After breakfast, the two girls got ready and left the house.
The city was alive with its usual chaos—honking cars, crowded sidewalks, and people rushing about their day. But for once, Ishira didn't mind it. She welcomed the distraction.
The mall was packed.
Kiara practically dragged Ishira from one store to another, determined to buy half the mall if given the chance.
"Kiara, do you seriously need another pair of heels?" Ishira asked, watching her friend hold up yet another expensive pair.
"Need? No. Want? Absolutely."
Ishira shook her head with a laugh.
Hours passed as they browsed through clothing stores, cosmetics shops, and accessories boutiques. Their hands were soon filled with shopping bags.
By the time they finally decided to leave, both girls were exhausted.
"I swear, if you drag me into another store, I'm leaving you here," Ishira warned.
Kiara gasped dramatically.
"You wouldn't."
"I would."
"You monster."
Before Ishira could reply, her phone vibrated inside her handbag.
Her smile faded.
Unknown Number.
A strange feeling settled in her stomach.
For a moment, she hesitated before answering.
"Hello?"
Silence.
A cold shiver ran down her spine.
Then a familiar deep voice came through the line.
"Miss me already, Sunshine?"
The blood drained from Ishira's face.
Her grip on the phone tightened instantly.
Ivaan.
The shopping bags slipped from her fingers and hit the floor.
And suddenly, the memories she had spent all day trying to escape came crashing back.
"Ivaan..." she breathed, her voice barely above a whisper.
A smirk tugged at his lips on the other end of the line.
"Glad to know you still remember my voice."
Ishira's heart pounded violently against her ribs.
"What do you want?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
A low chuckle echoed through the phone.
"What I want?" he repeated. "You."
Her breath hitched.
"Ivaan—"
"Don't."
His voice turned cold, dangerous.
"You don't get to say my name like that and pretend last night never happened."
The words struck her like a slap.
Her fingers tightened around the phone.
"I didn't call to argue with you, Sunshine," he continued. "I'm outside."
Ishira froze.
Outside?
Slowly, she turned toward the large glass windows overlooking the parking lot.
And there he was.
Leaning casually against a sleek black car.
One hand tucked into his pocket.
The other holding a cigarette.
His dark eyes were already fixed on her.
Watching.
Waiting.
A chill ran through her body.
It was as if he had known exactly where she would be.
The corner of his lips lifted into a dangerous smile when their gazes met.
"Now be a good girl and come outside."
The line went dead.
Ishira remained rooted to the spot, her pulse racing wildly.
"What's wrong?" Kiara asked, noticing her pale face.
But Ishira barely heard her.
Because down in the parking lot, Ivaan was still watching.
And something told her that ignoring him wasn't an option.
"Ishira?" Kiara called again, concern flashing across her face.
But Ishira couldn't tear her eyes away from the man standing outside.
Her stomach twisted.
No.
She wasn't doing this.
Taking a deep breath, she shoved her phone into her bag and forced herself to look away.
"Nothing," she said quickly. "Let's go."
Kiara raised an eyebrow but didn't push further.
The two girls walked toward the exit together.
The moment the glass doors slid open, the cool breeze hit Ishira's face.
And so did his presence.
Ivaan straightened from where he had been leaning against his car.
His dark gaze locked onto hers instantly.
Possessive.
Unforgiving.
Dangerous.
Every step she took felt heavier than the last.
Kiara noticed him too.
"Who's that?" she asked quietly.
Before Ishira could answer, Ivaan was already moving toward them.
People instinctively stepped aside as he approached.
He stopped directly in front of Ishira.
Far too close.
Far too intimidating.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The tension between them was suffocating.
Then his gaze slowly traveled over her face before settling on her neck.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
As though he knew exactly what she had hidden beneath her makeup.
Heat rushed to Ishira's cheeks.
"Stay away from me, Ivaan," she said through clenched teeth.
His smile only widened.
"Funny."
His voice dropped lower.
"Because all day I've been trying to do exactly that."
The look in his eyes told a completely different story.
A dangerous silence settled between them.
One that neither of them seemed willing to break.
And for the first time since that kiss...
Ishira realized she was in far more trouble than she had thought.
"You're in trouble?" Ivaan repeated, amusement flickering in his dark eyes.
Ishira hated the way her heart reacted to that look.
"I mean it, Ivaan. Stay away from me."
For a moment, he simply stared at her.
Then he took a step closer.
Instinctively, she stepped back.
His jaw tightened.
"I spent the entire night trying to figure out if what happened was a mistake," he said quietly.
The words caught her off guard.
"And?" she asked before she could stop herself.
A dangerous smile curved his lips.
"It wasn't."
Her breath faltered.
"Ivaan—"
"No." His voice was calm, but there was an unmistakable edge to it. "You don't get to run from this conversation."
Kiara, sensing the tension, awkwardly cleared her throat.
"I think I'll... wait in the car."
Without waiting for a response, she quickly disappeared, leaving the two of them alone.
Ishira mentally cursed her.
Coward.
The moment Kiara was gone, the silence between them became unbearable.
"You should leave," Ishira said, avoiding his gaze.
"Look at me."
She didn't.
"Ishira."
Slowly, reluctantly, she lifted her eyes.
Big mistake.
The intensity in his gaze nearly stole the air from her lungs.
"Tell me you don't remember it."
Her heartbeat accelerated.
"Tell me that kiss meant nothing."
She couldn't.
Because that would have been a lie.
And they both knew it.
The realization flashed across Ivaan's face instantly.
A dark satisfaction settled in his eyes.
He took another step forward.
This time she didn't move back.
Not because she didn't want to.
Because she couldn't.
"That's what I thought," he murmured.
For a second, the world around them seemed to disappear.
No crowd.
No noise.
Just him.
Just her.
Just as neither of them seemed willing to break the silence, Ishira's phone suddenly began to buzz.
Her brows furrowed as she pulled it out of her bag.
The screen lit up with a single name.
Aryan Calling...
The moment Ivaan saw the name, a slow smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
A dark, amused smirk.
Of course.
Aryan.
His rival had impeccable timing.
Ishira glanced at the screen, unaware of the storm brewing beside her.
Meanwhile, Ivaan let out a humorless chuckle and ran a hand through his hair.
"Bastard," he muttered under his breath, his jaw tightening.
Then his eyes returned to the flashing name on her screen.
"That idiot always manages to show up in the middle of something important."
There was clear annoyance in his voice.
And jealousy.
Though he would never admit it.
The phone continued to ring between them while Ivaan stared at the screen as if the mere sight of Aryan's name was enough to ruin his mood.
Without thinking much, Ishira answered the call.
"Hello?"
"What the hell were you thinking, Ishira?" Aryan's furious voice exploded through the phone.
She flinched.
"Aryan, listen—"
"No, you listen to me!" he snapped. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"
People nearby turned to look as his voice echoed through the speaker.
Ishira lowered her gaze.
"Aryan, it wasn't—"
"It wasn't what?" he cut her off harshly. "A mistake? An accident? Because from what I've heard, it was neither."
Each word felt like a blow.
Her throat tightened.
"I was going to tell you—"
"When?" Aryan demanded. "After everything got worse?"
Tears began to sting her eyes.
She hated being scolded like this.
Especially by someone whose opinion mattered so much to her.
"Aryan..." she whispered weakly.
But he wasn't finished.
For the first time in a long time, he sounded genuinely angry.
And every word made her eyes fill with more tears.
Standing beside her, Ivaan watched silently.
His expression darkened the moment he noticed the tears gathering in her eyes.
His jaw clenched.
Once.
Twice.
Then he had enough.
Before Ishira could say another word, Ivaan snatched the phone from her hand.
"Ivaan—!"
Ignoring her, he brought the phone to his ear.
"That's enough."
The sudden coldness in his voice was enough to make the atmosphere freeze.
There was silence on the other end.
Then—
"Ivaan."
Aryan's voice turned dangerously calm.
A slow, mocking smirk appeared on Ivaan's face.
"Funny," he drawled. "I was just thinking about you."
The hostility between them was immediate.
Palpable.
Like two predators meeting in the same territory.
And Ishira suddenly realized this conversation was about to become far worse than she had imagined.
"Just stay away from my sister, asshole!" Aryan barked through the phone, his voice dripping with fury.
A slow smirk spread across Ivaan's face.
Unlike Aryan, he remained completely calm.
Almost amused.
"Oh, brother..." he drawled lazily. "Relax."
His gaze shifted toward Ishira, who was staring at him wide-eyed.
"I'm here, aren't I?"
Aryan let out a harsh laugh.
"The last person I want anywhere near my sister is you."
"Ouch." Ivaan placed a hand over his chest dramatically. "That actually hurt."
"Cut the crap, Ivaan."
The amusement in Ivaan's eyes darkened.
"You're acting like I kidnapped her."
"Should I remind you what happened last night?"
A dangerous glint flashed across Ivaan's face.
"Oh, trust me," he said smoothly. "I remember last night perfectly."
Aryan's silence on the other end was deafening.
Ivaan's smirk widened.
"And judging by your reaction..." he continued, "someone finally told you what happened."
"Shut your mouth."
"Nah." He leaned casually against the car. "Why would I do that? Especially when we both know what happened."
"Ivaan."
This time Aryan's voice held a warning.
A threat.
But Ivaan only chuckled.
"Come on, brother. Don't be so tense."
His eyes met Ishira's.
"Besides..." his voice dropped lower, carrying a hint of wicked amusement, "what happened last night wasn't exactly a secret anymore, was it?"
"I swear to God, if you don't stay away from her—"
"What?" Ivaan interrupted calmly. "You'll kill me?"
A cold laugh escaped him.
"Get in line."
The tension between them crackled through the phone.
Neither man willing to back down.
Neither willing to lose.
And standing between them, Ishira suddenly felt like she was caught in the middle of a war that had started long before she ever knew about it.
"Give the phone to my sister, asshole."
Aryan's voice came out through gritted teeth.
"And why the hell are you with her?"
Ivaan glanced at Ishira before letting out an amused chuckle.
"Good to know you're more concerned about who she's standing with than whether she's okay."
"Don't test my patience."
"Oh?" Ivaan smirked. "And what exactly are you going to do about it from the other side of the phone?"
"Ivaan."
Aryan's tone turned deadly.
"Give. Her. The. Phone."
For a moment, Ivaan considered pushing him further.
Then he sighed dramatically.
"Fine. You're no fun."
Before handing the phone back, he leaned closer to it.
"But brother..."
Aryan went silent.
"Next time you want to yell at someone, try not making your sister cry first."
The line went quiet.
Dangerously quiet.
Ivaan's expression hardened.
"Yeah. That's what I thought."
Without waiting for a response, he handed the phone back to Ishira.
The moment she placed it against her ear, Aryan's voice changed completely.
"Ishira?"
The anger was gone.
Replaced by concern.
"Are you okay?"
A lump formed in her throat.
"Yes."
"No, you're not."
She lowered her gaze.
"I said some things I shouldn't have," Aryan admitted quietly. "I was angry."
"It's okay."
"No, it isn't."
For the first time since the call began, he sounded guilty.
"You know I'd never intentionally hurt you, right?"
Ishira smiled weakly.
"I know."
A sigh escaped him.
"Good."
His tone softened further.
"Now tell me one thing."
"What?"
"Why the hell were you in the bar last night?"
And ssuddenlyshe cut the call to just not to answer.
Without sparing him another glance, she turned on her heel and started to walk away.
"Ishira."
She ignored him.
A mistake.
The next second, a strong hand wrapped around her wrist.
Before she could react, Ivaan pulled her back.
A startled gasp escaped her lips as she lost her balance.
Instead of falling, she crashed straight into his chest.
His arms instinctively tightened around her waist to steady her.
For a moment, everything seemed to stop.
Ishira's breath caught in her throat.
The solid warmth of his body pressed against hers, his expensive cologne invading her senses and making her heart stutter traitorously.
When she finally looked up, she found him already staring at her.
Those dark eyes held an intensity that made it impossible to look away.
"Let me go," she whispered.
But Ivaan didn't move.
His jaw tightened as his gaze drifted over her face.
"You cried."
It wasn't a question.
It was an accusation.
Ishira immediately looked away.
"I said let me go."
"The only reason you're upset right now is because of him."
His voice was low and dangerous.
"Don't."
"Because if he thinks he can talk to you like that—"
"This has nothing to do with you, Ivaan."
His grip on her waist tightened ever so slightly.
"It has everything to do with me."
The possessiveness in his voice sent a shiver down her spine.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Neither willing to break the tension.
Then slowly, Ivaan lowered his head, his lips brushing dangerously close to her ear.
"You're still shaking, Sunshine."
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"And I don't think it's because of Aryan."
A smirk played on Ivaan's lips as he slowly released her hand.
For a moment, his dark gaze lingered on her face before he took a step back.
Ishira immediately put some distance between them, her heart still racing from the unexpected encounter.
Ivaan merely chuckled.
Without another word, he turned and walked toward his car.
The sleek black vehicle waited like a shadow in the parking lot.
Just as he opened the driver's door, he paused and glanced over his shoulder.
A mysterious smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Ishira," he called.
She frowned.
"What now?"
He slid into the driver's seat, one hand resting casually on the steering wheel.
"Tomorrow is your first day of college."
A strange glint flashed in his eyes.
"And there's a very big surprise waiting for you."
Ishira's brows knitted together.
"What surprise?"
But Ivaan only smirked.
"Wait and see."
Before she could question him further, the engine roared to life.
"See you tomorrow, Sunshine."
With that, he drove away, leaving Ishira standing there with a hundred unanswered questions swirling through her mind.
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