EIRA'S POV
The room was a mess of fabrics, colors spilling across the bed as Tessy held up yet another dress.
"This one, or this one?" she asked, her brow furrowed in mock seriousness.
I laughed, shaking my head. "At this rate, we'll never decide."
But at last, after what felt like endless debate, Tessy's eyes lit up. She held out a stunning purple dress, simple yet enchanting. "This one. It's perfect for you."
And so it was decided. The fabric draped across my skin like velvet, the color deep and rich, bringing warmth to my cheeks. Tessy grinned with pride as she fixed my hair, and together we left for Jake's sister's birthday.
The moment we arrived, both of us froze.
Jake's house was breathtaking—grand, towering, and dripping with the kind of wealth that seemed unreal. Golden chandeliers shimmered through tall windows, music hummed softly, and cars lined the driveway like jewels.
Inside, I found Jake. He stood near the entrance, restless, scanning the crowd as though waiting for someone. The instant his eyes landed on me, he stilled. His impatience vanished, replaced by something else—something I couldn't quite name. His gaze lingered, locked onto me, memorizing every detail.
For a moment, neither of us spoke. Then his lips curved, soft and genuine. "You're here." His voice dropped lower, almost reverent. "Come inside."
Before I could reply, a girl approached us.
Lila.
Jake's sister was nothing like I expected. She wasn't dressed in glittering gowns or dripping with jewels. Instead, she wore a delicate cream dress, simple yet radiant, her beauty quiet and effortless. Her eyes held a softness that made her glow brighter than any diamond in that hall.
Tessy and I smiled warmly, wishing her a happy birthday. Lila blushed, her voice soft with gratitude.
But not everyone shared that warmth.
From across the hall, I felt the weight of Victoria's stare. Her smile was sweet but her eyes—sharp, jealous, burning. No matter how she tried to steal his attention, Jake's gaze kept returning to me. Again and again.
And when Jake, Tessy, Lila, and I laughed together, our voices rising above the music as Lila cut the cake, I saw Victoria's smile tighten.
Her hand curled around a glass.
After a while, a waiter brought a juice toward me. I took it without a thought and drank.
At first—nothing.
But then, the world shifted. My head grew heavy, my vision blurred. A sharp throb pulsed behind my eyes, and the laughter around me seemed distant, muffled, like echoes through water.
JAKE'S POV
The laughter around Lila was a victory in itself. Every smile she gave, every sparkle in her eyes—I wanted to protect that, to make her believe in herself the way I always had.
But then my phone rang.
I stepped away, answering quietly. A voice, low and trembling with fear, spoke words that froze my blood.
"Jake… Mark is dead."
My right hand. My brother in arms.
Killed.
My jaw clenched so hard it ached. My eyes shut for a moment, holding back the storm, before I looked back toward my sister. She was laughing still, her smile fragile but true.
"I need to go," I told her, my voice rough with restraint.
She met my gaze, her eyes searching, then softened with understanding. She only nodded.
And that was enough.
I turned, my body stiff with fury I could no longer hold down, and walked out. The night air hit me like a blade, but I didn't stop. I got into my car, started the engine, and drove—my mind burning with vengeance.
EIRA'S POV
Something was wrong.
The laughter around me dimmed, replaced by a pounding in my head. My vision blurred, lights flickering like fireflies gone mad.
"Tessy?" I tried to call, but she was nowhere to be seen in the crowd. Maybe outside…
I stumbled, searching, until I spotted some of my college mates laughing too loudly, glasses in their hands. Relief made me move toward them.
But when I reached out, my body betrayed me. My legs wavered, my balance gone.
"Eira, you okay?" one of them asked, smirking.
I tried to steady myself, but before I could speak, rough hands grabbed me. Laughter turned sharp, mocking, and in seconds, I was being dragged outside.
"Let me go!" My voice cracked, but they only gripped my wrist tighter, shoving me into the backseat of a car.
The engine roared. Music blasted. They sang loudly, voices twisted with cruelty.
One leaned close, his breath sour against my skin, his lips inches away. My body screamed to fight, but my strength was fading.
But then—suddenly—the car lurched to a stop.
A shadow blocked the road.
The driver cursed and stepped out, shouting, "Who the hell—?"
He didn't finish. A figure emerged from the dark, faster than thought. A single strike, and the driver collapsed.
Panic erupted inside the car. The others scrambled out, but they didn't get far. One by one, they were thrown back, beaten down with terrifying ease. Bones cracked, screams cut short, until silence swallowed the night.
The door wrenched open.
Through my haze, I lifted my eyes—just enough to see him.
Adrian.
He pulled me out, his hands steady, strong. He didn't say a word, but his eyes… his eyes burned into mine with a fire I couldn't escape.I shivered, caught in the storm of his stare. So much anger. So much pain. And something deeper he refused to name.
His stare pinned me in place, sharp and unyielding, but the haze clouding my mind turned it into something almost funny. I swayed, my lips quirking into a giggle.
"You're not Adrian…" I said in a playful sing-song, my words slurring just a little. Another giggle burst out of me as I wagged a finger clumsily. "He would never save me. He hates me."
The words cut deep, but he didn't look away. He held me there, in his gaze, as if trying to carve the truth into me without speaking it.
My eyelids grew heavy, my strength slipping away. I tried—tried so hard—to keep my eyes open, to hold onto that moment, that intensity.
But darkness pulled me under.
The last thing I felt was his arms lifting me, strong and unyielding.
And then—nothing.