Ellaya

"I plead guilty."

The courtroom was hushed, the air thick with anticipation. Ellaya Stone stood tall, her gaze unyielding as she uttered those damming words:

The judge, a stern figure in black robes, raised an eyebrow."Ms. Stone, are you certain you do not wish to say anything in your defence?"

Ellaya's lips curved into a sardonic smile "I, Ellaya Stone, accept responsibility for all of my crimes. As Mr Iden Ruan's personal assistant at Ruan Corporation, I stole and sold the company's proprietary information to the M&D group. I also poisoned Mr Alex Ruan, leaving him comatose."

Her admission hung heavy in the room. The man opposite her, Iden Ruan himself watched her with eyes that held both anger and something deeper- a glint of melancholy.

"Life in prison sentenced for Ms Ellaya Stone." the judge declared.

Ellaya's pride remained intact as she extended her hands to be handcuffed, stepping alongside two police officers. But her gaze lingered on Iden, that mocking smile still playing on her lips. It was as if she knew he'd won the battle but lost the war.

She turned to leave with police officers, while Iden stood and yelled, "Laaya..."

"Laaya …" In the quiet of the room, a shout echoed. Iden sat up in the bed, sweat dripping down his spine, he ran his fingers through his thick, dark hair and pursed his lips. For years, he'd woken up from the same dream - one in which Ellaya haunted him, not just a dream but a flashback to his past, a nightmare he could not shake.

He stood, lit a cigarette, and walked to the balcony. The night was calm, his heart was anything but. The moon's glow was replaced by the image of Ellaya's face -the face of the woman who had betrayed him. The cigarette burned, but it failed to jolt him back to reality.

After a long time alone, a gentle arm wrapped around his waist. "You're awake", a voice said, charming and familiar.

He turned to see her, the woman he had vowed to protect all his life. " Why aren't you sleeping? His brows knitted.

"I had a nightmare." She replied.

He turned to walk away, not wanting to delve further into her tale. "You should go back and sleep; it is not early,"

He tried to leave, but she held him. "I saw her …I saw her in my dream …again …" her words trailed. "She came back and stabbed me in my heart with a knife." She hugged him tightly and sobbed quietly.

"This was just a dream; he assured her," even if she returns I will keep you safe.", he cocked his head to look over his shoulder into her eyes.

The woman's eyes searched his." Do you think what we did was wrong? Ellaya is gone, but she's still between us."

He turned his face but guilt gnawed at him. "She got what she deserved," he said, regret and melancholy in his voice.

Leaving the woman lost in her own thought he clutched the jacket, and turned to leave the house.

As he left the house, a dark alley elsewhere told a different story. Men laying in a pool of blood, their cries echoing. A silhouette smoking against the wall, tapping rhythmically. Finishing her smoke she kicked a man, leaving him in agony she ambled. Moving a little further, she came to a halt and looked back.

"Tell him I am back," she said gracefully and deadly. Like a chitta on his hunt, she left the scene.

.............................................................................

Iden's car glided to a halt at the imposing gate of the magnificent building. He got out of his car, as he stepped forward his pulse quickened, memories surging like a relentless tide. The scent of flowers, the rustles of leaves - the past threatened to drown them all. His footspes echoed in the air, and he reached down, fingers brushing the doormat, where the key to their shared history lay hidden.

The old house stood there as if frozen in time, waiting for its owner to return. the gate creaked open, breaking the silence of the night. Darkness enveloped everything. The air smelled of dust and memories. Trembling, he reached for the light switch, hesitating to step inside. He felt the weight of four years bearing down on him, causing a tornado of emotions to swirl around his eyes. Unable to muster the courage to intervene, he took two steps backward before being abruptly stopped.

He heard humming - a familiar tune - coming from the kitchen," Laaya ..." he called out, rushing inside. But the room remained dark, empty. Had he imagined it? No, he knew that melody well. Ellaya hummed while working alone. His search continued room by room, up the stairs. She had nowhere to hide, yet she eluded him. The humming echoed from all directions - real or imagined?

And there, against the wall, a silhouette leaning - a slender figure lost in memories. Her eyes fixed on a wedding portrait - the couple smiles frozen in time.

His feet rooted to the floor, he glanced at the bedroom door, trembling, he turns the knob. The room opened with a crack, but he couldn't move. His voice hoarse, called out the single name:

"Ellaya"