The rain outside had softened into a distant drizzle by the time Aisha managed to steady her breath.
Aarav's words still echoed inside her chest—
"I'm afraid I might do the opposite."
Opposite of hate.
Her cheeks warmed. Her mind tangled between fear, confusion, and a foolish flicker of hope.
Aarav… what are you hiding?
She looked at the photograph again—Anaya's smile, her eyes so much like Aisha's, the scar near her brow.
A shiver crawled down Aisha's spine.
Why do I resemble her so much?
Why didn't he tell me?
Who is behind that locked door?
She sat on the bed, hugging the pillow, staring at the doorway Aarav had disappeared through.
He was fighting something—within himself and outside.
And she was caught in the middle.
---
A sudden vibration snapped her out of her thoughts.
Her phone—lying beside her—blinked with a new message.
Aisha frowned.
Unknown number.
No name.
Just a message notification.
She opened it.
Her blood froze.
"LEAVE THE PENTHOUSE RIGHT NOW."
Her breath hitched.
Before she could process it, another message came through.
"YOU'RE IN DANGER. HE CAN'T PROTECT YOU ANYMORE."
Aisha's fingers trembled around her phone.
Her throat tightened, breath shallow.
Who sent this?
How did they know where she lived?
She quickly typed, Who is this?
But before she could hit send—another message arrived.
"THE WOMAN IN THE PHOTO… SHE DIDN'T DIE BY ACCIDENT."
Aisha's skin prickled.
Her entire body went cold.
A whisper escaped her lips, "Anaya…"
Her heart thudded painfully as she slowly typed again.
What do you mean?
Before she could tap send, the message box cleared itself.
Another text appeared instantly.
"HE'S COMING. PRETEND YOU SAW NOTHING."
The hair on the back of Aisha's neck stood straight.
And then—
a soft creak echoed from the hallway outside her room.
Footsteps.
Slow. Heavy. Approaching.
Aisha quickly locked her screen and hid the phone under her pillow, heart racing violently.
Aarav?
Or someone else?
She stared at the door, breath held.
The footsteps grew closer—
Then stopped right outside her room.
The doorknob turned.
Aisha bit her lip to keep from gasping.
The door opened halfway.
A tall silhouette stood there.
Aarav.
Relief washed over her—but vanished just as quickly when she saw his expression. He didn't look angry… or cold.
He looked haunted.
"Are you awake?" he asked quietly.
Aisha nodded slowly. "Yes."
He stepped inside, closing the door behind him. His eyes scanned her face as though searching for something, confirming something.
She swallowed.
"Are you okay?" he murmured.
She forced a small nod. "Just… thinking."
Aarav slowly approached her, sitting at the edge of the bed. "About Anaya?"
Aisha hesitated before nodding again.
He exhaled, rubbing his forehead. "I shouldn't have told you like that."
"You didn't tell me anything," she replied softly. "You only gave me more questions."
Silence.
Aarav's shoulders slumped.
"Aisha…" he whispered, voice lower than before. "Some things in my past… are too dangerous to relive."
"And I'm living in danger now," she said boldly. "Without knowing why."
Aarav's eyes snapped to hers.
There—she saw it again.
Fear.
Not for himself… for her.
He wasn't scared of what she'd find.
He was scared of what it would do to her.
"Aisha," he said carefully, "if anything ever feels wrong… anything at all… promise me you'll come straight to me."
Her pulse quickened.
Not because of the danger, but because of the raw intensity in his voice.
"I promise," she whispered.
He nodded, relieved.
But Aisha kept one thing hidden—
She had already received a threat.
And Aarav didn't know.
---
Aarav stood to leave.
He reached the door… paused… and looked back at her.
For a moment, something changed in his expression—like he wanted to come closer, maybe even say something he wasn't ready to.
But instead, he whispered, "Goodnight, Aisha."
She swallowed. "Goodnight."
He left, closing the door gently.
The moment he walked away, her phone vibrated again—still under the pillow.
Aisha's breath hitched.
Her hands trembled as she pulled it out.
Another message.
"YOU DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME."
Aisha typed frantically:
Who are you? Why are you warning me? What happened to Anaya?
Her message sent.
The reply was instant.
"SHE FOUND OUT THE TRUTH."
Aisha's lungs squeezed painfully.
Another message arrived.
"AND NOW YOU ARE IN HER PLACE."
Her heart nearly stopped.
A chill shot through her bones.
She typed again desperately—
What truth? WHAT TRUTH?
The screen flickered.
No answer.
Just those terrifying words staring back at her.
---
Suddenly—A loud crash echoed from downstairs.
Aisha jolted upright.
Someone dropped something. Or someone fell.
Her heartbeat raced.
She slipped out of bed and tiptoed to the door. She pressed her ear against it.
Footsteps.
Two sets.
Voices—low, harsh, urgent.
One of them was Aarav.
The other… she didn't recognize.
"You shouldn't have come here," Aarav hissed.
The unknown voice responded sharply, "She needs to know."
Aisha's breath caught.
Were they talking about her?
"She's not ready," Aarav snapped.
"She has no choice," the stranger said coldly. "The messages have already started."
Aisha froze.
Her blood ran cold.
They knew.
They knew about the messages.
Aarav's voice dropped to a dangerously low tone.
"Who sent them?"
"Not me," the stranger replied. "But if she doesn't leave soon—someone else will reach her first."
Aisha's mind spun.
Someone else?
Someone worse?
She pressed her hand over her mouth to keep from gasping.
The stranger continued, "If she finds out what happened in that room—"
"DON'T SAY ANOTHER WORD," Aarav growled.
The room.
The locked room.
The one with the haunting voice.
Her entire body trembled.
She stepped back from the door, pulse thundering in her ears.
Whatever was happening—whatever truth was hidden—
It was bigger, darker, and far more dangerous than she ever imagined.
Her phone vibrated again.
She looked down.
A final message flashed on the screen—
"IF YOU WANT TO LIVE… DON'T TRUST ANYONE."
Aisha's knees weakened.
Her breath crashed out of her lungs.
Not Aarav.
Not the stranger.
Not the voice behind the door.
No one.
She was completely alone.
And the danger was already inside the house.