The rain had finally stopped.
For the first time all day, Manhattan looked peaceful.
Ishira and Kiara had parked their car near a riverside street lined with cafés and glowing city lights.
Both girls sat on a low concrete wall overlooking the water.
Ice cream in hand.
No assignments.
No university drama.
No professors.
Just peace.
Or at least that was the plan.
Kiara took a bite of her chocolate ice cream and sighed dramatically.
"This is what happiness feels like."
Ishira laughed.
"Your standards are low."
"My standards are realistic."
"Fair."
For the first time that day, Ishira felt relaxed.
The cool evening breeze played with her hair as she watched the lights reflecting across the Hudson River.
Then—
"Well, if it isn't the famous Ishira Sharma."
Both girls looked up.
And immediately recognized the voice.
Walking toward them with his hands tucked inside his jacket pockets was none other than—
Ethan Blackwell.
The Student Council President.
The victim of Ivaan's terrifying stare.
The guy who somehow always seemed to appear out of nowhere.
A smile appeared on Ethan's face.
"What are the chances?"
Kiara instantly smirked.
"Oh, this is interesting."
Ishira shot her a look.
"Don't."
"What?"
"Don't."
Ethan laughed as he approached.
"Am I interrupting something?"
"Unfortunately."
"Ouch."
He placed a hand over his heart.
"You wound me."
Kiara immediately burst out laughing.
Ishira groaned.
Great.
Now there were two annoying people.
Ethan took a seat beside them on the wall.
Maintaining a respectful distance.
"I didn't know Blackwood students came here."
"We don't," Ishira replied.
"We escaped."
"Smart."
Kiara pointed at him.
"See? He understands."
For the next few minutes, the conversation flowed surprisingly easily.
Ethan had a natural charm.
The type that made talking feel effortless.
Even Ishira found herself smiling occasionally.
Meanwhile, somewhere several blocks away...
A black luxury car rolled through the Manhattan streets.
And behind tinted windows—
A pair of dark eyes noticed something very interesting.
Very interesting indeed.
The conversation continued for a while.
Kiara was laughing.
Ethan was telling stories about Blackwood.
And Ishira was finally starting to relax.
A few blocks away, a black Rolls-Royce remained parked beneath the city lights.
Inside sat Ivaan and Zyan.
Neither had stepped out.
Neither had said much.
They were simply watching.
"Still going to tell me you're not interested?" Zyan asked casually.
Ivaan ignored him.
His gaze remained fixed on the group.
Then something changed.
Ethan shifted slightly closer to Ishira.
Not enough to alarm anyone.
But enough for Ivaan to notice.
A dangerous habit.
Because Ivaan noticed everything.
"That idiot is getting comfortable," Zyan muttered.
Ivaan remained silent.
Meanwhile, Ethan continued talking.
"I mean, honestly, half the professors at Blackwood are boring."
Kiara laughed.
Ishira shrugged.
"Some are."
"And some think they're kings."
The comment made Kiara choke on her ice cream.
She knew exactly who he was talking about.
Ethan smirked.
"What?"
"Nothing," Kiara said quickly.
Ethan leaned back.
"You know, if you ever need help around campus, you can call me directly."
His tone had changed.
Subtly.
The confidence was becoming arrogance.
The friendliness becoming something else.
Ishira noticed immediately.
So did Kiara.
"I'll survive," Ishira replied calmly.
Ethan laughed.
"I'm just saying. Life becomes easier when you know the right people."
That sentence alone was enough.
Kiara's smile faded.
And several blocks away—
Ivaan's jaw tightened.
Zyan noticed.
"Oh, he's definitely annoying you now."
Still no answer.
Back at the riverside, Ethan continued.
"You'll figure it out eventually."
The confidence in his voice was beginning to sound more like self-importance.
Unfortunately for him...
Ishira Sharma wasn't the type to be impressed.
She slowly put down her ice cream.
Then looked directly at him.
A smile appeared on her face.
The dangerous kind.
The kind Kiara immediately recognized.
Poor Ethan.
"You know," Ishira said sweetly.
"What?"
"I think you've misunderstood something."
Ethan frowned.
"What?"
"I don't need people to make my life easier."
The smile remained on her lips.
"But thanks for the offer."
Kiara immediately looked away to hide her grin.
Ethan's expression stiffened slightly.
Not expecting that answer.
"And I definitely don't choose my friends based on what they can do for me."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
A few seconds later, Ethan cleared his throat.
The confidence he'd been carrying around all evening suddenly seemed much smaller.
In the parked car, Zyan burst out laughing.
"She handled that beautifully."
For the first time all night—
A faint smirk appeared on Ivaan's face.
Small.
Dangerous.
Proud.
As if he had expected nothing less.
"I told you," Zyan said. "She doesn't need saving."
Ivaan watched Ishira calmly continue eating her ice cream as if nothing had happened.
His smirk deepened slightly.
"No."
His voice was quiet.
Cold.
Certain.
"She doesn't."
The atmosphere had already become awkward.
Kiara was ready to leave.
Ishira was losing interest in the conversation.
But Ethan didn't seem to understand the hint.
Or maybe he simply refused to.
"I'll drop you both home," Ethan said confidently.
"No thanks," Ishira replied.
"We have a car."
"I'm insisting."
The smile on Ishira's face disappeared.
"And I'm refusing."
For a moment, Ethan laughed as if she were joking.
She wasn't.
The tension was becoming noticeable now.
Kiara shifted uncomfortably beside her.
"Ethan, let it go," Kiara said.
Instead, Ethan stepped closer.
His ego clearly bruised.
"I was only trying to help."
"I said no."
The answer was firm.
Final.
But Ethan wasn't listening anymore.
The rejection had gotten under his skin.
"You know," he said, forcing a smile, "you don't have to act so arrogant all the time."
Ishira slowly stood up.
Her eyes turning cold.
"What did you just say?"
The confidence Ethan had been carrying all evening was beginning to look ugly.
"Maybe if you stopped acting like everyone is beneath you—"
SLAP.
The sound echoed through the riverside.
Silence followed immediately.
Absolute silence.
Ethan froze.
One hand instinctively moving to his cheek.
The red mark appearing almost instantly.
Ishira stood there, completely unfazed.
Her gaze sharp.
Unapologetic.
Dangerous.
"You should learn how to talk to people."
Her voice was calm.
Which somehow made it worse.
"Especially women."
Ethan didn't say a word.
Shock visible across his face.
Kiara looked equally stunned.
Not because Ishira had slapped him.
But because of how effortlessly she had done it.
Without hesitation.
Without fear.
Ishira grabbed her bag.
"Let's go."
Kiara immediately followed.
The two girls walked away without looking back.
Leaving Ethan standing there alone.
Humiliated.
Several blocks away—
Inside the black Rolls-Royce—
Silence filled the car.
Then—
Zyan started laughing.
Hard.
Very hard.
"Oh my God."
He practically leaned forward.
"Did she just—"
"Yes."
"She slapped him."
"Yes."
Zyan laughed even harder.
Meanwhile, Ivaan sat quietly.
Watching the girls disappear into the city lights.
A faint smirk appeared on his face.
Small.
Dangerous.
Satisfied.
Not because Ethan got slapped.
Well...
Maybe a little.
But mostly because Ishira had handled the situation herself.
No fear.
No hesitation.
No need for anyone to rescue her.
She had simply drawn a line.
And when it was crossed—
She dealt with it.
Ivaan's smirk deepened slightly.
Across from him, Zyan noticed.
"There it is."
"What?"
"That look."
Ivaan looked away from the window.
Uninterested.
But Zyan knew better.
For the first time all evening—
The Devil looked pleased.
And judging by the smirk on his face...
Ethan Blackwell had just made a very memorable mistake.
The smirk never left Ivaan's face.
He leaned back against the leather seat of the Rolls-Royce while the city lights flashed past the tinted windows.
Zyan was still laughing.
"That poor bastard got destroyed."
Ivaan remained silent.
His gaze fixed on the rain-soaked streets of Manhattan.
Then suddenly—
He pulled out his phone.
Dialed a number.
And placed it against his ear.
The call connected almost immediately.
"Capo."
Ivaan lit a cigarette.
The orange flame briefly illuminating his sharp features.
"Keep an eye on Ethan Blackwell."
The man on the other side instantly understood.
"Understood, Capo."
"And don't touch him."
The order surprised even Zyan.
The call ended.
For a moment, silence filled the car.
Then Zyan raised an eyebrow.
"Not touching him?"
A cloud of smoke escaped Ivaan's lips.
"Not yet."
Zyan shook his head.
Poor Ethan.
He had no idea that the words "not yet" coming from Ivaan Mehra were far scarier than a direct threat.
A few minutes later, Ivaan stepped out of the car.
The cold Manhattan wind hit his face.
His black coat moved slightly as he walked toward Venus Tower.
The Devil looked calm.
But Zyan knew better.
Someone had entered dangerous territory.
And they didn't even know it yet.
Meanwhile...
Back at Mooncrest Villa.
The entire mansion was quiet.
Kiara had already changed into comfortable clothes and disappeared into her room.
But Ishira couldn't sleep.
No matter how hard she tried.
She sat on her bed.
One knee drawn to her chest.
The city lights visible through the huge glass windows of her room.
Her mind replayed everything.
Blackwood.
The classroom.
Ivaan.
The trustees' office.
Ethan.
The slap.
And somehow...
Every memory eventually led back to one person.
Ivaan Mehra.
His smirk.
His eyes.
His annoying confidence.
His stupid comments.
"Ugh."
She threw a pillow across the room.
Immediately regretting that she was thinking about him again.
Suddenly—
Ping.
Her phone lit up on the bedside table.
A message.
Unknown Number.
Ishira frowned.
Slowly picking up the phone.
The message contained only one line.
"Violence doesn't suit you, Butterfly."
Her eyes widened.
For a second, her heart stopped.
Only one person called her that.
Only one.
Ivaan.
And somehow...
The Devil knew exactly what had happened tonight.
Before she could decide whether to reply or throw the phone across the room—
Ping.
Another message appeared.
From the same unknown number.
"Still awake?"
Ishira immediately sat up straighter on the bed.
The city lights reflected through the glass windows behind her.
For a few seconds, she simply stared at the screen.
Then her fingers moved.
"Who is this?"
The reply came instantly.
"You know who."
Ishira rolled her eyes.
Arrogant.
Absolutely arrogant.
Without realizing it, a tiny smile appeared on her lips.
Then—
The phone suddenly started ringing.
Unknown Number.
Her heartbeat quickened.
She knew exactly who it was.
The call continued vibrating in her hand.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Finally—
She answered.
Silence.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Only the sound of breathing filled the line.
Then a familiar voice broke the silence.
Low.
Calm.
Dangerously familiar.
"Couldn't sleep?"
Ishira immediately recognized him.
"Ivaan."
A smirk appeared on his face at the sound of his name.
Even though she couldn't see it.
"Good."
"What?"
"You saved me the trouble of introducing myself."
Ishira groaned.
"How did you even get my number?"
"Butterfly."
His voice held amusement.
"I own half of Manhattan."
"That doesn't answer the question."
"It answers enough."
Ishira fell silent.
Infuriating.
The man was absolutely infuriating.
On the other side of the city, Ivaan sat alone in his penthouse office.
One hand holding the phone.
The other loosely wrapped around a glass of whiskey.
Rain tapped against the windows behind him.
"You should be sleeping."
The comment surprised her.
"What?"
"You have classes tomorrow."
Ishira narrowed her eyes.
"And whose fault is it that I'm awake right now?"
A low chuckle came from the other side.
The sound sent an unexpected shiver down her spine.
"Fair point."
Silence followed.
Comfortable.
Strange.
Neither wanted to hang up.
Neither acknowledged it.
Finally, Ivaan spoke again.
His voice quieter this time.
"Don't trust Ethan."
The sudden seriousness caught her off guard.
"What?"
"I said don't trust him."
Ishira frowned.
"Why?"
A pause.
Long enough to make her curious.
Then—
"Because I said so."
Immediately her annoyance returned.
"That's not a reason."
"It is for me."
"Ivaan."
"Goodnight, Butterfly."
And before she could argue—
The line went dead.
Ishira stared at the phone in disbelief.
Then at the dark city beyond her window.
Her heart was still beating faster than normal.
And the worst part?
She wasn't sure if she was angry that he called...
Or annoyed that he hung up first.
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