Chapter 209

“Since when?” I pressed, my eyes narrowing. Last time I checked, nobody rarely came to this place in the early hours of the day to walk, and certainly not repeatedly. Something about his presence felt deliberate, calculated, and it stirred an anger I struggled to restrain.

On cue, a figure entered the garden from the far side, her shawl wrapped tightly around her frame. Nur. Taimoor’s eyes shifted instantly, locking onto her as if drawn by force, his attention unmistakably fixed. An inferno of anger bubbled up within me, sudden and violent. Before I could think, my fist connected with his face. “Keep your eyes down before I gouge them out,” I snarled, every protective instinct roaring to life.

Taimoor fell to the ground with a grunt, clutching his face. “Sorry, sir. I… I… didn’t know… I am sorry,” he stuttered, scrambling backward in fear, his voice trembling as panic overtook him.

“Get out,” I sneered. He crawled away to create distance between us, then staggered