The city never slept—but tonight, it held its breath.
Golden lights dripped from the chandeliers of the grand hall, where the most powerful families gathered under one roof. Deals were being made. Alliances were being tested.
And enemies… stood only inches apart.
Arayz Khan leaned against the marble pillar, dressed in black like a shadow that refused to be ignored. His sharp gaze scanned the crowd—calculating, cold, dangerous.
He wasn't here for celebration.
He was here for war.
Then he saw her.
Shayyna Mirza.
Dressed in white—like innocence didn't belong in a world soaked in blood. Her posture was regal, her chin slightly lifted, eyes unreadable. She didn't smile like the others.
She observed.
Their eyes met.
And in that moment, everything else faded.
Years ago, they had been children running through gardens, laughing under the same sky—before their families became sworn enemies.
Now?
She was the daughter of the man Arayz was meant to destroy.
And he was the nightmare her father warned her about.
Arayz pushed himself off the pillar and walked toward her, each step deliberate, dangerous.
"Still pretending to be untouchable, Shayyna?" he said, voice low.
She didn't flinch.
"Still pretending you're not broken, Arayz?"
A pause.
A spark.
A war.