তাহলে আমি এমন একটা chapter দিচ্
The night didn't stay quiet for long.
Aria didn't realize when sleep finally took over her restless mind—
But when it broke—
It shattered.
A loud sound echoed somewhere in the mansion.
Not soft.
Not distant.
Sharp.
Violent.
Aria's eyes snapped open.
Her breath came out in a short gasp as she sat up instantly, her heart pounding wildly.
Another sound.
This time closer.
Glass breaking.
Her fingers gripped the bedsheet.
"What was that…?"
Silence followed.
But it wasn't empty.
It was tense.
Like something was inside the house.
Moving.
Watching.
Waiting.
Aria slowly got off the bed, her feet touching the cold floor. Her instincts screamed at her to stay—
To hide—
But curiosity…
Fear…
And something else—
Pushed her forward.
She moved toward the door carefully.
Step by step.
Every sound amplified.
Her breath.
Her heartbeat.
Her thoughts.
Her hand reached the handle.
Paused.
Then slowly—
She opened it.
The corridor outside was dim.
Too dim.
The lights flickered slightly.
A strange chill ran down her spine.
"Hello…?" she called softly.
No answer.
She stepped out.
One step.
Then another.
Her eyes scanned everything.
The doors.
The shadows.
The silence.
Until—
A faint sound came from downstairs.
A struggle.
A thud.
A voice.
Low.
Dangerous.
Rowan.
Aria's heart skipped.
Without thinking—
She ran.
Down the stairs.
Faster.
Her pulse rising with every step.
And then—
She saw it.
Two men.
Dressed in black.
One of them pinned to the wall—
Struggling.
The other—
On the floor.
Not moving.
And in between them—
Rowan.
His grip tight around the man's collar.
His expression—
Dark.
Terrifying.
Unrecognizable.
"You picked the wrong place," Rowan said coldly.
The man struggled weakly.
"W-we were told—"
Rowan's grip tightened.
"By who?"
Silence.
Fear.
The man hesitated.
And that was enough.
Rowan slammed him harder against the wall.
A sharp crack echoed.
Aria gasped.
The sound slipped out before she could stop it.
Rowan froze.
For a second—
Just one second—
His eyes flickered toward her.
And everything changed.
Because she saw it.
That moment.
That shift.
The anger—
Still there.
The danger—
Still real.
But beneath it—
Something else.
Concern.
"Aria," he said.
Low.
Sharp.
A warning.
"You shouldn't be here."
Her feet refused to move.
Her eyes stayed locked on him.
"You… you said I was safe here…" she whispered.
Rowan's jaw tightened.
"I said you're safer here," he corrected.
Not the same thing.
Not even close.
The man in his grip suddenly twisted—
Trying to break free.
Rowan's attention snapped back instantly.
Deadly fast.
He knocked the man down without hesitation.
Controlled.
Precise.
Ruthless.
Aria's breath hitched again.
Because now—
There was no doubt.
Rowan wasn't just dangerous.
He was trained.
Used to this.
Used to violence.
The man on the ground groaned.
"P-please…"
Rowan crouched slightly.
His voice dropped.
"Who sent you?"
The man shook his head.
"I don't—"
Rowan grabbed his collar again.
This time slower.
More terrifying.
"You came into my house," he said quietly,
"looking for her."
Aria's heart stopped.
Her.
"They still remember you," Rowan continued.
The words felt heavy.
Sharp.
Real.
"Why?" Aria asked, her voice trembling. "Who are they?!"
Rowan didn't answer immediately.
Instead—
He looked at her.
And for the first time—
She saw something she hadn't noticed before.
Fear.
Not for himself.
For her.
"They don't stop," he said quietly.
"Not until they get what they want."
Her chest tightened.
"And what do they want…?"
Rowan's gaze darkened.
"You."
Silence.
Cold.
Heavy.
Aria felt the world shift beneath her feet.
Nothing made sense—
But everything felt real.
Too real.
A sudden sharp pain hit her head.
She winced.
Her fingers pressing against her temple.
"Ah—!"
Images flashed.
Fast.
Broken.
Blurry—
A dark road.
Running.
Men chasing—
Hands grabbing her—
"Let go of me—!"
Her own voice.
Terrified.
Desperate.
Then—
Him.
Rowan.
Covered in blood.
Reaching for her—
"Aria!"
She gasped loudly and stumbled back.
Her breathing out of control.
"No… no… what—"
Rowan was in front of her instantly.
His hands gripping her shoulders.
Firm.
Steady.
"Look at me."
His voice cut through everything.
Sharp.
Grounding.
Aria's eyes snapped to his.
Panicked.
Lost.
"I… I saw something…" she whispered.
Rowan's expression tightened.
"What did you see?"
Her lips trembled.
"You… you were there…"
A pause.
Heavy.
"And?" he pushed.
Her breath shook.
"There was blood… I was running… they were chasing me…"
Rowan closed his eyes for a brief second.
Like he already knew.
Like he had been waiting for this.
When he opened them again—
They were darker.
More certain.
"That's why you're here," he said quietly.
Aria stared at him.
Her heart racing.
"You locked me up… because of them?"
"Yes."
No hesitation.
No lie.
Just truth.
Raw.
Simple.
Dangerous.
Her mind struggled to catch up.
"So all of this… this cage…" she whispered,
"…it's to protect me?"
Rowan's grip softened slightly.
"But you hate it," he said.
Not a question.
A fact.
Aria didn't answer.
Because she did.
She hated it.
But now—
Now she understood something else.
The outside world wasn't safe.
Not for her.
Maybe never was.
Rowan's hand slowly moved—
From her shoulder—
To her cheek.
Gentler now.
"You were never safe without me," he murmured.
Her breath hitched.
Those words—
They didn't feel like control this time.
They felt like truth.
Dangerous truth.
Her fingers slowly curled into his shirt.
Unconsciously.
Holding.
Not pushing away.
Not yet.
Rowan noticed.
Of course he did.
His gaze softened—
Just a little.
"They came for you tonight," he continued.
"And they'll come again."
Aria's heart pounded.
"What do we do…?"
Rowan didn't hesitate.
"We make sure they don't get close next time."
The way he said it—
Calm.
Certain.
Terrifying.
But safe.
All at once.
Aria swallowed.
Her mind still spinning.
Her memories still broken.
But one thing—
One feeling—
Was becoming clearer.
She looked at him.
Really looked this time.
And whispered—
"Then don't let me go."
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
Rowan froze.
Just for a second.
Because this—
This was new.
Different.
And dangerous in a completely different way.
His hand tightened slightly against her cheek.
"I won't," he said quietly.
And this time—
It didn't sound like a threat.
It sounded like a promise.