The mansion was quiet, but the air between Aanya and Rey was anything but. They had survived the first attack together, but the city outside still thrummed with danger. Every shadow, every distant noise felt like a threat.
Aanya paced the room, her mind racing. "Why are you helping me?" she finally asked, unable to hide the frustration in her voice.
Rey leaned against the wall, arms crossed, eyes smoldering. "Because if I don't, you'll die," he said simply.
She blinked, unsure whether to be angry or grateful. "That's… not exactly comforting."
He smirked, a dangerous curve of his lips. "Comfort isn't my style. Survival is."
Something in the way he said it, the confidence in his every move, made her pulse quicken despite herself. She hated him—and yet, she couldn't deny the heat rising in her chest every time he looked at her.
Suddenly, a loud crash from the hallway made them both jump. Rey moved instantly, shielding her, his body tense and ready. The danger wasn't over; it had only escalated.
As the intruder was forced back and the hallway went silent, Aanya realized something terrifying: Rey wasn't just dangerous to others—he was dangerous to her heart.
And she was powerless to stop it.