The night sky loomed dark above the city, its rainclouds mirroring the chaos that brewed inside Vania’s mind. Hours had passed since the confrontation with Devandra, yet the echo of his words still clawed at her chest.

She sat alone in her car, parked by the edge of the riverbank where the city lights flickered across the water. Her reflection on the window looked like a ghost—cold, broken, and uncertain.

Her phone buzzed again. Liora.

Vania’s fingers hovered above the screen before she finally declined the call. Not tonight. Not after everything.

But the phone rang once more, relentless. With a sigh that trembled between fury and exhaustion, Vania answered....