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The streetlights flickered over the damp pavement, casting long, shaky shadows. The storm had passed, leaving behind a heavy, humid silence and the rhythmic drip-drip of water from the bus stop roof.
Gabriella sat on the cold metal bench, her school uniform soaked through, the fabric clinging to her skin like a second layer of grief. Beside her sat Han. His casual clothes were half-drenched, his hair messy from the wind.
"How did you find me here?" Gabriella asked, her voice barely a whisper.
"Felix," Han replied, staring at the empty road. "He saw you. We've been searching for you everywhere, Gabriella. Roselette Auntie is losing her mind with worry."
"How do you even know him?"
"Our fathers are friends," Han said. "I never met him until Raina's birthday party." He turned to her, his eyes searching hers. "Why were you at the cemetery, Gabriella?"
She hesitated, her fingers tracing a scratch on the bench. "I went to see a friend. He died... a year ago."
Han's expression softened. "I'm sorry."
Gabriella gave a small, hollow smile. "It's okay."
A few minutes of silence passed before the air turned cold. Gabriella's gaze sharpened, her voice dropping to a freezing, painful tone. "Han... what happened in the past? Between Jake and Christina?"
Han stiffened. He didn't want to go there.
"Tell me," she demanded, turning to face him. "Tell me what I don't know about him."
Han exhaled, his voice deep and steady. "He hasn't changed. He plays with emotions like they're toys. He did it to Christina... my sister." His hand clenched into a fist. "She loved him so much. I didn't know it was one-sided at first. If I had known, I would have stopped her. He doesn't know the value of love."
He slammed his fist against the bench, the sound echoing in the empty street. Gabriella flinched, then placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Sorry," Han muttered. "I just... I can't control the anger. Christina was an angel. When I used to bully kids back then, she was the one who made me stop. She loved Jake so deeply she couldn't even say it to his face. But when she finally did... he rejected her."
He looked away, a single tear escaping. "We can't force love, I know that. But she kept helping him, doing favors for him in secret. I argued with her! I told her he didn't care. She just said, 'I don't need him to love me back. I just want to give him my love without pestering him.'"
Gabriella felt a sharp pang in her chest.
"The girls who liked Jake started bullying her for it," Han continued, his voice breaking. "And then... she fainted. At the hospital, the doctors told us... she had a brain tumor. Last stage."
Gabriella gasped, her face pale.
"My parents tried everything," Han said, his voice rising in outrage. "But Jake? He never came. Not once. She begged to see him—it was her last wish. I called him, even though we had stopped speaking because of how he treated her publicly. He still didn't show up."
"Is his heart made of stone?" Gabriella whispered.
Han chuckled bitterly. "Stone? It's a void. Don't believe a word he says. If he acts like he loves you, he's using you."
Gabriella looked down at her lap. It's my fault, she thought bitterly. It's my fault for ever thinking you were human, Jake.
The Royal Hotel
The Royal Hotel was the definition of luxury—gold-leafed ceilings, crystal chandeliers, and the faint scent of expensive lilies. Inside a private dining room, the atmosphere was thick with unspoken tension.
Raina and her mother, Bianca, sat across from Felix, his sister Nancy, and Nancy's husband, Tyler and their three-year-old girl, played quietly nearby.
"Only two days until the engagement," Nancy said, smiling. "How is the planning?"
"Almost finished," Bianca replied, though her smile didn't reach her eyes.
"I'm sorry we've been in the States," Tyler added. "You've had to handle this alone."
As the small talk continued, Bianca asked the toddler's name.
"Scarlett," Nancy said.
The name hit Raina and Bianca like a physical blow. Their faces turned stony for a split second before Bianca masked it with a fake grin. Raina's mind raced—memories she wanted buried were clawing their way out.
Suddenly, Raina's phone buzzed. She stepped out into the hallway, Felix following closely behind.
"Hello?" Raina said. Silence. She went to hang up, but then she saw Felix standing there.
"Tell them," Felix said, his face serious. "Tell them you won't marry me."
Raina mocked him with a laugh. "You're the one who convinced me to play this fake engagement game, Felix. What changed?"
"Now is the perfect time to cancel it," Felix said coldly. "Or... do you actually want to marry me?"
Raina's smile vanished. "No. I won't." She narrowed her eyes. "Why don't you say no? Are you planning something?"
"If you won't do it, I will," Felix said, turning back toward the room.
Before he could move, Raina's phone rang again. This time, a voice like ice answered.
"Are you excited about your engagement, Raina?"
Raina's jaw tightened. "It's you. Gabriella."
"That happiness won't last," Gabriella's voice was deadly calm. "I won't let you be happy."
Raina let out a harsh laugh. "Have you gone crazy because your lover broke your heart? You have no evidence against me. Jake was my friend long before he was yours. You can't do anything."
"Enjoy your final two days," Gabriella replied. "The engagement isn't going to happen."
Click.
Raina's face contorted with rage. She marched back into the dining room, her fists clenched.
"Raina, what's wrong?" Nancy asked, looking concerned. "If you're having second thoughts, you can tell us."
Felix watched her, waiting for her to end it. But Raina looked him dead in the eye, her pupils darkening with a sudden, vengeful fire.
"No," Raina said, a chilling smile spreading across her face. "I'm very excited for this engagement."
Felix froze. Something had changed. The game wasn't just a game anymore—it was war.
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To be Continued.......
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