Episode---- 11
Morning sun painted the ruined villa in pale gold, but it couldn't warm the chill inside.
Aria stood by the cracked balcony, fingers wrapped around a chipped mug. She hadn't slept. Raian's words haunted her: "Hope is dangerous."
A knock echoed down the hallway — soft, careful.
Before she could answer, Raian's voice cut through the silence: "Aria, someone's here for you."
She turned — heart leaping. At the villa door stood Lina, her best friend. Dark ponytail damp from rain, glasses slightly fogged, eyes wide with worry.
"Aria!" Lina ran forward, hugging her tight. "You look pale! Are you hurt? What happened?"
"I'm okay," Aria whispered, though the words tasted hollow.
Behind Lina, a tall man watched silently — dark hair, sharp jaw, eyes as cold and unreadable as stone.
"Ayan," Raian introduced, voice clipped. "My right hand. He'll make sure she stays safe while she's here."
Lina glanced at Ayan, then back at Aria. "Your friends are terrifying," she whispered, loud enough for Ayan to hear.
Ayan raised an eyebrow. "Good. That keeps you alive."
Aria's chest tightened at the friction. But under Lina's worry lay quiet steel — the friend who'd stayed up with her through exams, heartbreak, nightmares.
Raian's hand brushed Aria's shoulder — barely a touch, but enough to steady her heart. "She can stay," he told Aria. "But only if she listens."
The villa seemed smaller with Lina's presence — as if light had stepped into shadows.
Yet in Ayan's cold gaze, Aria glimpsed something haunted, something that mirrored Raian's darkness.
For the first time, the villa felt less empty — and more dangerous.
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See you in next episode..... Stay tuned..... .