— ☆⋆｡𖦹°‧ Ashan's POV :

The girl's eyes were filled with tears, her body trembling, and she looked more vulnerable than I'd ever seen her.

What was she up to?

Why the hell was she carrying a dagger?

Who was she, really?

My jaw clenched, my mind racing with unwanted thoughts about her. My head told me she was just a normal girl, but my heart felt something different, a pull that made me want to be close to her and stay away at the same time.

"I always keep a dagger with me," she whispered, her voice trembling.

"I was attacked by three goons, sent by my brother to kill me. Ever since then, I carry anything sharp that can help." Tears streamed down her face, her eyes wide with fear.

Was it because of me? I'd raised my voice, and she already looked so traumatized.

Wait, why did I even care if she cried?

"But I hired a bodyguard for you," I said, watching her closely.

"Why would you still carry a weapon? And that too a dagger, not even a knife? You know you could get arrested for this." She was a strange girl, that much was clear. I knew I shouldn't trust her, but somehow, I did.

Why?

"Daggers work better after guns, and I don't have a gun to protect myself." What the fuck?!

Her red, teary eyes met mine, and her expression screamed terror. Terror of me.

I examined the dagger, my gaze lingering on its details. It wasn't ordinary. This was a dagger belonging to the "Ashan—" Caleb's annoying voice cut through my thoughts.

"What are you doing here? Flirting with university girls or what?" He sauntered over, stopping beside me and scrutinizing the girl from head to toe.

"I didn't know you'd be this desperate, Ashan, but let me tell you, we've got work to do. After that, I'll join you too." He smirked, nudging me with his shoulder.

The urge to punch him was almost overwhelming, but he was my colleague and annoying best friend, after all.

"Where is Lorenzo, Aizal?" I ask, looking at Aizal who's already looking at me softly. But why do I get this strong feeling that she's not what she seems? Like it's all a facade?

"There," Aizal points at Lorenzo standing near the university gate, talking to Bella. His whole aura is different. He looks anything but a bodyguard right now.

"Aizal," Caleb hums to himself.

"Such a pretty name. I like it. Gonna name my kids after you," he says. He's always spouting off nonsense. I need to get him away from Aizal before he finds out what's going on.

Even though he's my best friend, he's my colleague first, and I don't trust him. He has no filter, and he'll blab to the whole department about things I don't want them to know.

"Shut your mouth for a while, and let me remind you, you're not here to flirt with girls, especially not this one. We have to go. Bella's waiting." I look at the girl for one last time before walking away from there.

"Bella, Lorenzo," I say, approaching them. "Lorenzo, you were hired to protect that girl, not get distracted by other things. And she's kind of sus, she had a dagger with her. Keep an eye on her, too!" Lorenzo nods, falling into step behind her.

"Back to work!" Bella barks, her voice sharp but with an undercurrent of amusement. She's a year older than us, and while she's strict, she's also got a soft spot and a sharp mind. She's way more mature than Caleb, that's for sure.

We enter Blackthorn Academy, our mission clear: investigate the principal, professors, and anyone else who works here. This academy is under attack, students are getting death threats, and it's obvious someone inside is behind this mess.

We start gathering information, piecing together how it all began and who's been targeted. The principal seems clean, but a few teachers are giving off some seriously weird vibes. After combing through the university management, Bella and I decide it's time to talk to the students who've actually received the threats.

"What are the names of the students we need to talk to?" I ask, my eyes scanning the campus as Bella flips through the files in her hands.

"Lyra, Serene, Daisy, and Rehaan," Bella reads, her brow furrowing. "The last name... that's definitely not Canadian or American. Wait a minute, I just realized..."

"Three girls and one guy?" We both say in unison, the realization hitting us at the same time.

We begin our investigation, searching for the girls first. We question them individually, asking how and where they received the threats.

One of them, Serene, shows us a text message: "Leave the academy if your life is precious to you." The other two, Daisy and Lyra, received similar threats.

Daisy got a chilling letter: "You are my first target, to kill, Daisy mcadams ." My jaw clenches. Who the hell is this, and what do they want from these students, from this university?

Lyra shows us a text message: "Enjoy the little time you've now, I'll snatch your happiness."

We gather all the evidence – the letters, the screenshots – and head out to find the last student on our list, Rehaan.

"Where's Rehaan?" Bella asks a couple of students walking by. They point towards the canteen, "He's with his friends."

We walk towards the canteen, our eyes scanning the crowd. "Who is Rehaan?" I ask, my voice loud enough to reach him.

Everyone's eyes turn to one table in the center of the room. We walk towards it, but I can't look at Rehaan. Something else catches my attention.

The girl sitting beside him. It's her, the strange girl, the girl I'm helping protect. I even spot Lorenzo a little farther away, his eyes fixed on her, doing his job.

"Rehaan! We're here to talk," Bella says as we approach the table. Another boy walks towards the table and takes a seat. He looks exactly like Rehaan, like his twin.

"Ashan Hussain?" Rehaan asks.

"Bella Abrahams," the other guy, Rehaan's apparent twin, speaks up.

"Yes," Bella replies, followed by me.

"What kind of threat did you get?" The other guy, gestures to the seats next to him, offering them to Bella and me. We begin questioning Rehaan.

"I didn't get a letter or a text, but it was worse. Someone wrote in the bathroom mirror with blood, 'Leave, or die, Rehaan Sheikh.' " Rehaan shows us the picture he took, which is blurry and shaky, making it clear why.

My eyes keep glancing at Aizal. She doesn't seem interested at all, just eating her sandwich, looking so innocent. Her eyes light up with every bite she takes. Why am I even watching her? I wasn't here for this.

"We will protect all the students at any cost. Nothing is going to happen, we promise. You guys stay safe, got it?" Bella says to Rehaan, taking the picture from him.

"We trust you, Bella ji," the other guy says, his voice honey-deep.

Bella looks at him this time. "I'm Ishaan, Rehaan's twin, the handsome one." He offers his hand to Bella, and she shakes it.

"Bella Abraham," he says before she can even speak, then proceeds to fall to the ground as if her touch just killed him.

I can't believe the nonsense I'm witnessing. Bella looks taken aback, too.

I look at Aizal, the girl who just hit Ishaan and told him to behave, her mouth still full of sandwich.

She's not even looking at me. It's even weirder than she is. But why do I care? Fuck me.

"Let's go," I say, getting up from the chair. I'm about to turn around and walk away when her beautiful sea-blue eyes meet mine.

For a second, I feel like I've forgotten everything, my whole existence. Her eyes are so deep, I almost fell for them.

And I know that if I fall, I'll never come back.

I walk out of the academy with Bella and Caleb, I don't know the fuck he was doing.

We head to the department, give them all the new information, and divide our share of work before going back home.

I reach my penthouse after work. It's midnight now. As I walk into my place, the lights are on. I already know who it is.

All my cousins and friends were here without my consent, as always, doing their party or whatever they call it. "Bhai," Hareem my sister walks towards me, excited, and hugs me.

"When did you come from Canada?" I ask as she starts yapping. I discard my coat and keep it on the velvety sofa.

Then I meet my cousins, Ruhaan and Rasha, who are university students around 20. They're twins, children of Mehran uncle and Aunt Lamia.

And then I meet the most annoying creatures, Hassan and Hadi, dupe versions of Hamdan uncle. They're both around 23, twins as well. Not at all calm like Aunt Rania. They're storm and fire.

Then comes my favorite, "Ashan bhai!" Seerat rushes towards me excitedly and hugs me. "Why don't you have ice cream in your fridge?" she pouts. You must have guessed whose daughter she is, Ray Ray uncle and Aunt Sehmi.

"I didn't know you were coming, plus I'm not a personal fan of ice cream. Wait, let me order some," I ruffle her hair.

I order food and snacks and then walk into my room to freshen up, leaving the kids behind.

I take a shower and change into comfortable clothes, and then take out my laptop to check some emails and stuff when my phone started buzzing on the other side of the bed.

It was Lorenzo calling at late night now. I could sense something is wrong, as I pick up the call sooner. "Ashan sir," he is panting really hard.

"Lorenzo? Yes? Are you okay?" I ask hurriedly.

"Sir!" He speaks, I could feel his stiff breathings.

"Is Aizal okay? Where is she?" My mind just wanted to make sure if she's okay.

"Sir this girl, she—" the voice goes off and I can't hear anything.

"Lorenzo? Lorenzo? Can you hear me?" I speak hurriedly. Something is wrong. Is Aizal okay? I gotta go. She needs me. She is in danger.

I walk out of the room and rush towards the door when everyone starts asking questions about what happened. "It's an emergency, I will be back," I say before grabbing my car and dashing towards Aizal's place.

My heart pounds in my chest as I drive, the fear growing with every passing second. I can't shake the feeling that something terrible has happened. The image of Lorenzo's panicked voice replays in my mind, and I can't help but imagine the worst.

I stride out of the car, the lights of Aizal's place on as I walk towards the door. My eyes are drawn to the sight of blood droplets scattered across the porch. A cold dread washes over me.

"Lorenzo, Aizal?" I scream, my voice echoing through the empty house. I frantically search for them, my heart pounding in my ears.

My eyes land on Lorenzo, his body sprawled on the floor, drenched in a pool of blood. My breath catches in my throat. He's gone.

"Ashan," Aizal cries out, her voice a desperate whisper. She stumbles towards me, blood gushing from a wound on her arm, staining her white shirt crimson.

The sight of her injury sends a wave of icy terror through me. She throws her arms around me, seeking refuge in my arms. Her blood seeps through my sweatshirt.

I stand there, frozen in place, unable to react. Her touch is cold, almost lifeless, sending a jolt of fear through my veins.

My heart pounds in my chest, a drumbeat against my ribs. Her soft hair falls against my chest, and I can feel her breath, shallow and uneven, against my skin. The scent of her shampoo, hitting my nose, She's too close, too vulnerable, and I'm powerless to protect her.

"Aizal," I whisper, my voice hoarse with shock. Her strength gives way, and she collapses against me. I hold her close, her weight falling in my arms.

"I don't want to die, I want to live," she murmurs, her voice barely audible. Her eyes, glazed with pain, struggling to stay open.

"Save me, Ashan, please," she pleads, her voice a fading whisper. Her eyelids flutter closed, and a wave of helplessness washes over me.

Flash back hits me, I gulp, "save my daughter Ashan, please" he begs on his death bed.

"I will, I promise to save her" I say, fighting back my tears.

"I will, I promise to save you, Aizal," I say, picking her up in my arms and walking out of the house.

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