Zaria’s POV

Morning took its sweet time, dragging each second across my skin like barbed wire. I lay there, helpless, forced to listen to my boyfriend and my best friend plot my death between kisses and laughs.

A twisted romance.

Born from betrayal.

Daniel.

I met him in my final year of college. He was the golden boy—the captain of the football team with a dazzling smile, fair skin, dark bangs that kissed his brows, and piercing hazel eyes that looked like they could read your soul.

To every girl on campus, he was a dream.

To me, he became my reality.

When he asked me to be his girlfriend, it felt like the universe had finally smiled at me. Every other guy avoided me—terrified of my father’s reputation. The rumors were endless: mafia connections, underground punishments, violent wealth.

But Daniel didn’t care.

He made me laugh after long lectures. Held me when I cried. Let me talk for hours about nonsense, and he listened—always. He became my best friend before he became my boyfriend. He was my safe space when the world turned dark after my mother’s death.

So how…?

How did my sanctuary become my executioner?

What did I do wrong?

Love too deeply? Trust too blindly?

And Ava…

My soul sister.

We did everything together—sleepovers, secrets, promises. When she lost her hair to chemo, I shaved mine in solidarity. I did everything a true friend should do.

She was more than a friend to me. She was family.

The only other person I had besides my father.

How could they both betray me?

How do I even begin to process this?

I didn’t want to return to a life that held this much pain. I didn’t want to wake up and face a reality that had turned into a living nightmare.

I wanted to stay in the darkness.

Alone.

Unaware.

Until—

“Hey Dan,” Ava said, her voice coated in venom. “Why don’t we just unplug the oxygen? That would do the trick.”

What?!

“Is it safe to do that here though?” Daniel asked, hesitant—but not horrified.

So it’s not a no.

They’re really considering killing me.

Again.

I heard her footsteps retreat as Daniel stayed behind.

“I’ll check the hallway,” Ava said.

And then—his breathing. Right above me.

He was close.

Too close.

I tried to scream.

Move.

Blink.

Nothing.

Until—

A hand.

Not theirs. Not physical. But a pull.

From the darkness into light.

And then—

My eyes opened.

And I was staring directly into the face of the man who tried to kill me.

Daniel.

His expression twisted in horror.

I didn’t blink.

Didn’t cry.

Didn’t scream.

But inside, I made a silent vow.

They wanted me dead.

Now it was my turn to rise from the grave—

And make them wish they had never failed.

Zaria’s POV

The moment our eyes met — mine wide open, his frozen in horror — the room cracked with a tension so sharp it could slit skin.

Daniel took a step back like he’d seen a ghost.

Maybe he had.

I didn’t flinch. I didn’t move. I kept my gaze steady, hollow, as if I was still lost. Still locked in the realm between death and memory.

Because I had to be smart.

They thought I was brain-dead. They believed I hadn’t heard a word. And if I reacted now — if I screamed, cried, or let the fury bubbling inside me leak through even one look — I’d lose the only advantage I had.

They didn’t know that I knew.

And until I had proof, I had to keep it that way.

Ava stormed back in, her heels clicking sharply on the tile floor. “What’s wrong?” she asked, then froze the second she saw my open eyes.

“Oh my God,” she breathed.

Daniel just stared at me. Frozen. Pale.

“She’s awake?” Ava asked again, louder this time. Harsher.

Silence followed. A long, terrifying silence.

I blinked — slowly, deliberately — like I didn’t understand what was happening. Like my mind was still foggy. My throat burned, but I forced a soft, broken sound from it. Something that sounded more like confusion than accusation.

“D-Daniel?”

His name came out cracked, uncertain.

His face contorted. Relief? Guilt? Fear? I couldn’t tell. Maybe it was all of them.

“Oh my God, Zaria,” Ava rushed to my side, tears welling in her eyes too quickly to be real. “You’re okay. You’re really awake. We... we were so scared.”

Liar.

I didn’t respond.

Suddenly, the room buzzed with activity. Nurses rushed in, followed by the doctor. Monitors beeped faster. The lights got brighter. A whirlwind of tests and questions followed — none of which I answered.

I kept up the act. Fragile. Lost. Quiet.

Then the door opened, and someone new stepped in.

A man. A stranger in a tailored charcoal suit.

Tall. Sharply built. His presence was so commanding, the entire room fell silent. His dark eyes scanned everything with calm intensity, then landed on me. Not with pity. Not with awe.

With calculation.

He didn’t belong to the hospital staff. I knew that immediately.

“Who are you?” the doctor asked, clearly suspicious.

The man ignored the question. He stepped closer to the bed, brushing past Ava and Daniel like they were invisible. His voice was low, smooth, and terrifyingly calm.

“Zaria Dawson.”

I blinked slowly again, keeping up the foggy act.

“I’m Roman. Roman Kade,” he said, pulling a small silver badge from his coat pocket and flashing it briefly. “Private security. I’ve been hired by your father.”

My father.

So he was still out there. Still fighting for me, not realizing he had left the most dangerous monsters by my side.

I felt a weight lift lightly but that was enough.

Roman turned to the doctor. “You’ll keep her under private observation from this point forward. No visitors without approval.”

The doctor frowned. “We have protocols—”

“I’d think you’d welcome discretion over scandal,” Roman said, his tone sharp and cutting.

Silence fell again.

Ava’s eyes widened. Daniel tensed beside her.

They understood exactly what he was implying.

And so did I.

They were the danger.

And Roman looked like he knew it too.

He looked at me once more. This time, his gaze softened — just slightly. Just enough to make me feel something I hadn’t felt since the night of the crash.

Safety.

“I’ll be stationed just outside,” he said in a quieter voice, one meant only for me. “Don’t worry. You’re not alone.”

Then he turned and walked out.

For the first time, Daniel and Ava looked like they wanted to run.

But they couldn’t. Not yet.

“Zaria...” Daniel whispered, leaning closer. His hand trembled as it hovered above mine. “I... I’m so sorry, I should’ve stopped you from driving that night..”

Sorry?

He was scared now.

Good.

I blinked again, just once, and let my eyes slowly drift shut, as if the effort of staying awake had drained me completely.

Let them believe they still had time.

Let them pretend this wasn’t the beginning of their end.

Because now I had a name and maybe a person on my side.

Roman Kade.

And if he worked for my father, then he had power. Access. Resources.

If I was going to bring Daniel and Ava down, I needed someone like him.

But first, I needed to know the truth.

Could Roman Kade be trusted?

Or was he just another mask waiting to fall?