chapter :5. Echoes of the past!!
Morning arrived without warmth.
Grey clouds hung low over the estate, muting the world in dull silence. The storm had passed, but it left something behind—unease, heavy and unresolved.
Hoor stood near the window, watching guards move across the courtyard below. Their presence startled her. She hadn't noticed them before. Or maybe she hadn't wanted to.
Footsteps echoed behind her.
"You're awake early."
She turned. Azmeer stood at the doorway, dressed sharply, his expression once again unreadable. Whatever softness had appeared the night before was locked away.
"Who are they?" Hoor asked quietly, nodding toward the window.
"People who answer to me," he replied. "And people who know how to keep secrets."
That did not comfort her.
Before she could respond, the door opened again.
A tall man entered first—broad-shouldered, alert, with observant eyes that missed nothing. "Security is doubled," he said. "No movement outside the perimeter."
Azmeer nodded. "Good."
Hoor's gaze flicked between them. "Who is he?"
"Faisal Khan," Azmeer said. "My right hand."
Faisal inclined his head politely. "You must be Hoor."
There was no judgment in his eyes—only curiosity, and something like caution.
Behind him stepped a woman, poised and calm, her presence commanding in a quieter way. She wore confidence like armor. "I'm Zara," she said. "I handle information. And damage control."
Hoor stiffened. "Damage… control?"
Zara's lips curved faintly. "Everything around Azmeer needs it."
Azmeer shot her a warning look. "Enough."
But the silence that followed was already filled with questions.
Azmeer gestured toward a chair. "Sit, Hoor."
This time, she did.
"There are things you need to know," he said. "Things I hoped you would never have to hear."
Her fingers tightened in her lap.
Faisal moved closer to the window, standing guard. Zara leaned against the table, arms crossed, watching Azmeer carefully—as if she knew what this cost him.
"I was not always like this," Azmeer began, his voice steady but distant. "There was a time when I trusted easily. When I believed loyalty was enough."
Hoor listened, heart pounding.
"My father built everything we have," he continued. "Power. Influence. Protection. But power attracts betrayal."
The candle on the table flickered though there was no wind.
"I watched people I trusted turn against him," Azmeer said. "I watched silence kill more surely than weapons."
Zara's expression darkened.
"When he died," Azmeer said quietly, "the same people came for me."
Hoor's breath caught.
"They wanted control," he went on. "I survived because I learned quickly—mercy is a weakness the world exploits."
His eyes lifted to meet hers. "That is why I do not hesitate. That is why I command. That is why I do not give second chances."
Hoor felt something shift inside her—not fear this time, but understanding edged with sorrow.
"And now?" she asked softly. "Is that past still chasing you?"
Azmeer didn't answer immediately.
Zara did. "It never stopped," she said. "You are not the target, Hoor. You are the leverage."
The words hit like a blow.
Azmeer's voice hardened. "Which is why you stay here."
"So I'm a risk," Hoor whispered.
"No," Azmeer said sharply. "You are responsibility."
The room went still.
He took a breath, visibly restraining something deeper. "I did not protect you because I am kind," he said. "I did it because I know what happens when the world decides someone is expendable."
Hoor stood slowly. "And what happens to those who stand beside you?" she asked. "Do they survive?"
Azmeer looked at her—really looked at her.
"Not without scars," he said honestly.
Thunder rumbled faintly in the distance, though the sky was clear.
Hoor nodded, her fear no longer blind. "Then teach me," she said. "Not just how to obey. How to endure."
Faisal raised an eyebrow. "She's stronger than she looks."
Zara smiled slightly. "I told you."
Azmeer studied Hoor for a long moment—then gave a single, decisive nod. "Very well," he said. "But once you step into this world, there is no turning back."
Hoor met his gaze, steady despite the storm inside her. "I'm already in it."
Azmeer turned toward the door. "Prepare her," he said to Zara. "We move tonight."
As they left, Hoor realized something that made her chest tighten—
Azmeer's past was not just history.
It was a warning.
And now, she was part of it.
TO BE CONTINUED