Two years earlier, Maya Verma believed she had finally found happiness.
She met Adrian Cross inside a quiet bookstore while searching for a mystery novel. Adrian was confident, charming, and unusually attentive. He noticed the book she picked up and smiled.
"You like mysteries?" he asked.
Maya nodded shyly. "They're the only stories where truth always wins."
Adrian chuckled softly.
"That depends on who writes the story."
They spent hours talking that day. Adrian seemed perfect — thoughtful, intelligent, and deeply interested in everything Maya said.
Her friends later told her she was lucky.
A man like Adrian seemed rare.
But Maya didn't notice something strange that day.
Adrian asked many questions.
But shared very little about himself.