85.

Taliya took a deep breath, the initial warmth from Faraz's attentiveness slowly dissipating as the reality of her situation began to seep back in. His kindness felt like a facade, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that behind his charming smile lay the truth of her captivity.

“Faraz,” she said, her voice wavering slightly. “Can we talk about—”

“Let’s not,” he interrupted, his tone suddenly serious. The lightness in his eyes dimmed, and a shadow passed over his features. He stepped closer, the air growing heavier between them. “You need to understand something, Taliya.”

She swallowed hard, suddenly feeling small in his presence. “What do you mean?”

“I’m your kidnapper,” he stated bluntly, his gaze unwavering. The words hung in the air like a thick fog, smothering any hope she had of escaping this nightmare. “And you need to remember that.”

Her heart raced, a cold chill coursing through her veins. “I know that,” she said defiantly, crossing her arms over her chest, trying to summon some semblance of bravery. “But you’re not just going to keep me here, are you?”

Faraz chuckled darkly, shaking his head. “Oh, I’m not going to hurt you, Taliya. Not in the way you’re probably thinking.” He took another step closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “But you’re going to stay quiet and play along for now. Understand?”

She opened her mouth to protest, to scream, to fight back, but the weight of his words pressed down on her. The intensity of his gaze held her captive in a different way, paralyzing her with uncertainty.

“Why should I?” she finally managed to say, her voice firmer than she felt. “You can’t just expect me to go along with this!”

“Because it’s the only way you’ll get through this unscathed,” he replied, the sternness returning to his voice. “You have no idea what I’m capable of, Taliya. And I’d rather not demonstrate that on you.”

His words struck her like a physical blow, a chilling reminder of her vulnerability. She wanted to scream, to fight, to break free from the emotional grip he had on her, but as she looked into his eyes, she saw the truth there—he wasn’t just a charming guy; he was a threat.

“Just keep quiet for now,” Faraz said, stepping back as if creating distance would lessen the tension. “You can explore the house, but I’ll be watching. I’ll check in on you later.”

“What if I don’t want to stay?” she challenged, feeling a surge of defiance rise within her.

He laughed softly, but there was no humor in it. “You don’t have a choice, Taliya. You’ll stay because you have to. You’re tied to this, whether you like it or not. But I can make it easier for you if you cooperate.”

As he turned to leave, Taliya felt an overwhelming sense of despair. She was trapped on this private island with a man who held her future in his hands, a man who had taken everything from her. The weight of her situation crashed down around her, and for a moment, she felt utterly defeated.

“Wait!” she called out, desperation creeping into her voice.

He paused, looking back over his shoulder. “What?”

“Why are you doing this?” she asked, her voice softer now, tinged with genuine curiosity. “What do you want from me?”

Faraz’s expression softened for a fleeting moment, revealing a glimpse of something human beneath the cold exterior. “It’s not you I want, Taliya. It’s what you represent to someone else. Just keep your head down, and you might make it through this.”

"Murad." she pressed, feeling a flicker of hope that perhaps there was a way out of this after all.

He shook his head. “You don’t want to know. Just trust me when I say that this is bigger than you think.”

With that, he left the room, leaving Taliya alone with her thoughts. The door clicked shut behind him, and she felt the silence envelop her like a heavy shroud. She sank down onto the edge of the bed, her mind racing.

Could she really trust anything he said? And if he was using her to get to someone else, was there a way to turn the situation around? She had to figure out how to escape this nightmare, but first, she needed to keep her wits about her and find out more about the man who had kidnapped her.

For now, she would play his game. But she would not forget who he was, and she would not give up hope.

Taliya wandered through the vast beach house, her arms wrapping tightly around herself as if to shield her from the reality of her circumstances. The gentle sound of the waves crashing against the shore filled the silence around her, but instead of bringing comfort, it only deepened her sense of isolation. She found herself drawn to the large windows that framed the ocean, the moonlight casting a silvery glow over the water.

As she gazed into the distance, her mind drifted to thoughts of Murad. Memories of their laughter and shared moments flooded her consciousness, making her heart ache with longing. The warmth of his presence felt like a distant dream, a safety net that now seemed impossibly far away.

"Please, come here, Murad," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of the waves. Tears slipped down her cheeks, tracing warm paths across her cold skin. She felt the weight of despair settle heavily in her chest, a constant reminder of the void his absence left behind. “I need you.”

The ocean seemed to mock her vulnerability, its relentless waves crashing as if echoing her cries for help. She pressed her forehead against the cool glass, trying to find solace in the view. The moonlit sea stretched out endlessly, each ripple a reminder of the distance between her and the life she once knew—the life where she felt safe, loved, and cherished.

“What if he doesn’t come?” she murmured to herself, a fresh wave of sorrow washing over her. The thought was too painful to bear, and she squeezed her eyes shut, willing the tears to stop. “What if I’m lost forever?”

A sudden movement outside caught her attention, a flicker in the shadows that made her heart race. She leaned closer to the window, straining to see through the darkness. Her breath hitched in her throat, hope igniting briefly in her chest before she reminded herself that it was only the wind rustling through the palm trees.

“Get it together, Taliya,” she whispered harshly, forcing herself to step away from the window. She wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand, taking a shaky breath to regain her composure.

But the ache of longing for Murad was relentless. She couldn’t shake the feeling that he was out there, searching for her. The image of him—his warm brown eyes filled with concern, his reassuring smile—haunted her.

“Murad, please be safe,” she prayed softly, the words a silent mantra in her mind. “I can’t do this without you.”

Taliya turned away from the window, the view of the sea now too painful to bear. She wandered deeper into the house, her footsteps echoing in the empty corridors. Each room she passed felt foreign and unwelcoming, a stark reminder of her captivity. She couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched, the oppressive weight of Faraz’s earlier words lingering in the back of her mind.

“Just keep quiet and play along,” he had said. But how could she? How could she pretend when every fiber of her being screamed for freedom?