Standing atop the cliff, Arisa stared down at the wreckage. Aryan's backup team was swarming the burning jeep. There were no more tears in Arisa's eyes. The footage of Aryan's betrayal had scorched away every ounce of mercy left in her heart.
Abir stood beside her, loading a fresh magazine into his pistol. He noticed a change in Arisa—a cold, hollow emptiness in her gaze.
"They're close, Arisa. You need to hide. I'll handle them," Abir said.
"No, Abir," Arisa replied, her voice eerily calm. "I won't run anymore. Everyone has played with me my whole life, but from today, I play the game."
Abir watched in silence as Arisa reached for a small revolver from his belt. Her fingers didn't tremble.
"Aryan thinks he can pull my strings like a puppet? He wanted to use me to seize your empire? Now he'll see that the puppet has come to life."
As Aryan's elite guards reached the plateau, they expected a weeping damsel. Instead, they were met with a woman wearing a sinister, chilling smile.
"Ma'am, come with us," one guard shouted. "Aryan sir is waiting. We'll save you from this devil, Abir."
"The devil?" Arisa laughed, a sharp, cold sound. "You haven't even met the devil yet. Go back and tell your 'Sir'—Arisa is no longer his sister. I am his greatest nightmare. And tell him, this sapphire necklace is now his death warrant."
Before he could react, Arisa fired. The bullet found its mark, striking the guard's leg. Abir froze for a split second before a dark, prideful grin spread across his face. He realized he wasn't standing next to a victim anymore; he was standing next to a **Villainess** ready to defend her throne.
Back-to-back, Abir and Arisa stood their ground. Amidst the thunder and the roar of gunfire, the mountain became the birthplace of a new legend.
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