Alia's voice was filled with a deep, desperate plea rather than courage. Stopping in the middle of packing, she looked into Viktor's eyes and said, "Viktor, I know I disobeyed you that day, and as punishment, you have kept me away from my family for so long. But today... before we leave for this long journey to the island, I just want to see my father once. It's my final request. I just want to see them, not to start any conflict."
Viktor's expression shifted instantly. The previous authoritative smirk vanished, replaced by a cold, stone-faced mask. He moved away from her, standing in the middle of the room. His eyes held a deep darkness, as if the memory of her past disobedience was fueling his rage anew.
In a low, gravelly voice, he said, "You are forgetting, Alia, that the decision to keep you from your family wasn't just a punishment for your defiance; it was for your protection. Do you truly believe you are safer away from me? You want to see them today... but if you look into their eyes just once, will you be able to return as the same Alia? Or will I have to drag you back by force?"
Viktor's question left Alia more unsettled than before. She knew how difficult it would be to get his "permission." It felt as though Viktor was testing the last vestiges of her emotions before whisking her away to the solitude of the island.
Looking at him with trembling voice, she asked, "Will you not give me permission? I know I was wrong, but father... I need him so badly today."
Viktor remained silent for a moment; the air in the room seemed to freeze. Then, in an eerie tone, he replied, "Go. See him. But remember, my men will be by your side like your own shadow. And you must return to me on your own after the visit. If I even sense that you are trying to escape, you might not want to imagine the consequences for your father and the rest of your family." Viktor's gaze remained unwavering, but Alia's remark made his jaw tighten. A flicker of old memory momentarily disturbed his stone-like expression. To Viktor, the friendship between their fathers was not just a memory; it was the foundation of all the complexities in their current lives.
He stepped closer to Alia and, in a low, melancholic yet sharp voice, said, "I haven't forgotten anything, Alia. That very friendship of theirs is perhaps the foundation of all the complications in our lives today. Their bond might be the reason for our fate."
He gently took Alia's hand and placed it against his chest, where his heartbeat was clearly felt. He said solemnly, "I respect your father because he stood by my father once. But remember, don't think that because I am granting you this favor for the sake of that old friendship, you have acquired any right over me. I have given you permission because I want you to realize that neither your father nor anyone else can keep you away from me. Go, but remember the path you take after visiting your father's house should lead directly back to my palace."
Viktor's voice carried a strange mixture of love, stubbornness, and their shared family history. He granted Alia her freedom, but it remained heavily laden with the weight of invisible chains.As Alia entered the massive gates of her father's estate, surrounded by a legion of bodyguards, she felt as though she had stepped into a different world. She wore a simple white dress, making her appear more serene and innocent than ever. Standing in the middle of the garden was her father, Rahman. Despite his years, he looked remarkably young and imposing, as if time had no power over him.
Alia wandered through the garden, every corner whispering memories of her childhood. Suddenly, Rahman's eyes fell upon her he froze, seeing his little girl, the one he had cherished for years, standing right before him.
A memory flashed before Alia's eyes a birthday long ago, when Rahman had lifted her into the air and spun her around, and she had hugged him, whispering, "Pappa!" He had held her close, whispering back, "Owhhh, my baby!"
Caught in the surge of memory, Alia rushed to him and buried her face in his chest, sobbing uncontrollably, "Miss you, Papa... I missed you so much!"
Rahman held her tightly, his voice thick with emotion as he whispered, "My beloved daughter is a piece of my heart."
After a moment, Rahman gently lifted her chin and wiped away her tears. His own eyes were glistening. He looked at her and said in a calm, soothing tone, "Shhhhh... don't cry, my dear. Look, it's alright now, I'm smiling."
He forced a smile, trying to ease the sorrow in Alia's heart. But deep inside, Alia felt a burning ache she knew this brief reunion might be the last, as Viktor's shadow was waiting to drag her back to that dark, isolated island. Alia broke down, sobbing uncontrollably as she buried her head in her father's shoulder. Between her gasps for air, she began to pour out every detail of her dark existence with Viktor the suffocating captivity, the fear of their upcoming journey to the island, and the heavy price she was paying for her past defiance.
"Papa, I can't take it anymore," she sobbed, clutching his shirt tightly. "The way Viktor holds me isn't love it's a dark dungeon. When the doctor mentioned the island, I felt as if I were walking toward my own grave. I never intended to disobey him, but he has caged me so completely that I can't even see my own shadow. He controls everything my clothes, my choices, even the books I read."
She clung to him, her voice trembling with terror, "He told me that if I ever try to escape from that island, he won't spare you or the rest of our family. Papa, my every move is scripted by his command. Will I ever truly be free again?"
Rahman stroked her back, trying to soothe her, but his own eyes revealed a profound sense of helplessness. He knew the vast reach of Viktor's power. Alia's tears seemed to darken the very air of the garden. He let out a heavy sigh, "Alia, why didn't you tell me sooner? I had no idea the situation was this dire. The pain in your eyes speaks volumes of the torment you are enduring."
Alia hid her face against her father's chest and wept bitterly, her tears holding the weight of her fear of Viktor's ruthless possessiveness and the enduring ache of being torn away from the life she once knew.Alia's father's voice was calm now, but it carried the weight of a cruel reality. He gently brushed Alia's hair away and placed his hand on her forehead. Tears streamed down his face, but his voice betrayed a sense of helpless defeat.
He whispered, "Alia, my daughter... there is nothing I can do now. This is the cruel reality of our present. I no longer have the courage or the power to fight against Viktor's strength and his empire."
Alia stared at her father in shock. Her father, whom she had always considered invincible, had crumbled at the mere mention of Viktor. Rahman continued, "The bond we once shared with his family is now nothing more than a memory. If I try to take any action, it will only put you in more danger and push our entire family toward destruction. I have no power to stop him now, Alia."
Rahman kissed her forehead and said, "Accept your fate, because at this moment, it is the only way. There is no alternative but to go with Viktor, if only to keep you alive. My silence is not a lack of love, but the depth of my helplessness."
Alia felt as if her entire world was crumbling before her eyes. With no glimmer of hope even from her father, she realized there was no path left for her but to surrender herself to the abyss of Viktor's dark island. Alia broke down, sobbing uncontrollably as she buried her head in her father's shoulder. Between her gasps for air, she began to pour out every detail of her dark existence with Viktor the suffocating captivity, the fear of their upcoming journey to the island, and the heavy price she was paying for her past defiance.
"Papa, I can't take it anymore," she sobbed, clutching his shirt tightly. "The way Viktor holds me isn't love it's a dark dungeon. When the doctor mentioned the island, I felt as if I were walking toward my own grave. I never intended to disobey him, but he has caged me so completely that I can't even see my own shadow. He controls everything my clothes, my choices, even the books I read."
She clung to him, her voice trembling with terror, "He told me that if I ever try to escape from that island, he won't spare you or the rest of our family. Papa, my every move is scripted by his command. Will I ever truly be free again?"
Rahman stroked her back, trying to soothe her, but his own eyes revealed a profound sense of helplessness. He knew the vast reach of Viktor's power. Alia's tears seemed to darken the very air of the garden. He let out a heavy sigh, "Alia, why didn't you tell me sooner? I had no idea the situation was this dire. The pain in your eyes speaks volumes of the torment you are enduring." Alia hid her face against her father's chest and wept bitterly, her tears holding the weight of her fear of Viktor's ruthless possessiveness and the enduring ache of being torn away from the life she once knew