Ayla

"Did you guys sleep together?"

That was Yuna's tenth question since we left River's apartment. Honestly, I wanted the elevator floor to open up and swallow me whole. I gave short answers, but she kept firing off questions like some snack-carrying detective with a messy bun. It felt more like a police interrogation than a heart-to-heart.

Truth is, I barely remembered last night-except puking in front of River. Even the part where I ended up in his bed? Total blur. All I knew for sure was that I was mortified. Like, peak embarrassment.

"I don't think so," I mumbled, glancing down to make sure I still had all my clothes on.

Yuna narrowed her eyes like a suspicious cop, then let out a dramatic sigh. Weirdly enough, she smiled. Which definitely wasn't a normal best friend reaction. It felt like... satisfaction?

When we got to Yuna's quiet house, I was desperate for clarity. River's version of the story this morning didn't help-if anything, it made things more awkward.

"So? Spill. What happened?" I asked, sliding open her bedroom door.

"Sit first. I'll grab snacks," she replied casually, tossing me a pair of house slippers.

"Where's everyone else?"

"My mom's driving my little sister somewhere. My brother's at an interview at the gallery."

A few minutes later, she came back with a tray of rice cakes and two cold drinks, fresh off a call from her mom. I sat cross-legged on the rug, trying to keep myself from overthinking everything-especially River... or Rhett.

If my phone weren't dead, Rhett would've blown it up with messages by now. But today, I didn't want to be reachable. I needed to prove that I could survive without him hovering like a mother hen.

"You wanna know what I think about River?" Yuna asked as she popped a rice cake in her mouth.

I raised a brow. "Is he the type to be cautious of? Or the kind who loves a challenge?"

She shrugged. "From what you told me... he seems decent. But..." She stared at the ceiling like she needed a second to gather courage.

"But what?"

"You... kissed him, Ayla."

I choked on the rice cake mid-bite, coughing hard as I tried to swallow and process what she had just said.

"W-what?!"

"Yeah. I saw it last night, but from the way you talked and how he looked? You kissed him first. And you know what guys can get when a girl makes the first move... but then nothing else happens."

My heart was pounding. I had never kissed anyone before. Not even in high school-I was too busy just surviving and Rhett was always too possessive to let anyone near me.

Strangely, I didn't feel guilty. Not like I did when I puked on River's bed. If anything... I felt kinda happy. But I quickly hid my dumb smile by pretending to chew.

"Do I look like a slut?" I asked.

"Nope," Yuna giggled. "Honestly, you looked pretty composed for someone who woke up in a hot guy's bed."

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, cutting the moment short.

Yuna stood up and looked toward the stairs. "Wait here."

"No, I'm coming too."

We went down together, and when she opened the door...

"Rhett," I whispered.

He stood there with my two cousins-Reese and Reid. All three of them looked tense, but only Rhett stepped inside right away.

"You okay? Your phone's dead and I knew it-" he paused, eyeing Yuna coldly.

"I'm fine," I said, but he turned to me and grabbed my arm.

"Let's go home."

"Rhett, I'm fine. You don't have to-"

"You were drunk, Ayla. I had no idea where you were last night. I... I was worried." His voice was softer than usual, and weirdly gentle.

I didn't argue. Maybe I had gone too far. But still... something about him felt off. He wasn't yelling. He wasn't dragging me to his car like a maniac. He was just... calm. And somehow, that made me follow without a fight.

Once we got home, he treated me like I was fresh out of the ER.

"Drink more water. Eat something. And seriously, no more passing out drunk, okay?" he said, giving me the same look a parent gives their kid caught playing in the rain.

"Okay..." I mumbled, too drained to start a fight.

*

The next day, campus was a mess.

I'd just stepped out of the car when a crowd of students sprinted toward the south building by the man-made lake. There was shouting, chaos, people whispering about a fight.

Curious, I hurried after them-heading straight to the gym, where the yelling was loudest.

"A business major hit an architecture student!"

"One of them's tall with long black hair! The other one's blond and cold as ice-"

"It's Rhett and River."

My heart dropped.

Now I knew why Rhett left so early this morning. I pushed through the crowd until I could see clearly-and froze.

River was standing there, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, but he wasn't fighting back. Rhett, on the other hand, looked like a damn furnace-face flushed red with rage, fists clenched, ready to strike again.

"Rhett, STOP!" I yelled, rushing toward them.

He looked over, giving me a chance to step between them. My chest was heaving, both from running and from sheer panic.

"He didn't do anything to me! Stop it!"

River exhaled slowly. "I never meant to hurt Ayla."

I turned to him, and for a moment, his bruised face didn't even register. His eyes... they looked more wounded than anything else. But he still held my gaze-calm. No anger or blame.

Rhett stared at me like I'd stabbed him in the back. "He touched you, Ayla. He took you away-"

"That's enough!"

I met his eyes, firm. "This isn't your business."

The gym went dead silent.

Then, River spoke again. "Actually..." his voice was low, heavy.

I turned toward him. "Don't you think it's weird?" he asked.

I blinked, confused.

"He's your cousin, right?" River gave a dry, almost sad smile. "The way he acts around you... it's more than just being protective."

"Shut your damn mouth!"

Rhett lunged again, but I blocked him. "Please, stop. I'll go with you. Just don't fight. Not because of me."

Suddenly, it felt like someone slammed a brick into my skull. The pain was searing, crawling through my head like wildfire. Flashes-blurry, broken-started pouring in.

A voice. Screaming my name.

And then-everything went black.

Ayla

"I promised I'd be strong for you. Please... don't go."

That voice kept echoing in my head, faint but relentless-like a little boy calling out from far away. I remembered his eyes-dark, full of determination-but... who was he?

Everything blurred when I saw that boy being dragged toward a car. I wanted to scream, to help him, but my body betrayed me. My head throbbed violently, my legs felt like stone, and in the next second, the world spun... then went black.

*

When I woke up, everything was white. Blinding light glared down on me. An IV line was stuck into my arm, piercing my pale skin. I let out a shaky breath, trying to make sense of it all.

But something felt strange. This didn't smell like a hospital. No sharp scent of antiseptic. Instead... there was this sweet, delicate, slightly bitter fragrance filling the air-soothing yet suffocating.

I'd smelled this before. I just couldn't remember where.

"Ayla..." A voice broke through my thoughts. Soft. Relieved. "Thank God you're awake."

I turned my head slowly. Mom's blonde hair framed her face perfectly, cascading over her shoulders. Her crystal-blue eyes-the same eyes I inherited, the ones I'd always admired-looked clouded with worry. Her porcelain skin was flawless, but the forced smile on her lips gave her away. She was terrified.

"Mom..." My voice was hoarse, barely a whisper.

"Oh, honey." She grabbed my hand and held on tight. "You scared us to death. Do you know that?"

I swallowed hard. My throat felt like sandpaper. "I... I had a dream, Mom. I saw... a boy. He-"

Before I could finish, a sharp pain shot through my head. Images flickered in my mind: small dirty hands, a pair of wounded eyes, a faint voice begging for something. I clenched my eyes shut, groaning.

"Ayla? Ayla!" Mom's panicked voice grew louder as her hands gently patted my cheeks. "Sweetheart, don't push yourself. You're still weak."

I took a deep breath, forcing the pain to loosen its grip. When I opened my eyes again, the door slid open.

A man walked in, followed by a doctor in a white coat.

And with just one look, I knew-it was my father. Virone Corsetti.

A name that could make grown men tremble. His jet-black hair was slicked back, his tailored black suit fitting like armor. His presence filled the room-cold, commanding, lethal. Every step he took across the marble floor sounded like a warning shot, forcing me to lower my gaze without meaning to.

"Ayla." His voice was deep, firm, and absolute. No hesitation. He stopped at the foot of my bed, staring at me with those unreadable gray eyes. "How do you feel?"

"A little dizzy," I murmured.

He nodded, then shifted his attention to the doctor. They spoke briefly-I only caught words like "stable" and "complete rest." Then the doctor left. Now it was just me, Mom, and the man who wasn't just my father-he was the dark legend of Sicily.

"What happened at the campus..." Papa began, his tone making my heart pound. "...won't happen again."

I looked at him, waiting.

"Rhett acted recklessly. He started a fight with another student. That was careless." His gaze hardened-but not at me. It was like he was looking past me, straight at Rhett's shadow lingering in the room. "He'll be punished for this. Because of him, your PTSD flared up."

That name stabbed me like a knife. Rhett. My stubborn, overbearing cousin.

"Where is he, Papa?" My voice was quiet but sharp.

Papa's jaw tightened for a split second. "Don't concern yourself with him."

My teeth clenched. "You know he went too far. Rhett always-always does whatever the hell he wants! And now I-" My breath hitched. "I almost-"

"Enough." One word from him was enough to shut me down. "You need rest. Not this conversation."

But I knew. I could feel it-he was hiding something. The way he avoided my eyes, the way his fingers curled into a fist for just a second before relaxing again. This wasn't just about being mad at Rhett. It was something more.

"Papa-"

"Ayla." His tone softened, but the authority in it didn't budge. "Leave this to me."

And with that, he turned and walked out. His black coat swept behind him as the door clicked shut.

"Mom..." My voice cracked. "Do you know where Rhett is? I need to talk to him. End this. He punched that guy right in front of me-just because he was close to me."

Mom sat on the edge of the bed, gently brushing my messy hair back. "Sweetheart, don't think about him right now. Just focus on getting better, okay?"

I turned away, staring at the white wall. My chest burned with anger and frustration. Rhett always managed to ruin my life whenever I tried to live normally.

"Mom, he's suffocating me."

"Shh... Ayla, listen to me." She pulled me into a soft hug. "You're safe here. That's what matters."

I took a deep breath, trying to swallow the lump in my throat. But that scent hit me again-the same intoxicating fragrance from before. I glanced toward the nightstand and saw it: a single elegant white flower in a glass vase.

"Who put that there?" I asked.

Mom followed my gaze. "I did. The courier dropped it off earlier. No name. Just this." She picked up a small card tucked between the petals and handed it to me.

Neat handwriting on cream paper:

Get well soon. The world's not done waiting for you.

- RC

I frowned. RC? Who the hell was that?

"Mom, this..."

She just gave a small shrug. "Maybe a friend of yours?"

I bit my lip. RC. I knew all my friends' initials. None matched.

"Oh, and..." Mom handed me a small box. "New phone. Yuna said your old one was... completely trashed."

I turned it on and popped in my SIM card. As soon as the screen lit up, my fingers flew across the keyboard.

Me: Yun, what the hell happened? Rhett... River... explain.

Silence. Five minutes. Ten. Fifteen.

Then my phone buzzed. A single reply-just a photo.

My breath caught as I stared at the screen. It was River. Lying on the campus infirmary bed. His head was bandaged, dried blood staining his temple.

My heart hammered against my ribs. My grip on the phone tightened until my knuckles hurt. The pain in my head came roaring back-this time fueled by white-hot rage.

Damn it, Rhett... what the hell did you do?

Ayla

My heart sank. For some reason, ever since yesterday, I had this overwhelming urge to see River-or at least hear his voice.

My eyes drifted to the white flowers on the nightstand. Their soft petals almost whispered to me, like they were sending a silent message that River was out there, cheering me on.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the pounding in my chest that felt louder than it should. There was something strange-like a connection growing between us, something I wasn't ready to admit out loud.

My phone buzzed. Unknown number. I hesitated for a second, but my finger moved before my brain caught up. I swiped green.

"Hello?" My voice came out a little raspy.

"Oh, thank God! You picked up right away. It's me, River. How are you feeling?"

"River..." His name slipped from my lips like a reflex.

I was surprised, though. How did he even get my new number? Oh, of course-Yuna. She was always like that, quick to act without being asked.

"I'm doing better," I said softly. "Might get discharged tomorrow."

Honestly, I was relieved he called. Maybe it sounded weird, but after all the chaos, I just needed to know he was okay.

We ended up talking for a while. Mostly about him-school, random little things that somehow made me want to know even more.

Strangely enough, he was so open. And we had only known each other for a few days. It felt... warm. Like talking to someone I had known for years.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. I glanced over. Mom walked in-along with two people who always managed to stir up mixed feelings in me-Reese and Reid.

"How are you, sweetheart?" Mom's voice was gentle, but her eyes scanned me like a detective looking for clues.

"I'm fine, Mom," I replied.

Reese approached first. His face was the same as always-serious, stiff, way too intense for a guy in his twenties. "You need to be more careful, Ayla," he said firmly, controlled as always. "River is still someone you barely know."

I blinked. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Not everyone who looks good actually is good." He held my gaze for a long second. "I'm not saying he's bad. Just... don't trust too quickly."

I took a long breath, biting back the sarcastic response fighting to come out.

Then Reid dropped onto the edge of my bed, his lips curving into a mischievous smile. "Gotta hand it to you, Ay. Even when you're stuck in here, you've still got time for long calls with a guy. How's lover boy doing?" He nudged my arm playfully.

"Reid!" I glared at him, heat flooding my cheeks.

I could already predict it-Reid would be the loud one about this, and Reese would give his subtle-but-bossy warnings, the classy version of Rhett's brute-force approach.

Reid chuckled. "Relax. I won't tell Rhett. But if he finds out, well... I'd say your guy's got guts after what happened yesterday."

His words reminded me of something that had been nagging at me since last night. I looked at them both. "Speaking of Rhett... were you two involved?"

"No," Reese answered immediately, his tone sharp.

"And we don't want to be," Reid added, raising his hands in mock surrender. "I don't do drama. When Rhett's pissed, you can't reason with him."

I exhaled heavily. God, it was exhausting being Ayla Monroe-someone who couldn't even casually hang out with a guy without the world imploding.

**

The next day, I finally got discharged. The fresh air felt amazing, but I couldn't shake the sense of unease clinging to me.

As I stepped outside, the last person I wanted to see right then was standing by the car-Rhett. He was a mess. His face was bruised all over, his lip split, and-God-his arm was in a cast.

I froze in my tracks. "What the hell did you do to yourself?" My voice was ice-cold.

He dropped his gaze. "I just-"

"Did Papa do this?"

He didn't answer, but I knew. Of course it was Papa. His world ran on two words: Must and Pain. The thought sent a chill down my spine.

Thank God he had never treated me that way. He didn't raise his voice, never had to. All it took was that unblinking stare and one word-must-and you obeyed.

"If you ever do this again," I cut him off, refusing to sound weak, "I swear, Rhett-I will never speak to you again. Ever."

His eyes flicked up to mine, full of hurt like a scolded little boy. But I didn't care. My anger burned too hot. Not just because he hurt River-but because he made me feel... afraid of losing something I didn't even fully have yet.

An old memory flashed-the time at the movies with Yuna, when some random guy just asked for my number. Rhett snapped back then too, and hit him without thinking.

Back then, I was annoyed, maybe even a little amused. But this? This was different. This time, I was scared. Scared because the one bleeding this time was River.

**

Later that afternoon, Dad called me into his study. The massive room with its dark wood walls always made me feel small. He was sitting behind his desk, calm but sharp-eyed as ever.

"Ayla, sit."

I obeyed, my heartbeat spiking.

"Starting today, you'll have a female bodyguard," he said matter-of-factly. "Her name is Carina. She's only five years older than you. I want you to feel comfortable."

I swallowed hard. "Papa... weren't you a little harsh with Rhett?"

His eyes narrowed. "I only taught him a lesson. I don't tolerate him acting like a street thug. He needs to learn self-control."

I nodded slowly, but my thoughts spiraled. What if Papa ever came face-to-face with River?

As if reading my mind, Dad leaned back. "Ayla, don't get too close to River."

I looked up at him. "Why not?"

"Because I don't want you getting hurt again."

I bit my lip, holding back everything I wanted to say. My heart was screaming, but my logic knew-Papa never joked.

Still, no matter what anyone said, I couldn't shake this feeling. That strange, undeniable connection between me and River... it was still there. And it wasn't going anywhere.