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Volume : 1
Chapter : 13 [13]; Take action or live in tge guilt.
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Aaryan raised his head and looked at the suite number above the door.
"B-51!"
"Isn't this Catherine's suite, one of the most luxurious one on the Titanic?" His eyes then shifted to the suite number B-52, which was locked from the outside. Then again, his gaze returned to B-51.
Voices came from inside the room, cold, raised, and harsh. He recognized both voices immediately. Then suddenly, a male voice rang out, that was the voice of Daniel.
"Bitch... I am going to rape you, and you are still thinking about your wild Indian lover's name, wait and slowly enjoy the pleasure, I will give you."
Aaryan stood frozen outside the of suite B-51, he was stunned and almost paralyzed by Daniel's words and Catherine's desperate resistance.
He was conflicted in his heart, also unsure what to do now. He was not a man to break his promises and run away. But in the face of absolute power and brutal truth, his and world's so-called confidence and will, will be shattered instantly.
And the situation here, it wasn't about him, it was about her, Catherine von Habsburg. Someone he had once loved, a fantasy in his memory of being married to her, although it was just a memory now.
Now, she was in this situation, and if he dared to intervened and tried to save her, a retaliation would come soon from them.
Even if he ran back to India, he was certain they try would kill him and his family members. And he would not be the only one implicated or his just his family; but the entire Indian subcontinent would face the wrath of the British government and the Rothmere family, in which both of them are in corporative relationship.
However, if he did nothing now, he could never forgive himself.
Though Catherine was just a memory, that memory weighed so heavily on him even now, once he remembered that, he is unable to forget it.
At this moment, the system finally appeared in front of his eyes with a questioning look, in elf form.
"Host, are you afraid that you will let down Devika and hurt her heart?"
He nodded silently.
Then the system spoke again: breaking his heart.
"Think about Catherine, who will be defiled by that beast, in this room. Think about the pain your heart would carry, the guilt that would destroy anyone who bore responsibility but failed to act, in the time, when they needed you the most. Remember, Devika is the girl who understands you the best. Besides, polygamy is still accepted back home in India."
"What do you have to fear? Have you forgotten the lessons from the Mahabharata and the teachings of Lord Krishna himself?
'If your spouse is willing to live with you, and you have space in your heart, but the premise that you should have to ability to protect and care about her and you have the ability to care for her and also protect."
"then what is there to be afraid of?'"
"If anyone stands in your way, it will be the British. If they dare to oppose you, just drop your nuclear bomb on London and make your country the strongest. Then let's see who will have the heart to condemn you for destroying a city. If you need help, this system elf, will do exception right now, directly giving bomber and nuclear bomb, with warhead of 40 ton and 50 in numbers"
"They need to afraid of you, you didn't."
"Think quickly, Host. You have five seconds left before that beast tears her clothes apart and do beastly work with her.
The choice is yours: be the hero and save her, or let it happen and live with the guilt forever, and not only destroy your own life, but also Devika's and Catherine herself ."
Bang...!
The moment the system finished speaking, a suppressed gunshot cracked from the handle of the gate, followed by the sound of the door being kicked open.
"Loud footsteps shook the door as it shattered, instantly."
"Bastard! If you dare touch her, next year, this day will be your death anniversary!" Another shot fired, with a heavy roar from Aaryan.
Inside the room, Catherine lay on the bed, her dress almost torn to shreds by Daniel. Her mouth was gagged with a handkerchief and her hands were bound by the ropes.
After hearing the sound, she looked toward the door anxiously.
When she saw Aaryan step inside holding an unfamiliar pistol, a sigh of relief and love flickered in her loving eyes, but it was quickly replaced by the worry and unease, filling her tearful gaze.
"Damn... who dares disturb me at this moment?" Daniel growled angrily, having been preparing his next move on the Catherine.
Startled by the gunshots, he turned sharply and faced Aaryan.
When he looked at person who came inside and his appearance.
Aaryan's eyes were nearly covered by his long, dark hair, and the dim light flashed over his handsome face. Aaryan held a Glock 18 in his right hand, aiming it steadily at Daniel's head.
"You bastard! How dare you lay your hands on her!"
Aaryan's angry roar filled the room as he gave a hard punch on Daniel's face.
Thanks to the system's enhancements, even a normal punch from Aaryan felt like being hit with a sledgehammer, and tonight, his anger was only making him stronger.
Daniel got hit by his punch.
Daniel lost his balance and crashed into the table, gasping as he was struck in the chest.
Blood spilled from his mouth, leaving him coughing uncontrollably on the floor.
"Damn it... who are you...?" Daniel croaked, still dazed and struggling to see Aaryan's face through the dim light.
"You bastard, you forgot me so quickly, huh?" Aaryan stepped towards him as Daniel tried to steady himself against the table, backing away in fear.
"You... you're Aaryan...?" The look of horror on Daniel's face said it all.
"Bang!"
Aaryan's fist crashed against Daniel's handsome face again.
"Hmph… Your family must really think you're untouchable, don't they?"
Bang!
A slap landed on Daniel's other cheek.
With only three hits, Daniel crumpled to his knees.
Seeing him nearly paralyzed from the blows, Aaryan rushed to Catherine. He quickly pulled the gagged handkerchief from her mouth, then stripped off his own coat and wrapped it around her to cover her torn clothes.
He made sure she was hidden from sight, in case anyone walked in.
Next, he bent down and untied the ropes around her wrists.
When Aaryan looked at Catherine, his eyes were suddenly gentle, warm as sunlight, but behind them burned a fierceness very few had seen before.
Now Catherine was one of those few.
He carefully touched her cheek, where Daniel had slapped her.
Looking at her tear-stained face, her cheeks red and swollen, Aaryan whispered, "I'm sorry, Catherine. It's my fault you ended up in this nightmare. Wait for me while I deal with him, once and for all." He leaned closer and gently kissed her lips.
Catherine was in shock, unable to react as Aaryan kissed her. For so long, she had given up hope that he would ever feel anything for her in this life, however now, seeing the look on his face, she could only nod in silent agreement.
"You have a death wish, don't you, Daniel?" Aaryan turned around, noticing Daniel fumbling with the telephone.
Aaryan grabbed the receiver, smashed it on the ground, and pointed his pistol straight at Daniel's head.
"Say your last words, you bastard." He was about to pull the trigger of his Glock when Catherine called out.
"Aaryan, don't kill him. If you do, we'll be in serious trouble." Catherine didn't plead; she spoke with simple, clear logic that most would've lost in a moment like this.
"Oh? And what kind of trouble would that be?"
Aaryan fired, a warning shot, not at the Daniel, but just between his legs.
"They'll try to kill me? You or Devika? If he or anyone else lays a hand on either of you, not just him but all of Britain will answer to me."
Suddenly, more people burst into the room, weapons drawn. Daniel's bodyguards, no doubt.
Catherine, wrapped in Aaryan's coat and the bedsheet, sat on the edge of the bed, doing her best to hide her ripped clothes.
Aaryan glanced at the newcomers with a smirk. "The lapdogs of a defeated master finally arrive."
They all leveled up their pistols at him.
"Let the young master go, or….!" the leader of the four snarled.
Bang!
"Oh? Or what? I'd actually like to see what you think you can do." With another sharp shot, Aaryan fired, again, warning them as he kept his aim on Daniel.
He pulled a second pistol from behind his back, pointing it at the so-called bodyguards.
Just as Aaryan's attention was split, Daniel, panicked and desperate, pulled a gun from nowhere and aimed back at Aaryan.
Catherine, still draped in Aaryan's coat, saw what was about to happen. She rushed toward Daniel, trying to stop him.
"Aaryan, he has a gun!"
There was a gunshot.
"No!"
Blood was splattered across Catherine's face.
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[End of the Chapter, 13]