TWENTY-THREE
Aliya
PRESENT
The roads glide silently beneath the tires, accompanied by the gentle hum of the engine.
The silence between us is unbearable.
Milan has been silent ever since he spoke to Raelyn’s sister, Elena, and steers the car with a concentration that is almost palpable. His hands are gripping the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles are already white with tension.
He is furious. The way his jaw muscles tighten, and his gaze is fixed straight ahead reveals more than his words ever could.
I want to ask him if something has happened, but I know it’s none of my business.
Although not knowing what’s going on makes me uneasy, I don’t dare break the silence. I just sit back and let my thoughts absorb the stillness.
For once, the atmosphere between the two of us was actually good before Elena crossed our path. It didn’t escape me that she was behaving strangely toward me. She looked at me as if it wasn’t our first encounter. I was friends with Raelyn back in middle school, but I don’t recall ever meeting her older sister, let alone hearing about her. But the tremor in her voice when she turned away from us and the fact that Milan rushed after her is something I can’t get out of my head.
It would never have occurred to me, not even in my wildest dreams, that he’d be able to rush after a girl.
She seems to be important to him.
I don’t even know why, but the memory of it tightens something in my chest. Although I try to push aside the thoughts that arise, the feeling of unease remains.
Given Milan’s reputation as a heartbreaker who often spends his nights with others, I never thought there could be someone he actually desires. Someone he doesn’t just want to have fun with, but someone he genuinely has feelings for.
A shiver runs through my body and my stomach tightens before I look at him.
Is he capable to feel something?
As the car pulls away, it feels like the bond we’ve built today is gradually driving away too.
He turns into my street as I realize that I haven’t told him where I live. Still, he pulls up outside my house and waits for me to get out.
“How do you know where I live?”
His gaze lands on me, but the coldness in his eyes chills me. “Good night.”
In other words, “Fuck off.”
A lump forms in my throat as I open the door and get out of the car. One look back at Milan, who is sitting at the steering wheel, is enough to make me realize that something has been lost between us, something we only found tonight.
I slam the door shut with a loud bang.
To hell with him.
If he wants to have mood swings like a child, fine, but not with me. He should decide what he wants before he acts. His actions speak a different language than he does.
In his bedroom, he made it clear that I belong to him , only to run after someone else a few minutes later and give me the cold shoulder.
I had already suspected that he was just playing a game to get me into bed. That wouldn’t even have been necessary, because I would probably have slept with him without him having to put on an act.
I can still hear the rumble of his car engine outside our driveway.
He’s not leaving until I’m inside.
My heart pounds wildly with anger and disappointment as I reach for my house keys and open the door. Since it’s now past midnight, my mother and Robert are already asleep.
After slamming the door behind me, I rush to the kitchen window, which offers a good view outside. And indeed, I see him driving away.
I could scream out of frustration because mixed signals are getting on my nerves.
What does he want from me? Does he even know himself?
I only went to the party to see Lio again. After discovering his true identity, I should have gone home. Surrendering to the passion, giving myself to him , was wrong.
I don’t have time to think about how I feel when suddenly a hand wraps around my waist, pulling me toward the person it belongs to. My heart skips a beat as the familiar bitter smell of a metallic aroma fills my nose.
“It’s been a long time, sis . Did you miss me?”
His voice feels like an electric shock, catapulting me back into the past. Memories of earlier times play out like a short film before my eyes until I regain my senses and smack his hand away.
I quickly turn to him and press myself against the window to create some distance between us.
My heart races rapidly against my chest as I stare at him.
Daniel looks just like he used to, with that dangerous gleam in his eyes and the mocking smile on his lips.
“Look at that,” he purrs. “You’ve really grown up. Really blossomed since I last saw you, huh? I like it.”
“What are you doing here?”
Despite the panic rising inside me, I try to stay calm and not let myself be overwhelmed by his unexpected closeness.
“I missed my little sister and came back.”
The word sister sounds like a joke coming from his mouth.
Daniel has returned to remind me that I will never truly be free from the demons of my past.
“I’m sure your mom told you I was coming back.”
She did indeed, but I completely suppressed it.
“But what’s even more important …” His gaze travels over my clothes. “Where were you, and whose car was that just now?”
I cross my arms over my chest. “That’s none of your business.”
A dark smile spreads across his face. “Oh, but it is, sis.” He takes a step closer. “You still belong to me. And I’ll make sure you never forget that.”
His words pierce me like icy needles.
I remember the countless times I allowed him to intimidate me. But this time, I won’t back down.
“You’re wrong,” I say quietly.
His eyes narrow as he studies my face. “You’ve changed.”
He lifts his hand and reaches for a strand of my hair, but I swat it away.
I may never escape the demons of my past, but I’ve learned to live with them.
“My appearance isn’t the only thing that’s changed, Daniel,” I reply, my voice firm this time. “Next time, think twice before you try to get close to me.”
His gaze meets mine and I can see the anger in his eyes, the uncontrollable rage of a man who is used to getting everything his way.
I run up the stairs to my room without looking back. Breathlessly, I lock the door behind me before leaning against it.
Daniel is back.
He’s back.
He’s here.
As if I had been holding my breath the entire time, everything suddenly feels heavier. A dull roar fills my ears, and the world around me begins to spin as if I were caught in a whirlwind.
With trembling hands, I cover my ears and sink to the floor.
Daniel is back.
Memories of the past overwhelm me, and I feel paralyzed, unable to think clearly.
As the metallic taste of blood burns on my tongue, the trembling in my head subsides.
I bit my cheek.
He can’t hurt me. Not anymore.
I’ve changed.
I’m not the same as I used to be.
With a firm resolve, I stand up, wipe the blood from my mouth, and take a deep breath.
I won’t let Daniel drag me back into his clutches.
This time, I will fight.
After making sure my door is securely locked, I turn to my wardrobe. I reach for my pajamas but pause when I realize I’m wearing Milan’s clothes.
I bring the hem of his T-shirt to my nose. Though it smells like freshly washed laundry, there’s still a hint of his scent with a subtle note of sandalwood that sharpens my senses.
Without changing, I crawl under my blanket.
Although I’m tired, I don’t want to sleep yet. Because as soon as I close my eyes, unwanted images start flashing before me.
Normally, I would have called Lio now.
Not Lio.
Kilian.
Kilian Shane.
It still feels like a dream that he is Milan’s older brother. This revelation has turned my world upside down.
Kilian, who always seemed so kind and patient, is now suddenly connected with Milan, the darkness itself.
I lean over to my bag and pull out the book I took from Milan’s place.
The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky.
I open the cover to read it when I notice a bulge under the dust jacket that I hadn’t seen before. Curiously, my fingers glide over it before I slide it aside.
An envelope, wedged between the cover and the dust jacket of the book, falls onto my lap.
Huh?
With trembling fingers, I pick it up and close the book again. Its weight feels surprisingly heavy.
I should probably stop touching the envelope and return the book and the letter to Milan tomorrow, but the contents peeking out of the open envelope are irresistibly tempting.
Despite the reasonable voice in my head, curiosity wins over my mind. Nervously, I pull out the paper. It feels brittle, as if it has been waiting to be discovered.
A moment of uncertainty comes over me as I look at the many pieces of paper.
This letter is obviously not meant for me, and I should probably refrain from reading it. Yet, the curiosity and the possibility that the contents might be related to Kilian or Milan tempt me to want to read it.
Instead, I unfold the pieces of paper.
Leaning back, I let my eyes finally glide over the lines written in a handwriting I recognize.