm over her shoulder. With my other hand, I stroked her hair, trying to calm her down.

"Shh, I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you."

The fury still simmered inside me, but her embrace had dulled its sharp edge.

She held onto me, crying silently, while I did my best to soothe her. My heart racing, at the closeness.

When she finally pulled back, her doe-like eyes met mine.

Her tear-streaked face made her look even more innocent, and it tugged at something deep within me.

I raised my hand to wipe her tears, only to see more spill over.

“Shh, I’m here. Don’t cry.”

“I don’t know how he got inside, I..

I don’t know what would’ve happened if you hadn’t came, i—”

“Don’t.” I cut her off gently. “I’ll always come, Zaira. Even if it’s a faint whisper, I’ll come.”

"Now, don't cry, I'm here, aren’t it?" She nods, tears spilling from her eyes, making my heart ache.

Reaching into the pocket of my coat, I pulled out a napkin and held it out to her.

"Here."

Her eyes flicked to my hand before meeting mine again. She hesitated for a moment before taking it and wiping her tears.

While she composed herself, I pulled out my phone and dialed Ian’s number.

He picked up on the second ring.

“Yeah?”

“I need you to do me a favor,” I said.

I told him about the situation, carefully leaving out Zaira’s part, and asked him to send two cars—one for Aiden and one for the dead meat lying on the floor.

Ending the call, I looked at her. She still seemed so shaken, her usual feisty self now small and vulnerable.

If I had even the slightest right, I would’ve pulled her into my arms and never let go.

“Let’s go,” I ask her softly, holding out my hand.

She placed hers over mine almost immediately but glanced back at the man lying on the ground, clutching his head in pain.

Letting go of her hand, I walked back to the man and kicked him in the groin again—harder this time—to ensure he stayed down. Then, I returned to her and took her hand once more.

I led her outside to the parking lot.

“I came with the house chauffeur,” she said quietly. “I should go and inform him to leave.”

“Call him and dismiss him," i tell her, "You are coming with me, I'll drop you myself."

I opened the car door with a quick and guided her inside. Once she was safely seated, I shut the door and called Ian again.

“How long will it take?”

“Just a while,” he replied. “I’m with the men now. Why aren’t you taking Aiden with you?”

A sigh escaped my lips. “I have my reasons. Just get here quickly.”

“Okay.”

Hanging up, I moved to the driver’s side and slid into the seat. I glanced at her. She still had tears in her eyes.

“Relax. You’re safe now. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

She stayed silent, her gaze fixed on her lap as she fidgeted with her hands. I leaned closer.

“look at me."

She looks up, lifting those beautiful, sad, and scared eyes to meet mine.

“It’s all my fault,” she said, her lips trembling. “I shouldn’t have come here. Now look, I’ve caused you so much trouble.”

I reached out and gently wiped another tear from her cheek. “It’s not your fault,” I tell her softly. “None of this is your fault.”

“And don’t worry about causing me trouble. If I won’t help you, then who will, hm?”

"But, Aryan, I got so much scared. I don’t know what would’ve happened. I feel so scared." She starts to cry again, her hands pressing against her face as if trying to push the fear away.

I gently pulled her hand away from her face, holding it in mine, not giving her the chance to hide anymore.

With the help of other hand, i wiped the tears spilling on her cheek.

"You have nothing to be scared of, I'll never let anyone touch you like that ever again, i promise."

"Do you trust me?"

She nods.

"Words."

"Yes."

"Good, now stop worrying about it.I'll handle all of it, alright?"

She nodded, and when I saw no more tears in her eyes, I pulled my hand back and started the engine.

Silence fell between us, heavy and unspoken, until she broke it.

“Why were you here?” she asked softly.

My hands tightened on the wheel for a moment before I answered. “I was looking for someone. But finding you there was...” I felt my jaw clench. “Let’s just say it wasn’t part of the plan.”

Zaira gave a faint nod. I picked up my phone and dialed Ian’s number again. Zaira was safe, but there was still Aiden—and that bastard—to deal with.

Ian picked up after a ring. “Is it done?”

“Yeah,” I said. “I’m on my way to Aiden’s house, and that guy is in another car, headed straight to your garage."

“Good.”

I hung up, satisfied that both matters were being handled. The only thing left was breaking that moron’s bones, but I could wait.

“are you going back to New York?” she asked suddenly.

She must have thought I was talking about New York in the phone call.

I glanced at her before focusing on the road again.

“not yet, but soon."

“When will you come back, then?”

A small smile touched my lips. “i don't know, Why? You don’t want me to go?”

She shook her head, smiling for the first time since I had seen her tonight. She looked radiant, like sunlight breaking through after a storm.

She didn’t reply; instead, she turned her head toward the window

“You didn’t answer my question,” I pressed.

“I don’t know. You were mean before, but now you’re suddenly good to me. You take my comeback without saying anything in return. You even smile. You’ve changed, Aryan.”

“I didn’t change,” I said quietly. “I just realized. I realized how wrong and stupid I used to act... especially toward my ‘best friend.’”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “Did you say best friend?”

“Yeah, best friend.”

“So you did consider me your best friend?”

I nodded.

“Then why were you so mean?”

“I was stupid, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay."

“So...friends again?” she asked suddenly, holding out her palm.

I smiled and placed my hand over hers, my hands covering her whole hand.

“Best friend.”

She smiled again, and I felt my heart race once more.

--------------‐------------------------------

I opened the door on her side, and she stepped out, uncertainty clouding her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Can I make a request?”

“Of course. Anything.”

“Don’t tell Azhar bhai, please. You know how he is. I don’t want to create a scene or anything like that.”

Her voice wavered slightly as she added, “Please, Aryan.”

How the hell was I supposed to say no to her when she looked at me with those big, pleading doe eyes? I was a goner.

“Okay,” I said.

“Really?”

“Hmm.”

“Thank you!”

I nodded in return. “Take care of yourself, and don’t worry about that psycho, okay? I’ll handle him.”

She nodded. “Okay.”

“Good.”

She cast one last look at me before waving her hand and stepping inside.

With a sigh, I got back into my car and drove straight to the garage where the bastard was being held.

When I arrived, Ian was standing outside, waiting for me.

“He’s inside,” Ian said, his tone flat. “What did he do?”

“Just something he shouldn’t have,” I replied, taking the gun from his hand as I descended the stairs

The basement was thick with tension. The air felt heavier as I stood over him, watching him struggle to stay conscious.

He was tied to the chair, blood dripping from his mouth, his body trembling with a mixture of fear and pain.

He had no idea what was coming for him, but I could see it in his eyes—the realization that there was no escape now.

I leaned in close, the metallic scent of blood in the air, and whispered in his ear, “You think you can put your hands on someone I care about and just walk away?” My voice was calm, but the fury simmering beneath it was impossible to ignore.

His breath hitched, and he tried to speak, but it came out garbled. “I— I didn’t mean to... please, I—”

I didn’t let him finish. My fist crashed into his jaw, snapping his head back, making him gag on the blood pooling in his mouth.

He groaned in agony, and I could feel the adrenaline surge through my veins. The satisfaction of watching him crumble under my control was intoxicating.

“You didn’t mean to?” I said slowly, stepping back. “You didn’t mean to hurt her? You didn’t mean to terrorize her? You’re lying through your fuvking teeth.”

I paced in front of him, the silence between us thick. “You’re lucky I’m not killing you right now. But don’t think for a second you’re leaving here unscathed.”

I grabbed a steel pipe from the corner of the room, feeling the cold weight of it in my hand. “I want you to remember this. I want you to feel it every day, every minute, for the rest of your pathetic life. You will never forget the moment you crossed me.”

The man’s eyes were wide with terror, but he was still trying to fight it—trying to maintain whatever little pride he had left.

I wasn’t about to let him. I swung the pipe with a vicious force, connecting with his ribs.

The crack of bone splitting echoed through the room. He screamed out, a raw sound that sent a shiver down my spine.

I crouched down, forcing him to meet my gaze, blood dripping from his mouth as he gasped for air. “That’s just a taste. I can break every bone in your body if I want.

I stood, moving away, letting the tension build. He was writhing in pain, unable to move but still begging, pleading. “Please... I didn’t mean it. I didn’t mean to... I swear...”

I looked at him, expression hard as stone. “You did mean it. You put your hands on her. You scared her, made her feel like she was worth nothing. And now you’re going to understand what it feels like to be at the mercy of someone else.”

I grabbed him by the hair, yanking his head back so he had no choice but to look at me. “I could end you right now. But I’m not that merciful.”

I let go of his hair and took a step back, pulling out a knife. The blade gleamed under the dim light, a sharp promise of pain.

“This isn’t about just teaching you a lesson. It’s about making sure you never, ever forget the consequences of touching someone I care about. I’m going to carve this into your fuvking memory.”

The man’s eyes went wide with panic as I drew the knife across the side of his face, the cold steel grazing his skin.

He gasped in pain, the blood welling up in the wound. I drew it again, this time deeper. The blood dripped freely as his body tensed with every slice.

“You won’t die today,” I said calmly, each word punctuated with the sting of the blade. “But if I hear your name near her again, if I hear you so much as whisper about her—” I paused, letting the tension hang in the air, “I’ll make sure it’s the last thing you do.”

To be continue...

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Okay!!

That's it for this chapter, i would have uploaded the full chapter but it was getting too lengthy, so I thought I'd post it in the the 8th chapter instead.