Chapter 0017: Shadows in the Hallway
The creak above them echoed like thunder in the silence of the haveli. Ryan's instincts kicked in—he stepped protectively in front of Zara, his hand reaching instinctively for the pocket knife he always carried.
Zara clutched the journal tighter to her chest, her heart pounding. "What if they're still here?"
"We'll find out," Ryan said quietly. "Stay close."
They stepped out of the study and into the dim corridor, the old floorboards groaning beneath their feet. Dust danced in the shafts of afternoon sunlight slicing through the cracked windows, creating eerie patterns on the walls.
Then they heard it—soft footsteps above. Slow. Measured.
Ryan motioned to the staircase at the end of the hall. As they ascended, every creak of wood beneath them seemed to scream their presence.
The second floor was worse. The air was heavier, older, as if it hadn't been disturbed in decades. At the far end of the hall, a single door stood ajar. Light flickered from inside.
Zara's grip on Ryan's sleeve tightened. "We should call someone."
"No time," he murmured. "Whatever's in there—we need to see it."
They approached the door slowly, every muscle tensed. Ryan pushed it open with a cautious hand.
The room was empty.
But it had been lived in.
A sleeping bag lay on the floor, along with half-eaten food, a flashlight, and a scattered pile of photos—some of Zara from her childhood, some recent, taken in Istanbul. Someone had been watching her for years.
Zara's hands trembled as she picked up one photo: her and Ryan on the Bosphorus, just two weeks ago. "This is... recent."
Then she spotted something else. A leather wallet, half-hidden beneath the sleeping bag. She opened it.
Inside was a driver's license.
Name: Adeel Mirza.
Born: Karachi.
Address: Unknown.
Zara frowned. "I know this name. He used to work for my grandfather… before he disappeared."
Ryan took the ID, his brow furrowed. "If he's alive and here, he might be the link between your family and whoever's after you now."
Just then, a loud thud echoed downstairs.
They froze.
Zara whispered, "He's back."
Ryan moved to the door, locking it quietly. "We'll wait. Let him come looking. And when he does—we get answers."
The shadows deepened, the air thick with tension. Zara backed away from the door, heart hammering. For the first time in years, she wasn't just fighting ghosts.
She was fighting something real.
And it had found her at last.
A Face from the Dark
The seconds stretched into minutes as Zara and Ryan stood in tense silence, eyes fixed on the locked door. Every creak of the old haveli echoed like a war drum in Zara's ears.
Footsteps.
Slow, deliberate, coming up the staircase.
Ryan's jaw clenched. "Stay behind me."
Zara tightened her grip on the old iron poker she had picked up from the fireplace. Her palms were slick with sweat, heart threatening to tear through her chest.
The footsteps stopped just outside their door.
A knock.
Not hard. Just… calm. Almost casual.
Ryan motioned for silence.
Then—"Zara?"
A man's voice. Low, hoarse, familiar in a haunting way.
Zara's breath caught. She took a trembling step forward. "Who is it?"
Silence.
Then again: "You won't believe me if I tell you."
Ryan unlocked the door and yanked it open, ready to strike.
Standing there was a man in his early forties. Dark circles under his eyes, a faint scar on his cheek, and an expression that mixed guilt, pain, and… something else.
Zara's eyes widened. "Adeel?"
He nodded.
"You're supposed to be dead," she whispered.
"I was," he said bitterly. "To your family, anyway."
Ryan stepped in. "You've been stalking her. Why?"
Adeel raised both hands in surrender. "I wasn't stalking. I was watching. Protecting her. Because something bigger is coming."
Zara shook her head, overwhelmed. "You vanished when I was a child. My grandfather said you stole from him. That you betrayed the family."
Adeel's jaw tightened. "That's what he told you. But your grandfather… was hiding something. Something dangerous. And I wasn't the traitor. I was the witness."
Ryan narrowed his eyes. "Start talking."
Adeel stepped into the room slowly. "Your grandfather wasn't just a businessman. He was involved in things... darker. A financial web connecting powerful people—some still in power. When I found out, he tried to silence me. That's why I ran."
He turned to Zara. "And now they think you know something. That you might have inherited his secrets."
Zara's voice was barely a whisper. "I don't. I just wanted peace."
Adeel gave a bitter smile. "Peace doesn't come without a price."
From outside, thunder rolled in the distance.
Inside the haveli, the truth was beginning to unravel—piece by piece.
And with it, the danger was only just beginning to rise.
Secrets in the Attic
The storm outside deepened as night fell over the ancient haveli. Thunder cracked across the sky, momentarily illuminating the heavy wooden beams and dust-covered portraits in the corridors. Inside, a strange energy buzzed in the air—as if the house itself had begun to wake.
Zara sat across from Adeel, her fingers wrapped tightly around a mug of chai she hadn't touched. Ryan paced behind her, his unease palpable.
"You said my grandfather hid something," Zara finally said. "What did he leave behind?"
Adeel leaned forward, his voice low. "A ledger. Hidden in this house. Names, numbers, dates—proof of everything. If we find it, we find out why they're after you."
Ryan stopped pacing. "You're sure it's still here?"
Adeel nodded. "He trusted this place more than any vault."
Zara looked around. The walls, the floorboards, the centuries-old paintings—any of them could be hiding the truth.
Then she remembered something.
"When I was young… my grandfather used to lock the attic. He said it was dangerous, unstable. I always thought it was superstition."
Adeel's gaze sharpened. "That's where we start."
Within minutes, they found the narrow staircase hidden behind a false panel near the back of the house. The wood groaned beneath their feet as they climbed, dust swirling with each step.
At the top, a rusted iron latch guarded the attic door. Ryan forced it open with a shoulder slam, and the door creaked back, revealing a room lost in time.
Stacks of crates. Antique trunks. Moth-eaten tapestries. And at the far end—a wooden desk covered with a faded cloth.
Zara approached slowly, peeling the cloth back to reveal a locked drawer.
Ryan pulled out a pocket knife and pried it open.
Inside… a leather-bound journal.
Adeel took it carefully, flipping through the pages with reverent fingers. "This is it."
Zara peered over his shoulder. The handwriting was unmistakably her grandfather's—neat, sharp, calculated. But what sent chills down her spine were the names. Influential figures. Politicians. CEOs. Even familiar family friends.
Her voice trembled. "All these people… they're part of it?"
Adeel nodded. "And now they'll do anything to make sure this stays buried."
Thunder roared outside, shaking the windows.
And in that moment, Zara knew—the war for truth had officially begun.
And they were now its unwilling soldiers.
The Unseen Hand
The next morning dawned cold and heavy. Zara stood by the large window in the guest room, gazing out at the fog-covered courtyard of her family's old haveli. The past few days had felt like a strange dream—a dream she couldn't wake up from. The journal Adeel had uncovered was filled with secrets that tied her family to people she had trusted. There was no going back now.
Ryan stood behind her, his presence a silent comfort. She didn't need to ask if he was ready to face what was coming next. He had been ready the moment they stepped off the plane.
"This is bigger than we thought," Zara said softly, breaking the silence. "Whoever is behind this has control over more than we imagined. These names in the journal, the people they're connected to… it's a web."
Ryan wrapped his arms around her. "And we'll cut through it."
She nodded, but a deep unease settled in her chest. How many more secrets were hidden in this house? How many more lives were tangled in her past, waiting to emerge?
The sound of the front door creaking open snapped her out of her thoughts.
Adeel entered, his face grave. "We have a problem."
Zara turned to face him. "What happened?"
"I've been checking the names in the journal," he said, his voice tight. "Someone's been watching us. I found a contact in the city—someone who knows we're here and wants the journal."
Ryan's eyes narrowed. "Who?"
Adeel hesitated. "I don't know. But there's a trail I'm following. They've already tried to get their hands on the journal once before, and now they know we have it."
Zara's heart skipped a beat. "What do we do?"
"We stay ahead of them," Ryan said, his voice low and determined. "We move quickly. We leave today."
"Leave?" Zara asked, taken aback. "But we're so close."
Adeel stepped forward. "They're not just watching. They're closing in. If we don't move now, we'll be sitting ducks."
Zara looked at Ryan, her mind racing. The stakes were higher than ever. If they stayed, they risked everything. But if they ran, they'd be on the run forever.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden shrill ring of her phone. It was an unknown number.
"Don't answer it," Adeel warned.
But Zara's instinct urged her otherwise. She picked up the phone, her hand trembling slightly.
"Hello?" she asked, her voice steady despite the pounding in her chest.
The voice on the other end was smooth, cold—someone who knew exactly how to manipulate fear. "You have something that belongs to us, Zara. Don't think you can hide behind that old house for long. The truth will come out. And you will pay the price for it."
Zara's breath caught in her throat. "Who is this?"
The voice chuckled, a chilling sound that sent shivers down her spine. "Someone who's been watching you for a very long time. And soon, you'll understand just how deep this goes."
Before she could respond, the line went dead.
Zara stood frozen for a moment, the weight of the words sinking in. Whoever this was, they weren't playing games. They were coming for her.
Ryan stepped forward, his gaze hard. "They know we're here. We need to leave. Now."
Zara nodded, her heart pounding in her chest. There was no more time for hesitation. They had no choice but to run. The game had begun—and they were no longer in control.
As they gathered their things, Zara couldn't shake the feeling that someone—or something—was always one step ahead.
And they weren't just playing for the journal anymore. They were playing for her life.
How did you like this chapter? Don't forget to share your thoughts! Your comments and reviews help me improve the story.
Did you enjoy this plot twist? Share your thoughts in the comments! Your feedback means a lot to me.
If you enjoyed this chapter, support me with a Power Stone!
If you're enjoying the story, add it to your library and don't forget to leave a review!
(To be Continue...)