Third person POV

Dante marches out of the hospital dipping in full rage - fire is rushing in his veins, eyes are bursting in blood. He harshly opens the door and sit inside the car, closing the door a loud thud. 

"FUCK!" 

Punching the steering wheel with paper white knuckle, he roars. He can't recall the last time he lost control of his emotions in such way. He raised hands to a woman which was against his morals. He might be a monster, a beast, a complete inhuman but he has been always in control and that what his specialty is. He is known for his immense self-control. 

Is he turning into someone he never wanted to be?

Is he is affecting him so much that his words are coming true?

Is he is actually becoming someone he despise to his guts?

All these thoughts are eating him up bit by bit. He has no one to share. He has no one to express. Because he is the King of Shadows and such a beast of the dark that nothing in his life let him to smile in the light of the sun. 

An unknown anger is raising in him by every passing second. 

Is it the fury of being unsuccessful in achieving a goal for the first time in life?

Is it because for the first time he crossed judged his own decision?

Or is it because a mere girl stopped him from doing a wrong he was well aware of but was to ready to commit it anyway?

Or is it because his ego has been hurt by a girl of morals and values?

Whatever is the reason is Dante isn't gonna just sit quietly and go with the flow. Nothing has ever able to stop him and nothing will ever do it. May be just today wasn't the day.

But since when the King begin to believe in "today's not the day" when he makes the day himself?

That girl. Yes that girl who caused all this. If it wasn't for her he would've accomplished what he came here for. 

Bloody Mozlim elf.

"The next time if she ever crosses my path, I won't hesitate to fucking shoot her I swear!" He screeches. "I should've done the moment the thought craved my mind. She's trouble." 

Wearing back his black shades he looks at the rear mirror, fixing his a bit ruffled hair into a perfect form. He thinks for a minute that boiling blood for a piece of debris is a just useless and he has far more important tasks on his plate. He shouldn't have come here in the first place anyway. 

Fucking waste of time!

Twisting the key, he starts the car and drives away with the thoughts of a not so special girl in a pink scarf in his subconscious mind.  

...

Warina and Eliza head for their work after Oliver reveals the connection with that man so cold. But she is having a hard time to believe what her ears have just heard. That man is so rude and merciless - how can he be a brother of man like Oliver Henderson? Two completely opposite poles - one who saves lives and the other threatens lives.  

However she has learnt one thing very clearly that keeping such people at arm's length is the most beneficial and healthy. They are just meaningless troubles and it's not like that he is ever going to cross path with her again, therefore, this chapter is fully closed with a red seal.

But what if she meets him again?

"Warina?" 

Missus Smith calls her for the third time. She is standing at the reception table for some minutes now, but she is lost in her own world of thoughts.

"You okay dear?" She asks once she has her attention. "You seem troubled."

"Y-yes, yes I'm fine Alhamdulilah." says Warina, "Sorry I was thinking about something."

"You must be thinking very then."

She didn't quite understand to what she is referring to until she finds the cap of her pen being badly chewed almost to the point of cracked and looks like it has fallen under the tore of a truck.

"Sorry." She meeks. 

She quickly hide the pen in a drawer. Her habit of chewing things whenever thoughts build up clouds in her poor mind is a very old friend. Her mother has been scolding her all her life for this one childish habit but old habits die hard.

Missus Smith chuckles.

 "It's okay my dear. Anyways, I came here to drop this at your station." She keeps a bracelet on her table. "I found it on the floor while cleaning the Morgan's room." 

It's a silvery bracelet. A thick shiny body and the sparkling tiny black stones are gorgeous. She has never saw a piece of jewelry so attractive, yet gloomy at the same time. 

Picking it up she takes a closer look, the hook of it is broken and it is a weight comparing to normal bracelets.   

"Thank you Missus Smith. I'll make sure it reaches to its right owner." says Warina.

"Have good night my dear."

"You too."

Missus Smith leaves her with a puzzle to solve in the form of this bracelet. Millions of bugs are eating her stomach up in the thoughts of its owner. 

"Whom does it belongs to?" She begins to chew the broken lid of her pen and keeps murmuring to herself. 

It's not Eliza's that she is sure of. But she'd ask her once. Keeping the mysterious bracelet aside for now, she concentrates on her work. 

The clock ticks to ten at the night. The chaotic lobby of Harmony is much tranquilized and lights are turned off in some corners. Her shift has been finished two hours back and  another receptionist has already arrived.

"Still waiting for Eliza?" Jimmy questions.

"Mmh-hmm" She replies, munching a piece of an apple. 

She offers it to him. 

"No thanks I'm full." 

"By the way Jimmy, in that second drawer at your left there are three flies - green, blue and red. If Mister Henderson asks the file give him the red only and I've already sorted all the papers and appointments for tomorrow and if any patient comes list them up, I'll check it the morning." 

She packs her stuffs and double checks the table before zipping up her bag. 

"Thanks Warina. You make my job much easier. You're a great help." He smiles. 

"I'm so sorry Wari. Bohut deer kardi. (I'm so late)." Eliza waddle towards them as fast as she can.

"Never mind let's go now. Mama has called already a couple of times. She's worrying." She says.

"This profession will kill me one day." She murmurs. "Oh hello Jimmy. How are you?"

"Doing very well. How about you?" 

"I'll be perfect once I leave this hell for tonight." She chuckles. 

"We'd get going then. Goodnight Jimmy." Warina announces.       

"Goodnight and drive safe." He replies.

"Thank you John." Eliza says.

The two girls walk into the garage and sit inside the car. Eliza takes the driving seat as she doesn't have much faith in Warina's driving. 

A clumsy driver she regard her as. Her main concern is her safety. She very careless and for Eliza her best friend is first priority so she hardly allows her to touch the steering wheel. 

Warina connects her Bluetooth and plays their favorite musics throughout the whole drive. Within forty-five minutes they reach home. 

Once arriving home they straight jump in the shower to freshen up before greeting anyone in the house. They made this rule after joining Harmony - before touching anything or anyone they must be cleaned up first.

Warina's stomach is growling for food as well as Eliza. Dressing up they comes to the kitchen shouting for food like toddlers.

"Mama I'm hungry!"

"Moni maa we need food!"

 "Uff! You two stop killing my ears now. Go sit. I'm bringing dinner." Momina Khan aka Warina's mother comes to the kitchen scolding them.

As soon as she serves them, they attack the foods as if they're hungry for years and they keeps praising the dishes she has cooked. 

"By the way why such ravish menu today? Is something special?" Warina asks.

"That reminds me where is Bade Baba?" Eliza questions along with her.

"Actually your phuppo and her son are coming tonight and your father has gone to airport to pick them up." She informs.

"WHAT!" Eliza drops her spoon. "WHAT IN ACTUAL HELL THOSE PEOPLE ARE COMING NOW?" She snaps. 

"I don't like them either." Warina pouts digging carrots on her plate.

Missus Khan is well aware about their reactions. They aren't pleasant guests to welcome but she can't directly banned them from visiting. 

"It's not good to talk like this about anyone girls. Moreover it's a matter of a few days just. Please adjust and Khoda ke vaaste koi badmashi maat karna. (God's sake don't do anything mischievous). 

She tries to warn them and little did she knows a whole book of pranks are already being written in their minds. Since their childhood they only despised Aunt Hasna and her son Karim the most. Every time they visit they always pull pranks on them especially on Aunt Hasna. She is their Aunt Petunia and her son is Dudley from Harry Potter - the most irritating and despised characters of all times.

Only if they had harry's magic wand.

However, after dinner they try to skip meeting them but Missus Khan catches them. 

An hour later the door bells rings.

"Wari, Liza come with me." She drags them at the door. 

As she opens the door a thin pitch tone wreak their ears. "Momina! How are you?" Wrapping her arms around her neck tightly she almost chokes her. 

"As-Assalamu Alaikum A-Appa." She can hardly speaks.

After releasing her, she attacks Warina. "My lovely batiji. You've grown up into a pretty lady, Mashallah. Mashallah."

"Salam."

Meanwhile Karim greets Missus khan and Eliza politely but Eliza ignores him. 

"Oh this burden is still here, I see." Aunt Hasna spats in disgust.

"At least I'm not unwelcome like you." She snaps back with rage and walks away.

"Did you see that Asif? That ungrateful girl. I'm telling you both keep your daughter away from that witch. She'll curse bad impacts on her."

"Appa let's go inside please. You must be very tired." Mister Khan interrupts before Warina could reply. "Come in Karim."

 The rest of the night the two best friends denied to come out from their room. in spite of their mother's urges. 

Eliza is pacing around the room and murmuring curses and on the other hand Warina is trying to cool her down.

"Today is a cursed day!" She complains. "First that monstrous man thunders at you and now that woman and her son have budged in our home. Argh! Can this day get any worse?"

"I know right." 

They prepare their beds and unfold the blankets. Warina walks up and fetch her bag. "Liza is this bracelet yours?"

Fishing out the transparent plastic bag, she shows her the bracelet that Missus Smith found earlier at the hospital. 

Looking at it properly she says, "This is a men's bracelet Wari. I think it's Mister Henderson's. Have you asked him?"

"No, I didn't get the chance.I'll ask him in the morning, but ever saw him wearing any though."

Eliza takes it out of the bag and examines it thoroughly by alternating its sides. "It looks expensive. Very costly." She furrows her eyebrows. "Oh wait, I don't think it's his. What was his brother's name again?"

"Am...Mr. Armone?"

"Uff duffer! His first name." She slaps her forehead. "D-Dante was it?"

"I guess so but why?"

"See this tiny cursive D right at the center? I think its his." She suggests. "It must've dropped when you're struggling." 

On the mention of today's incident, it gives her goosebumps. It's a nightmare for her - a day she'd never forget in her life. An unknown fear her nested in her heart that she can't seems to break through. That man has shook her from her roots. No one has ever reacted so perilously with her nor does she has ever witnessed it. 

"I'll return it to Mister Henderson as soon as I reach to Harmony tomorrow." Grabbing Dante's bracelet she puts it back in her bag securely. "I think we'd sleep now." 

She is resisting to break down right now. All day she has put up a strong mask so that no one sees her vulnerability because of a man but she wants to drain out the fear in heart and live normally again. One slightlest incident that may be for others but for her it was colossal and nerve-wrecking. Tears are trying to escape but she is resisting hard. 

"Wari are you okay?" Eliza sits next to her, giving her a side hug.

"Y-yeah. I'm still shaken by today's incident." She admits.

"Everything is okay. Don't worry." 

She smiles at her best friend. She has always find her in her distress and she couldn't be more thankful. Turning off the light, they close their eyes to get lost in the dreamland. 

While Eliza is sleeping like a log, Warina is having to sleep in peace. A pair eyes is haunting her, and not any ordinary ones - eyes that are like graphite in a pencil or like wisps of storm clouds at twilight - so calm and full of life yet so uncertain and dead and cold.  

They are blazing in the murkiness of the surroundings and withdraw peace as if  it is trying to make her feel what pain is, what torment is. It's getting closer and closer, blowing ashes around her and she can't see them anymore.

Only a voice is now being heard in a whiskery tone.

"Kill. Kill. Kill."

She is running as fast as she can but her legs are giving up. Stumbling on a hard rock, she falls with a thud. She tries to get up but all the energy has been eaten up. 

Crunchy dried leaves are crushed under someone's steps and the footsteps are coming nearer by every passing milliseconds. A sudden draw at her neck from the back puts her still. The shadow turns into a man and gradually stands in front of her. Bending down at her level, a hand chokes her in a death grip. 

"Get ready to sell your soul to the devil."

All she can view those pair of metallic and polished grey eyes, her heart gets burst in her rib-cage and she wakes up with a scream.

She has showered in sweat and her long braided hair is a bird nest. Her pantings are making her throat dry like Shahara Desert. The jug on her side table is empty. Calming her gasping down she wraps her veil around her head loosely and quietly gets out of the room, trying not to disturb the sleeping Eliza, though she won't wake up from her deep slumber even an elephant walk inside the room. 

Carefully she climbs down the stairs and reach to the kitchen. Turning on the light, she open the refrigerator in search of cold water. Filling the glass, she gulps it down with one breath. She is about to leave the kitchen, someone grabs her wrist and pulls her. 

"Where are you going sweetheart?" 

It's Karim. 

"What are you doing? This is not appropriate Karim. Let me go!" She screams in a suppressed voice. His hold is too strong so all her struggling goes into vain.

"Why so lovely? Now don't being so shy." He has invaded her comfort zone. The more she tries to escape the worst his closeness gets. He pushes her against the glass door roughly and her spinal cord is stinking with pain.

Out of nowhere, Karim gets punched hardly on his left cheek and his grip loosen, giving her an opportunity to escape. 

"Stay the fuck away from her bastard!" Eliza grits her teeth together. 

"You bloody bitch!" He screech, rubbing his wounded face. 

"Don't raise your voice Karim it won't be good for you." She warns." And don't you have no shame? How can do this to your cousin sister?" 

She is nausea at his actions. She knew he is a low standard man but so low she didn't even thought. 

"Well step-cousin to be precise and I'll make her mine by crook or by hook." 

He walks away from the scene with a head so high but it didn't cause a surprise to the girls. They are very familiar with his shameless attitudes. 

"Bloody shameless man. I should've crack his nasty head open." She cries.  

"It's okay Liza. It's okay. Thanks for helping me."

"Shut up!" She shouts. "I woke up to go to the washroom and saw your bed empty. Why the hell you came down without me, huh? Did you forget we've a wolf in the house currently?"

"Sorry." She apologizes. "I just didn't want to disturb your sleep. Sorry now please don't be mad." She hugs her.

Later she has to rub ice cubes on her swollen knuckles. "You really punched him hard." 

"Yeah I was aiming for breaking his jaw." She smirks. "Ouch! Slowly Wari." 

"Opps sorry hero." She smirks back at her. 

They laugh together.

...

Clouds of smoke and smell of cigar are filling up the darkness of an empty hollowness of Dante's room and perhaps heart too since the sun has settled in the West, snatching all the light from the earth's face only granting light of the night to be dissolved in the murkiness of people like him. 

After he came from the hospital he has locked himself in his room and for the first time in a long time he hasn't gone to the club to get wasted. He takes a long drag of smoke in his mouth and releases it after some minutes through his nostrils. Filling up another glass of whiskey, he walks to his enormous balcony from here he can see the brightest of the city he rules in shadows, thus the King of Shadows.  

His mind is a whirlpool of thoughts. Trillions of thoughts are catching up his brain nerves making it numb. He doesn't want to think anymore. He is tired of thinking about. It's of no use at all. Every day he thinks about him. Every day he stays awake because of him. Every day when he breathes it can be his last only because of him.

He has tormented him in his past and still now that fucking torments have no end. He just want peace.

Is it too much to ask for?

His phone buzzes disturbing his alone time. He checks the id being irked to the point of shooting at the caller's head. 

"Didn't I tell I'm not be disturbed today?" 

"But King it's important. The location of Carlo Gambino's warehouse in the east has been tracked as per your order. Now if you order to proceed we can start our mission." 

After a long stressful day a winning news always energizes every cell in the body. 

"Tell all the men to wait for me at the office. I'm coming." He hangs up and gulp down the remaining whiskey before leaving for tonight.

Tonight will be a win or he might lose everything. 

He lays the plan to all the men so that they stay crystal of their actions because there is no room mistake tonight. 

He along with his team, head towards the warehouse and execute exactly how their King has planned. Two bombs at every corner around the place and killing silently all the guards. No one should understand how the warehouse got perished in the blanket of the night. 

And that's how the King of Shadows plays his role.

Silently.

_______________________________________________________

 Exactly after a month I updated. Let me know how the chapter was and your thoughts in the comment section below. 

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Until next time cupcakes...Love love..