The Essence Of The Darkness
Episode 46: Opening the Past

As soon as the elevator door in front of the apartment door opened, Akram immediately stepped quickly while carrying Elana who he still had her pelvis on his shoulders. As he walked into his apartment, Akram signaled to his bodyguards who followed so that they immediately withdrew and left the place. Afterwards Akram drove up the stairs of the apartment with wide steps, slammed the door of Elana's room until it opened and went straight to the bathroom.

Their bodies were both drenched, leaving a wet trail of dripping water. Elana began to shiver when her wet, sticky clothes stuck to her skin were exposed to a gust of cold wind coming from the air conditioner.

After they got to the bathroom, Akram dropped Elana off as they were sitting right under the shower. Without warning, Akram turned on the hot water shower faucet until suddenly, the water immediately poured out of the shower above them, instantly wet right at the head and face of Elana until Elana gasped and coughed for a moment.

Acram gripped Elana's shoulder, pushing the woman's body to lean against the bathroom wall, avoiding the woman's face from the shower.

"Mandy. Clean yourself cleanly, until there is no Xavier's remaining touch in your body" he growled with a threatening tone. Her eyes then trailed all over Elana, her forehead wrinkled as a flash of memory of how close Elana stood in front of Xavier and seemed familiar with taking refuge under the same umbrella, deeply disturbing her. "Don't bother keeping your clothes, the waiter will throw them away." as he continued in a growl, Akram suddenly released his grip on Elana's shoulder until Elana staggered back and nearly fell. Luckily he was able to hold on to the bathroom wall to keep his balance.

He stared at Akram who stepped back, not trying to reach Elana and instead observing Elana with his eyes blazing with the flames of anger, making Elana's heart pound as it was overwhelmed with fear.

Elana had never seen Akram Semurka before, the man was always fierce, spicy and sometimes full of threats and intimidating. However, only this time Elana could feel a dark anger that seemed to roil in the flow of Akram's veins, preparing to explode and as if it could turn the man into a terrible monster.

Elana was afraid that Akram would vent his anger by hurting her, and that fear made Elana's body start shaking again.

It certainly did not escape Akram's observation. His forehead creased deeper when he realized that Elana was afraid of him. Akram reflexively stepped back to make room for Elana. Even so, the menacing expression on his face did not subside.

"Once you're done cleaning your body and changing clothes, I'm waiting for you in the basement. We need to talk, just so you realize how stupid you are for approaching such great danger without you even realizing it!" Akram exclaimed with a tone of threat not to be denied.

Then, the man turned around and stepped out of the bathroom. Akram's body was dripping water on Elana's carpet, but the man seemed indifferent and continued to step across Elana's room, then out of there after slamming the door on her trunk with a loud bang.

Left alone, then Elana can sigh long to normalize his chest that feels tight. He then did what he had to do, took off his wet clothes from the rain, then placed his body under the shower, letting the pleasant warm water flutter his body from head to toe.

Perhaps trying to escape from Akram was a big mistake that had provoked the man's anger to its peak. But somehow Elana doesn't regret it. At least he has shown Akram that he is not a figure who will be silent and can kneel obediently without resistance if pressed and intimidated.

I must realize that Elana is a human being, who has rights and freedoms to be respected, is not an object without life that can be moved at will.

After finishing her bath, drying her body and changing clothes, Elana dried her hair with a towel, then glanced at the door of her room hesitantly.

Akram orders Elana to go downstairs as soon as she finishes the bath. But today it was exhausting enough for Elana and the thing she wanted the most was to confront Akram, then face the man's uncontrollable anger.

Elana watched the door of her room with a pushy look. Then, an impulsive thought came at him again, making him move quickly towards the door, rushing to lock the door of the room for then half-spreading towards the bed. Elana then slammed her body there, lying curled up under the protection of the thick blanket that warmed her up.

Just go to the sea and Akram and all his anger. What Elana wanted right now was to sleep soundly without interruption, resting her exhausted body and mind.

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Akram finished his bath in a rough motion, he then changed into clean clothes and grabbed a bunch of files stored away at the base of his storage cabinet, he said, which he now had to expel again because of the stupid behavior of Elana who had tested the limits of her patience. Akram then stepped out of the room while carrying the file in his hand. Glancing at the door of Elana's room which is still tightly closed, makes Akram think that Elana may not have finished her bath.

Akram then went downstairs, threw the file he brought to the sofa, then moved to take the cups neatly arranged in the kitchen drawer. He quickly made coffee for himself and did not forget the cup of hot chocolate he prepared for Elana. After this rain, Akram will prefer to enjoy a cup of coffee with a rough and fresh grind, without sugar so bitterly can open his eyes. But, Akram certainly understands that most women do not like coffee and will choose to enjoy drinks with a softer and sweet taste like warm chocolate.

He took the two cups to a table in front of a large sofa in his lounge, and Akram sat and waited. His eyes glanced back at the thick beam lying on the sofa, and unknowingly Akram let out a long sigh. His body bent over sat on the sofa, with both elbows resting on his knees and intertwined fingers holding his deeply wrinkled forehead.

Akram's eyes closed as if enduring the pain as he continued to sigh many times to relieve the tightness that began to crack in his chest.

All the sources of her trauma were gathered in the file, and now she had to reopen it for Elana...

A long time later Akram spent waiting in silence. Wait and keep waiting. In fact, the hot steaming drink he made for Elana had already begun to cool down without steam. Meanwhile, the coffee itself is almost toilet.

Akram stared at the stairs, as if he could pierce straight into Elana's room. He sharpened his sense of hearing and frowned when he realized that there was not the slightest sound from within.

While clicking his tongue a sign of losing his temper, Akram got up from his seat and stepped back violently up the stairs. When he got to the door of Elana's room, he held the doorknob and quickly pushed her to open the door immediately.

The stubborn woman was probably sulking and refusing to meet him. Akram intends to drag Elana down and force the woman if indeed Elana refused and rebelled against him.

When Akram pushed the door, no movement occurred. That door still shakes can't be opened.

Akram's lips thinned while his jaws hardened as his molars chime in anger.

Elana locked the door!

Akram has all the spare cards to unlock the door in his house. However, Akram is currently too angry to just take the spare key card in his storage box. Instead, he rushed into his room, picked up his gun and rushed back to the front of Elana's room, then took a safe distance before then aiming right at the room's locking system, smash it to create a large hole there to make the door of the room Elana automatically open wide without resistance.

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The sound of a loud eruption immediately woke Elana who was half asleep, almost falling cradled in the dreamland that surrounded. He was so aghast that he immediately sat down from his lying position, staring straight at the wide open door and immediately gaped as his eyes found the figure of Akram standing in the doorway, still aiming with his gun.

"What the hell." Elana's voice sounded startled, fear crawled back into her soul as she stared at Akram's so serious expression with sharp eyes that seemed to penetrate to the bottom of her soul.

"In my house, there are two rules you must obey. One, you mustn't take your eyes off when I speak to you and two, there must be no locked door that I can't pass. Take it well, because the second time you do it, I will not guarantee you can escape unharmed" Akram said slowly, but his tone was firm enough to reach Elana's ears.

Elana clutched the blanket on her chest, her fingers trembling as she looked at Akram who was still aiming a gun at her.

"A. I'm just tired, I just want to sleep...." Elana spoke up her defense quickly. Although he deliberately wanted to defy and avoid Akram, but he did not lie when he said that he was exhausted.

Hearing Elana's reply, Akram squinted at her as if trying to judge her honesty.

"You can sleep later, with me" Akram said in an arrogant tone. " Now, get up and get out of your bed" Akram growled from between his clenched teeth. "Room up! I'm waiting for you downstairs!" his orders were rude before then turning around and leaving the doorway.

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With reluctant and cautious steps, Elana stepped down the stairs. When she reached the end of the stairs, Elana stood in doubt while looking at Akram who was waiting. Akram's expression looked even more grim as the man gestured with his hand towards Elana.

"Sit down" he ordered in a stern tone.

At that second, Elana realized that she would further aggravate the situation if she rebelled against Akram. The man was like a bomb that was ready to explode and Elana did not want to be a lighter that ignited it until it would make him regret later.

Slowly Elana took a seat on that long sofa. He sat next to Akram but kept a safe distance for his safety.

Akram himself immediately shrugged the chocolate cup on the table that was warm began to fade it to the front of Elana.

Elana, according to Elana, clenched her palms together in the cup that still left a trace of comfortable warmth, then brought the cup closer to her mouth. The distinctive chocolate-smelling aroma instantly teased his nose, making him impatient to taste.

Elana took a sip of the chocolate and her eyes widened as her tongue was smeared with an almost undescribed delicious taste. Chocolate is sweet, feels soft with a trace of bitter taste that makes it more delicious. The pleasure of the taste mixed with the soothing warm nuances of the chocolate, making Elana unconsciously continue to sip again and again, sipping in a large sip that finally underscores the contents of the chocolate.

Elana looked at her empty glass, and she shyly put the glass back on the table, realizing that Akram had been watching her since.

"I might not be able to cook porridge, but I was able to make a warm chocolate that suits your taste" Akram grinned with an irony. Her mood seemed to improve when she saw Elana finish her warm chocolate without a fight.

Without waiting for Elana's reaction, Akram then thrust the thick beam into Elana's lap. A dark glint seemed to overshadow Akram's face as he pressed his shoulders toward the beam.

"This what?" Elana stared at the file on her lap and dared not touch it, she looked at Akram curiously.

"Open up," urged Akram while frowning.

Akram's strange attitude drives Elana's curiosity. He moved his hand to open the file. His eyes instantly widened as well as his gaped lips adorned his paled face, filled with an overwhelming sense of shock.

The first page of the file shows a woman who has become a corpse. Lying frozen on an iron table with a pale blue skin surface and covered in white cloth from the chest to the legs. The woman must have been beautiful in her lifetime, but now, her beauty was killed by terrible bruising stains all over her face, neck and also all over her body that was not covered in cloth.

It was as if this woman had been subjected to tremendous torture before meeting her death....

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Xavier was sitting in a large chair behind a large table covered in black glass, reflecting his immediate expression as he sat. He was currently in a large library room within the area of his mansion which was at once his study room.

Xavier may never be seen working an office or running a big business like Akram does every day. His closed personality makes him choose to work behind the scenes and avoid minimal interaction with others. Despite that, Xavier's wealth is arguably quite abundant with profitable money turnover that makes Xavier can sit casually all his life without having to think about the rest of the money in his account.

When his adoptive father banishes him from the family, Baron Night remains fair by giving a considerable amount of inheritance in accordance with Xavier's rights as his adopted son. That amount of money could have been used by Xavier to spend until old age. But, of course Xavier did not do that.

With his extraordinary genius, he turned the money in the scope of investment and stock games to generate profits many times over which of course more and more multiply the money in unimaginable amounts. As a side business, Xavier is also engaged in the business of buying and selling weapons both physical weapons and biological weapons on the black market, deliberately take a business that intersects with the business Akram struggling in the field of weapons technology development.

Xavier does not like to do business, he prefers to analyze investment data and get his own satisfaction when his predictions are always right to make it richer. However, he deliberately does business in the field of weapons to provoke Akram and make his sister hate him even more.

Hate and love have the same effect on the human brain. It is always remembered and not easily forgotten.

"Is there any recent development?" ask Xavier quickly. Efforts to prove his theory about Akram's favorite lover are hidden seems still deadlocked. That really frustrated Xavier beyond measure.

Inexplicably Xavier feels the premonition that the woman - if she exists - will play a significant role in his attempt to destroy Akram.

"We got a pretty interesting lead, sir. It might not be directly related, but it was worth it to investigate further" Regas replied carefully, judging the mood of his master which was always difficult to guess.

"And what is that?" Xavier tapped his finger at the table impatiently.

"You know an international model named Gabriella? Akram Night several times appeared with her, indicating that they had a fairly intimate relationship. However, our spy said that a while ago, Gabriella once came to see Akram Night, then came home in tears, escorted out of the company by Akram's bodyguards. There were several witnesses who accidentally saw the incident near the parking lot where Gabriella parked her car."

"Then? What does that have to do with our search?" Xavier frowned ever deeper, still not finding the common thread of what was exposed to him.

"The news developed that by that time Akram Night had dumped Gabriella from the ranks of her lover. However, one strange thing, Akram Night always leaves his lover fairly and gives them big gifts, such as luxury apartments or expensive diamonds. In contrast to Gabriella, the woman seemed to stir up the anger of Akram Night because her life and career were completely destroyed afterwards." Regas reported in a firm and quick voice, full of hope that this master of his was happy to hear it.

"Are you sure that Akram is behind Gabriella's destruction?"

Regas nodded strongly. "Nobody has the power to destroy one's career to the lowest point as experienced by Gabriella. First, her contract with Night Entertainment was canceled unilaterally, then Gabrielle lost all her contracts as a model and even her agency fired her vilely. It was as if no one dared to use Gabriella anymore as a model because they were terrified of the terrible strong man behind all this."

Xavier's lips extended a smile and the man nodded his head. "Then the story, Akram Night will be the culprit. When holding a grudge against someone, my brother acts like a bulldozer machine that destroys everything to the point of being unceremonious." Xavier then stared at Regas sharply. "You know where Gabriella is right now?"

"Gabriella is evicted from her luxury apartment and forced to live in a small, run-down rented house. She worked as a hostess at a low-class nightclub because it was the only job that accepted her. Even he couldn't sell his body to become a rich man's mistress because everyone was afraid of Akram Night," Regas sighed before throwing his best part before Xavier. "What's interesting is that, when Gabriella was working sober and intoxicated, our witness heard her scolding about the female demon who bewitched Akram that she was dumped,"

Xavier immediately grinned widely, his eyes gleaming at the monstrous crazy cruelty.

"I guess I should visit this Miss Gabriella," her slender body moved quickly and stood up from her seat. "Prepare my car, Regas. I'm going to see Gabriella tonight and say hello."

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Elana turned towards Akram. His lips trembled, filled with horror as he returned the man's gaze. Akram himself seemed to avoid staring at the file on Elana's lap and chose to focus on looking at Elana with his sharp eyes. As if to look at Elana's reaction to the slightest extent

"What...what is this?" elana's voice stuck in her throat. But, he dared to ask.

Akram. "Continue, read carefully until the last page," his command was firm, fortifying any possible denials.

There is nothing Elana can do. Although his hands were trembling with horror, he continued to do as Akram commanded, going page by page and reading it carefully.

The following photos are even more gruesome and detailed, showing the results of the visa when the woman was rescued from the events that befell her, as well as the results of an autopsy on her body later. The entire image of the bruise all over his skin was clearly photographed and detailed. The woman was still alive when she was rescued, and the visum shows that she has been subjected to unusually vile torture and abuse that left a horrifying trace on her body. Even more sadly, the woman died soon after being unconscious due to suicide due to not being able to bear the trauma of what happened to her body.

Elana looked up again, looking at Akram with teary eyes. A barrage of unspoken questions flashed in his eyes.

Why did Akram show him these files? What acronym has so vile destroyed this woman? Did Akram show all these Elanas to warn and threaten Elana?

The fear that smeared Elana's view made Akram's molars tighten again. The man gave a stern answer through a thin sleeve afterwards.

"It wasn't me who did that," Akram slowed down his tone and carefully observed Elana's reaction. "The woman in the file was my first lover, while Xavier was my foster brother. There is such a complicated relationship between us that Xavier has an obsession with destroying what is precious to me. Xavier was the one who made Anastasia end up so miserable."

When he saw the look of disbelief rolling on Elana's face, Akram got up from his seat with a grim expression, then unexpectedly knelt down in front of Elana who was still sitting. Akram's hand then moved to grab Elana's hand, slipping her strong fingers between Elana's fragile fingers. Make their hands intertwine.

"I'll tell you everything in as much detail as possible, satisfying your curiosity until there's nothing left" Akram's voice stifled and as the man turned his head to look at Elana, unexpectedly, a streak of fear that showed his weakness, appeared in the man's eyes."It's just that, once this is over, please, don't ever go out of my sight. Stay by my side and you'll be safe. Xavier has destroyed everything I've ever considered valuable in my life, I won't let him destroy you either."

Then Akram moved, wrapped his arms around Elana's body and drowned his face in Elana's arms too shocked to resist.

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