The city felt as though it had paused in time. The streets were quiet and calm while waiting for something grand to happen. Every single footstep echoed as Layla walked reminiscing everything that had happened in the past days. Things were surely different after her tussle with Aidan. The woman who had walked out of the house that day was different. She no longer trusted people mindlessly. Now, she was absolutely certain that no matter what the cost, she was ready to shatter Kamal's empire into a million pieces.
Taking a walk at night in the cold air helped clear her mind while feeling more chaotic at the same time. Even though Aidan's betrayal was hard, she did realize that she was not alone in this anymore. Irfan was protecting her from the shadows all that time, and now she knew he was equally desperate to restore the family's torn legacy. Kamal might have taken everything away from them, but in the end, they will emerge victorious.
Her steps were more confident than they had been in days. There was a distinct purpose to each of her strides. She was already gathering intelligence, developing plans to breach Kamal's inner circle. But she also knew that time was running out. Each minute she wasted could mean the difference between success or failing things, and with a man like Kamal involved, things could flip within seconds. Kamal, unequivocally a threat, made every minute she spent lounging around extraordinarily crucial.
Hearing footsteps behind her brought her back to the present. It was Irfan, confirming all her assumptions without needing to turn around. It was not his intention to follow her around for days on end, but a result of his failure to let things be this way. 'By all means, follow,' was the only mantra she expected from Irfan. Layla, no matter how much she wanted to resist, felt herself being drawn further into Irfan's support. "By all means, do stay," he murmured. In truth, he was everything she needed to cope with the tales woven around her, and to layep around her proving to be a dense smokescreen.
From behind her, as expected, "Guess I wasn't wrong," followed by a chuckle erupted from Irfan's mouth, and he closed the distance in seconds. Catching up to him, they resumed their crossing of paths mid-stride. Oh, how serious his expression was, but even more so was the warmth tucked behind his literal pride. It wasn't just worry that rested in his gaze, instead. He cared. And like she had always known, he proved why her assumption was truly correct in the end.
"Why did you come?" she asked in a softer tone than what she had anticipated. For so long, she fought to keep him out of this, but now, she understood that it was a lost cause. Irfan was just as much a part of this struggle as she was.
Layla, Irfan said with composure, "I can't allow you to go through this by yourself." "I know you believe you can manage everything, but the truth is, you aren't invincible. Aidan is now part of the equation, and Kamal is still free…" His sentence started to fade and Layla could sense the impact of his words suffocating her.
Layla's voice radiated simmering rage as she declared how she couldn't let him get away with everything. It was a reminder of the anger she'd felt ever since Kamal shattered her family. "Aidan was nothing but a pawn. The actual villain is Kamal. He is the one who has emchained us to every brutal agony that this world has to offer."
"I know about it," Irfan replied in a gentle tone, "Still, you have to consider the consequences. What he is capable of. We, on the other hand, don't even know who we can trust anymore. You know he is very powerful and has contacts everywhere. Not to mention the countless number of mercenaries that can be put out for hire. There is a chaance that he might grab any who are stupid."
Irfan could see the tension in Layla's body that had slipped as the bid of her outreach was let go. "Imagine everything that we've had to go through, strategizing day and night, it's unfair for us to charge into his hands without contemplating whether or not they have shards of glass buried in them."
"I've started collecting the necessary data," she said, now concentrating. "But I need to get deeper into Kamal's circle. I need an insider. This isn't something I can pull off by myself."
Irfan stared at her, looking more critical than usual. "Who are you meeting?" he inquired. There was more than a hint of worry in that tone, and Layla knew that he was beginning to see the dimensions of the problem that she was trying to solve.
"Not yet," Layla said in a tone that was quiet but resolute. "But there is someone who might assist me in getting closer to Kamal. There's someone who knows his plans better than anybody else. I have to figure out what he's really trying to do. We have to always stay one step ahead of him."
Irfan looked confused. "You are free to trust whoever you wish, but trust me, it is not as easy as it sounds. Even some of the people close to Kamal could be working for their own interests. Do you really believe it?"
That last remark made her stop momentarily and inhale. Thousands of thoughts could be racing through her head, but one thing rang true: getting rid of Kamal was a necessity. She had witnessed the extremes he would go to in order to keep his empire safe. Now, with Aidan gone, it was her responsibility to complete the task set before her.
"Doesn't matter," Layla replied controling her voice. "I've come this far, Irfan I. I won't stop now. Kamal will pay for everything he's done and I will make sure he can never hurt anyone again."
Irfan's expression shows that he is deeply conflicted. "All I want is for you to be safe," came a soft voice. "You've already lost so much. I don't want to lose you too."
Gently with sympathy, Layla reached for his shoulder, standing across him. "You won't lose me, Irfan. I won't let anything happen to me. And when this is over, we will get everything back together. I promise," said a warmer tone.
They stood still for a few seconds, let the silence encompass them and enable the sharpness of their goal center around them. Irfan knew fill of possibilities with great risks await them and so did Layla. But then, Irfan knew that as long as he had Irfan flanking him throughout the entire campaign, he would not feel alone. Together, they would fight for their family's legacy, their family's history which had been stolen deployed before their eyes, and the stark and harsh reality.
"I will do what needs to be done," Irfan said and, with a look in his eyes, made it clear he was resolved. "We are in this together, Layla. Always."
Layla couldn't help but smile in appreciation of his seemingly endless faith in her efforts. "Always."
As both of them shifted towards implementing the next step of the plan, the city lights sparkled in the vast horizon. They were prepared to confront the forthcoming worst of the worst.