Sia barely slept that night. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Reyansh's warm, chocolate-brown eyes and the way he had looked at her with such genuine worry. In a city like this, where people usually stepped over you rather than helping you up, he felt like a miracle.
The next morning, the sun was hidden behind a thick layer of grey clouds. Sia was standing at the bus stop, her leg still a bit stiff from the fall, when a familiar, dented silver car pulled up to the curb.
The window rolled down, and Rey poked his head out, a shy smile on his face. He was wearing the same faded hoodie from the night before.
"Hey, delivery girl," he called out softly. "I was hoping I'd find you here. I wanted to make sure you didn't wake up with a broken leg because of my terrible driving."
Sia felt a blush creep up her neck. "I'm okay, Rey. Just a little bruised. You didn't have to come all this way."
"I wanted to," he said, getting out of the car. He walked over to her, handing her a small, steaming paper cup. "It's just tea from the stall around the corner. I know it's not much, but I figured you could use something warm before your shift."
Sia took the cup, her fingers brushing against his. The warmth of the tea was nothing compared to the sudden spark she felt at his touch. "Thank you. You're... you're really different from the guys in this city."
Rey laughed, a sound that seemed so honest and carefree. "I'm just a guy trying to survive, Sia. Just like you. I know what it's like to have a rough night."
They talked for a few minutes before her bus arrived. Rey told her he was an intern at a local construction firm, struggling to make ends meet while supporting himself. Sia found herself opening up to him, telling him about her father's health and her dreams of one day opening her own design studio.
By the time the bus pulled away, Sia was smiling. For the first time in a long time, she felt like she wasn't alone in her struggle.
From inside the dented silver car, Rey watched the bus disappear. The moment it was out of sight, his smile vanished. His face became a mask of cold, hard stone.
He reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a high-end smartphone—not the cheap, cracked one he had shown Sia earlier. He dialed a number.
"Is the surveillance on her father's house active?" Reyansh asked, his voice low and lethal.
"Yes, Sir," a voice replied on the other end. "Deepak is home. His heart condition is worsening, just as the doctors predicted."
"Good," Reyansh said, his eyes narrowing as he gripped the steering wheel. "Keep him alive for now. I want him to witness his world crumbling, one piece at a time. And the girl... she's easier to play than I thought. She has a heart of gold—how pathetic."
He threw the phone onto the passenger seat and pulled out into traffic. He had a board meeting at Thorne Industries in twenty minutes, where he was expected to finalize a multi-billion dollar merger. He would have to change into his three-piece suit in the back of his armored SUV, which was parked two blocks away.
To the world, he was Reyansh Thorne, the ruthless predator of the business world. But to Sia, he was just Rey—the boy who cared.
He enjoyed the game. He liked the way her eyes lit up when he spoke. It made the coming betrayal feel even more delicious. He wasn't just going to take her father's money; he was going to take the one thing the old man valued more than life itself.
He was going to take Sia's soul.
A week passed. Rey started showing up every evening after Sia's shift. He would take her to small, roadside stalls for dinner, always "counting his coins" to make sure they had enough.
"I'm sorry I can't take you to a real restaurant, Sia," he said one evening as they sat on a park bench, sharing a plate of spicy street food. "One day, when I finish my internship and get a real job, I'll treat you like a queen."
Sia looked at him, her heart swelling with affection. "I don't need a queen's life, Rey. I just like being here. With you."
Rey reached out and took her hand, his thumb tracing circles on her palm. "You're too good for this world, Sia. You really are."
Sia leaned her head on his shoulder, unaware that the hand holding hers was the same hand that had signed the order to shut down the pharmacy where she bought her father's medicine that very morning.
The web was being spun, and Sia was walking right into the center of it, blinded by the flickering light of a false love.