Chapter 8

“OK, Colin I have no idea what happened after I returned to New York. I tried to contact you for more than three months but I couldn’t, I thought something was not right so I came to check on you guys, but I only got to see three Graves. I was shocked. But my heart kept saying that you three are fine and happy somewhere in this world so I have appointed some people to search for you guys in California even now the searching process is on. You have no idea how happy I am to see Ayla and you people alive. If you are comfortable you can tell me what happened after I returned to New York, and what is that Ariana when she has a beautiful name?”

“What are you saying Mr. Henry we owe you our lives but you are just asking for an explanation”

 He continued after a pause

“After a week you left when we were sleeping we heard Ayla screaming saying ‘go away please go away I don’t want to see you’ when we rushed inside her room we saw a person jumped out of her room through window and running to the gate, but we missed to see his face as it’s very dark outside. So we decided to move from that place, we arranged a house to move from Los Angeles to San Diego. We received a letter when we were ready to leave, that letter says that ‘I know you are moving to San Diego, I will follow you wherever you go so don’t worry I will meet you there’ so we had no other options but to fake our death with the help of one of my best friend, he is a police officer, yeah you too have met him do you remember Mr. Henry”

“ James right yeah I remember that man”

“With his help we faked our death by burning our own house. We ran away from California to New York. It’s James who suggested Ayla to change her name once we reach the city. Ariana is the name we called her at home after we moved here she used a home name as original one. He might not know about our whereabouts because We didn’t even tell him about our destination.”

 He sighed and added

 “Sorry Mr. Henry at least I should have informed you please forgive me”

“Hey man come on Ayla is safe and we are united now that’s what matters” They walked in silence for few minutes before sitting on a bench.

“Colin do you trust me?”

“Mr. Henry I trust you with my life”

Henry smiled “Let’s go back Colin”

MEANWHILE INSIDE THE HOUSE

Zane saw Ariana was thinking something deeply.

 “Are you alright?” she gained her sense back when she heard his voice. She shook her head and said 

 “I am scared sir, please do something and remove my images from news and social media”

“I am here don’t worry, no one is out there who dares to talk bad about my girl…. I mean my assistant” she shook her head in haste

“No sir I don’t care about the talks my only concern is about my photos.”

“OK I will do something”

They both sat there in silence for nearly 30 minutes. When they heard Henry and Colin’s voice both of them went to the living area. When they entered the house the news about Zane and Ariana was telecasting. Colin’s eyes went wide his breathe stopped for few seconds just as soon as he saw her photos telecasting on the TV.

He turned his head to stare at Ariana, before he could say anything Zane interrupted and said

“Uncle this not true, nothing happened between us and I am the one who spoke with you last night, we were working till late when we were hungry we went their to grab some food, after dinner we continued our work there. They are confabulating”

 Colin shook his head and spoke, 

“No my boy I trust my daughter” he turned to Henry and added in a voice more like a whisper,

“I am afraid if he come in search of her after recognizing. What if I can’t protect her? ”

“Who is he?” Zane asked with a baffled expression.

“He is a monster, who made my Ayla’s life hell” Colin conveyed with tears, Zane turned his face to look at Ariana but she already left for her room.

“Colin don’t worry I am here and more than me Zane is here to protect her don’t worry”

Colin wiped his tears and gave a faint smile to Henry.

“Come let’s have lunch, I will call Ariana”

 Colin stood up but stopped by Henry’s words “Hunter go and call Ayla to eat lunch”

 Zane nodded and headed towards her room, he knocked on the door and turned the door handle to open the door. He saw her lying on the floor.

“Ayl… eh… Ariana”

 He called her in a soft tone. When She didn’t respond he sat on the floor near her, while caressing her hair and he said,

“I am here for you, I don’t know what happened in your past but I promise you will have a beautiful blissful future, trust me. If anyone wants to.. No even they thought to touch you, they will face my wrath”

Slowly she turned her head to see his face. He held her petite body and made her sit properly on the floor so close to him.

“I don’t know why whenever you are with me I feel safe and I am forgetting all my sorrows and my negative feelings about men, even though we met few days before but your presence having a great impact on my heart, thank you sir for being my side when I needed, thank you so much sir…”

Instantly he placed his fingers on her lips and said

“I am Hunter for you, call me Hunter”

 she nodded slowly. They both were silent for few minutes but the two pairs of eyes spoke in a language that nobody could understand.

“I am sorry” he said in guilt and lowered his gaze. She frowned by his sudden apology.

“And what is that for?” she asked looking at his face whereas his eyes looking down at the floor. He remained silent by looking at the floor.

“Is that floor more beautiful than my face?” she asked in a teasing tone. He shook his head in disagreement.

“Then look at me, Mr. Zane ” he slowly looked into her beautiful grey eyes where he lost his everything and where he could find too.

“I am sorry because I am the one who is responsible for your current situation, if I didn’t insist you for having dinner with me you wouldn’t be in this situation.”

 She saw a thin layer of tear on his eyes, she felt as some one stabbing her heart. Soon she cupped his face with her cute little palms and gave a forehead kiss to him,

“You are so attractive when you are upset” she was in a daze whole day she realized what she was doing, soon she stood up from the floor and walked out of her room, he was stunned by her act, after regained his senses he let out a heavy sigh and he too followed her.

In the dining room

Henry saw Ariana followed by Zane “Hunter, what took you so long?”

“We were just talking grandpa”

“it’s OK my boy have a seat” Colin said with a smile.

While they were all eating Henry asked,

“Hunter, I think it’s better if Ayla resigned, what do you think?”

 Zane is so close to get an anxiety attack because Ariana working with him is the only way to keep her close to him.

“Why do you want her to resign grandpa?”

“I don’t think It’s safe Ayla to travel so long alone, even the car drive took 45 minutes us to reach, Ayla is using public transport it will take at least one and half hours, anything can happen Hunter, we can’t take chance in her Matter”

“What makes you people think so positive that something might happen to her?”

“You don’t know what happened, so you are taking this thing trivial. look Hunter you are responsible for her safety, I can’t trust anyone than you and Blake”

Henry was so scared than her parents because he knew something about him what her parents didn’t know. He is the one who investigated about that monster. Even though he couldn’t get full information about him, the few things he got to know is enough to tell how heartless he is.

“ Don’t worry grandpa, I am on it”

“Even though, I can’t allow her to travel alone, it’s better to resign”

“I have a solution for this” Zane said hastily, Henry arched his one brow in a questioning look

“I can pick and drop her” Henry thought for sometime and turned his glance to Colin and Eva. They both agreed with a broad smile. Then he turned to Ariana, Henry nodded in agreement after getting a smile from Ariana. Only then Zane’s heartbeat became normal.

After lunch Zane and Henry left. Colin noticed Ariana was in a deep thinking while staring at the floor. Colin sat beside her in the sofa,

“Don’t worry sweetheart, I will save you from that bastard even it cost my life” she rest her head on his shoulder.

“I want to sleep in your lap dad” Colin made her head rest on his lap, slowly her eye lids became heavier and she drifted into a deep slumber.

NEXT DAY

He woke up by his phone’s ringtone. He slackly opened his eyes and reached his phone which he kept on the bedside table, he answered the call without checking the name,

“Hello” he spoke In a raspy voice.

“Good morning sir” his lips curved into a wide smile when he heard her angelic voice.

“Obviously it’s a good morning baby, when you wake me up in your angelic voice”

“Sir…. Are you still in the bed?”

“yes dear, I will pick you up at 8.30 be ready ok, let’s have breakfast together” he spoke while rolling on his bed still his eyes were closed.

“But sir…. Now the time is 11.25, it’s almost lunch time” he rapidly sat on his bed and checked the time.

“Oh shit, I overslept”

“it’s fine, you don’t have any meeting right now, you don’t have to rush”

“No, I have to pick you too, so I have to be quick”

“Sir… you don’t have to pick me up”

“Ariana, you are at home, right?” he asked with knitted brows

“No sir, I am at the company”

“Didn’t I say I will pick you?” he was a bit upset as she didn’t wait for him. His voice was cold

“it’s OK sir I am fine traveling in public transport”

“OK, I will be there in an hour”

“OK sir”