Rain Doesn't Hide Sins
It was almost midnight.
The air was cold, heavy with mist. Clouds swallowed the sky, hiding even the faintest moonlight. Darkness wrapped the city in a suffocating embrace, and the rain fell steadily, tapping against the cobblestones like a relentless warning.
Footsteps echoed sharply through the empty alley.
A girl ran, heart pounding, breath uneven. Her feet splashed through puddles, fear written in every hurried step. Every sound — a dropped leaf, a shifting shadow — made her flinch. She didn't look back, but she could feel him there, following.
Kian Drake.
His eyes were dark, unreadable, calculating. Rain plastered his hair to his forehead, but he moved with calm precision, unhurried — as if he already knew she wouldn't escape.
Her legs faltered.
She stumbled and fell hard, scraping her palms on the rough ground. Pain shot through her arms, but she barely noticed, too focused on the shadow looming above.
When she looked up, he was already there, towering over her.
"What's wrong?" His voice was quiet, smooth, almost teasing, as he bent slightly toward her.
"Tired already?"
Tears mixed with rain, sliding down her cheeks. Her voice trembled.
"Please… let me go. Please."
Kian reached out. His fingers brushed her cheek — gentle, yet carrying a cold weight of control, almost cruel.
"Don't worry," he said softly. "I won't kill you."
Hope flickered in her eyes.
"But you'll pay for what you did."
He stood, gripping her arm with a strength that left no room for resistance, pulling her up.
"Come with me," he said, voice low and commanding. "I'll treat your wounds first."
The rain swallowed his final words, leaving only the echo of fear and a promise of danger as they disappeared into the night.
Vanished
The headquarters buzzed with tension, every corner alive with urgency.
Screens glowed in the dim room, fingers flew across keyboards. Silence pressed heavily, broken only by the hum of machines and quick, shallow breaths.
Aria Vale stood frozen, eyes glued to the main monitor. Lines of data scrolled and vanished, tracing paths that led nowhere. Locations flickered, disappeared, shifted — nothing.
"Find her," Aria ordered sharply, voice clipped. "Fast."
Minutes stretched.
Nothing.
"I'm sorry, boss," Evan said quietly, glancing up at her. "She just… vanished."
"That's impossible," Lena muttered, still scanning the screens desperately. "She couldn't just disappear."
Aria slammed her palm against the desk. The thud echoed through the room.
Her jaw tightened. Eyes burning with quiet rage, she breathed in slowly, mind racing. She wouldn't let this go. Not now. Not ever.
Silent Promises
Rain tapped softly against the tall glass window, a steady rhythm that filled the empty space.
A man stood before it, hands tucked into his pockets, staring out at the storm. The dark clouds mirrored the thoughts clouding his mind — heavy, unresolved, unspoken.
A knock on the door broke the silence.
"Come in," he called, voice low, calm.
His best friend entered cautiously, closing the door behind him.
"You busy?" he asked softly.
"No," he replied after a pause, voice distant. "Just… thinking. Like always."
His friend smiled faintly. "I know. But don't worry. One day, everything will be fine."
The man's gaze lingered on the rain-soaked streets. A small, almost imperceptible smile curved his lips.
"I hope so," he whispered, barely audible over the storm.
A Vow in the Dark
The car glided through the empty roads, tires slicing through puddles.
Aria stared straight ahead, eyes fixed on the darkened horizon, but her mind was consumed by one name — the man she hated most in the world.
"It's getting harder to track him," Lena said quietly from the passenger seat, voice tinged with frustration.
"We need a new plan," Evan added, glancing down at his hands, tapping a rhythm against his knees.
Aria's lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile. Her eyes gleamed with calculated determination, cold as the rain that splattered the windshield.
"Don't worry," she said softly, voice steady, confident.
"From now on… I'll handle it myself."
The city lights reflected in her eyes, fierce and unforgiving. A promise had been made — silent, unshakable, and deadly.