🌑 Episode 13
Ariba kept running through the narrow streets behind the university.
Her breath was heavy.
Her heart pounded in her chest.
Behind her, the sound of car engines echoed through the night.
They were still chasing her.
She tightened her grip on the flash drive Ryan had given her.
"This little thing… is worth killing for," she whispered to herself.
Rain began to fall again.
The streets grew empty.
Ariba quickly turned into a small café that was still open. She sat near the window, trying to look calm.
Her mind raced.
Where was Ryan now?
Was he safe?
Suddenly her phone buzzed.
A message.
Ryan:
"Don't go home. They're watching your apartment."
Ariba felt a chill run down her spine.
Another message arrived immediately.
"Meet me at the old train station. Midnight."
Ariba looked at the time.
11:40 PM.
She had twenty minutes.
Outside the café window, a black SUV slowly drove past.
Her stomach tightened.
They were searching the area.
Ariba quietly left some money on the table and slipped out through the back door.
The rain had become heavier now.
The old train station stood at the edge of the city, almost abandoned.
When Ariba arrived, the place was silent.
Too silent.
"Ryan?" she called softly.
No answer.
Then a voice echoed from the darkness.
"I'm afraid Ryan won't be coming."
Ariba froze.
A tall man stepped forward from the shadows, dressed in a dark suit.
Behind him, several armed men appeared.
Ariba's heart dropped.
"You're the one controlling Phoenix," she said slowly.
The man smiled.
"Control is a strong word. Let's just say… I protect important interests."
"Where's Ryan?" Ariba demanded.
The man held up a phone.
A video played.
Ryan was tied to a chair somewhere dark.
Alive.
But captured.
Ariba's hands clenched.
"What do you want?"
The man's smile widened.
"The flash drive."
Ariba looked down at her hand.
Then back at him.
"You set this trap."
"Of course," he replied calmly.
"You're smarter than Rahman. I needed a better way to bring you here."
The rain poured harder around them.
Ariba took a slow breath.
If she gave them the flash drive, the truth would disappear forever.
But if she didn't…
Ryan might die.
For the first time since this nightmare began, Ariba truly felt trapped.
The man stepped closer.
"Choose carefully," he said softly.
"Truth… or love."
Lightning flashed across the dark sky.
And Ariba realized —
This decision would change everything.
To Be Continued… 🔥