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Mall was a blend of expensive perfume and the faint scent of cinnamon from the nearby café. It was huge, sleek, and the kind of place you only saw in movies—all glass elevators and polished marble.
Dona, with her bright pink bubblegum look, stood beside Gabriella. Gabriella was dressed in an intentionally plain black hoodie and distressed jeans—the anti-fashion uniform that said, I'm plotting, not posing.
"Be right back, need to check out those new K-pop vinyls," Gabriella said, her voice smooth, already walking away.
Dona nodded, pulling out her phone to check her game status.
That's when it happened.
A hand, warm and firm, wrapped around her wrist and spun her around.
Dona's breath hitched. Standing before her was Ajax.
He was wearing a sleeveless gym shirt, the kind that showed off his toned arms, and he was absolutely drenched. His face was red, sweat plastered his dark hair to his forehead, and he was breathing like he'd just run a marathon.
"You… here?" Dona stammered, her eyes wide.
Ajax just nodded, his chest heaving. "Dona, don't lie to me."
"What are you talking about?" she asked, confused.
Ajax leaned in, his gaze intense, pinning her. "Do you love me?"
Dona's mind went blank. Her cheeks flushed a deep crimson. Her heart didn't just beat; it hammered, a wild drum solo against her ribs. Before she could form a single syllable, Ajax bridged the tiny space between them, his head tilting.
He started to kiss her.
Dona rocketed upright in her grand, four-poster bed, gasping for air. Her silk pajamas were damp with sweat.
Oh, my gosh. Was that a dream? Did that actually happen?
She rubbed her temples, the image of Ajax's intense eyes still burned in her vision. It wasn't a dream of just any guy. It was Ajax. The same Ajax who had bravely rescued her just one day before.
She was on the ledge of a crumbling, abandoned building, filming a dare, when Raina pushed her from building. She'd been seconds from a terrifying fall. He hadn't thought, hadn't hesitated—he had jumped across the gap, catching her hand, securing her life without caring about his own.
That rescue… it was so heroic.
She shook her head, forcing herself back to reality. Her voice was a shaky whisper. "No. He rescued me. That's empathy, not love."
KNOCK! KNOCK!
Just kidding. It was a barge.
Her little brother, a twelve-year-old whirlwind of chaos, burst into the room. He was wearing his favorite dino pajamas and a suspicious smear of peanut butter on his cheek.
"Why are you sweating? Did you see a ghost?"
Dona, annoyed but unable to resist smiling, retorted, "Yes, a ghost. Looks just like you."
"Liar!" he declared.
"Why didn't you knock?" Dona asked, already tired.
"Is that necessary?" he said, completely ignoring the answer. He grabbed her tablet from the nightstand.
"Hey! Why are you taking that without my permission?"
He was already halfway out the door, giggling.
Dona sighed, sinking back against her pillows. This was her life.
Chime.
Her phone lit up. It was Gabriella: Let's meet in the usual coffee shop. Urgent.
Urgent? Dona wondered. She scrambled out of bed. Time to face reality, and maybe a little drama.
The Hard Truth
The coffee shop was buzzing with the morning rush. Dona and Gabriella sat opposite each other, two foamy cappuccinos resting between them.
Gabriella's eyes narrowed. "Are you listening to me?"
Dona, eyes glued to her tablet, mumbled, "Yeah, yeah, absolutely." She was deep in a game, tapping furiously.
SLAM!
Gabriella snatched the tablet.
"Gabby! There's a special event! I need that gem to unlock the new magical sword!" Dona protested.
Gabriella ignored her, looking at the screen. In the game chat, the username HotJas was spamming messages. He was clearly waiting for a reply.
Gabriella handed the tab back. "Why haven't you replied to HotJas?"
Dona's eyes widened. "Because… Do you know who that is?"
Gabriella's look turned suspicious. "Is that… Ajax?"
Dona was stunned. "How did you know?!"
Gabriella shrugged, sipping her coffee casually. "He mentioned it. Said he got my info from you."
"What?! I'm not—!"
"Really?" Gabriella's narrowed stare was a truth detector.
Dona stammered, lowering her voice. "I might have… said a little about you. But I swear, I didn't know it was him then!"
"Leave it." Gabriella leaned back, done with the subject.
"Wait," Dona said quickly. "What did he say about me?"
"He said you two were friends in the game. That's all." Gabriella smirked, a dangerous glint in her eyes. "Anything more than that?"
"No!" Dona said seriously.
Gabriella offered a mock smile.
"And I almost forgot!" Dona said, leaning in. "Did you meet Jake after the party?"
Gabriella's smile vanished. "Mmm."
Dona was instantly hyped. "Then what happened?"
"He proposed to me."
Dona's jaw dropped. "Really?! What did you say? Did you accept?"
"No."
"Why not?" Dona was completely confused.
Gabriella's face went deadly serious, the mask of a girl with a mission. "How can I believe him? He's acting like he loves me, but he'll do anything for his friends. If he knew I was trying to get revenge on Raina for Kevin's death… would he still love me? No way."
Dona bit her lip. "You're right, but… what if he still loves you, even after he knows the truth?"
Gabriella's face softened for a fleeting second, a hint of doubt. "I don't know… but that won't happen."
Suddenly, the front door of the café opened. Ajax walked in.
Gabriella saw him first and gave a quick, easy wave.
Dona felt a shock go through her. "Why is he here?" she whispered.
"I sent him the location," Gabriella said in a normal voice. "He wanted to meet me."
Dona felt a wave of anxiety. Ajax was approaching. He looked exactly like he did in her dream—same sleeveless top, same sweaty look, breathing heavily.
He stopped at their table. "Hi, Gabby."
He turned to Dona and snapped his fingers right in front of her face. Snap!
Dona jumped, snapping back to reality.
"Daydreaming?" Ajax mocked, sliding into the booth next to her.
How did he know I was dreaming about him? Dona inhaled sharply.
Gabriella asked, her voice cold. "Why are you sweating so much?"
Ajax smiled easily. "Just finished a session at the gym." He leaned forward. "How are you going to counter-attack Raina?"
Gabriella smiled back, a plan hidden in her eyes. "I have it all mapped out. Just waiting for the perfect timing."
Dona looked confused. "Gabby, but how? You don't have the evidence. She snatched it from you by blackmailing me! She threatened my life to get the flash drive back from you." Dona's voice was low and pained.
"What happened has happened. Don't worry," Gabriella said firmly. "I have another way."
Ajax leaned back, arms crossed. "What exactly was on that flash drive?"
Gabriella hesitated, but only for a moment. "A video of Raina bullying other students."
Ajax's eyes narrowed, sharp with suspicion. "Is that all?"
Dona's eyes widened, recognizing the lie. Gabriella didn't flinch.
"Yes. That's all," she said with a straight face.
Brrring!
Gabriella's phone rang. "I have to take this." She moved a few steps away, talking into the phone.
Ajax's suspicious eyes were glued to Gabriella. Then, they softened. He couldn't take his eyes off her. The morning sunlight streamed in, highlighting the subtle auburn in her hair, the light breeze brushing it across her stunning profile.
Dona noticed the change in his expression. She spoke, her voice flat and cold. "Do you like her?"
Ajax jolted. "No." He smiled to cover his awkwardness.
Dona stared at him. "She already likes someone."
"Really?" Ajax asked, suddenly serious. He thought for a second. "Is it Jake?"
Dona was surprised. "You know about Jake?"
"But she said no ," Ajax muttered.
Dona sighed. "A girl who likes someone won't always say yes. Sometimes she says no because she wants him to fight for her."
Ajax raised an eyebrow. "Aha. So you know girls' psychology?"
"Yes ," Dona deflected. Suddenly, she turned to him. "Ajax, thank you for…"
Ajax turned. "For saving you?"
Dona nodded.
Ajax leaned closer, his voice dropping to a low, husky whisper that sent shivers through her. "Are you forgetting what I said? I won't allow you to die."
Dona's eyes widened, her heart racing again. She instinctively pushed him away.
Ajax just smiled mockingly.
Gabriella returned, sitting down.
Ajax snatched Dona's tablet. "So, you keep playing but haven't replied to my messages?" He noticed her game status was off. He scoffed, raising an eyebrow. "Really, Shorty?"
He leaned in, a wicked smirk on his face. "Are you avoiding me because you found out HotJas is me?"
Dona stared at him, stunned. "When did you find out I knew?"
"Since the day you asked HotJas to meet you in person," Ajax winked. "And we met as promised."
Dona blinked, utterly defeated.
"Don't avoid me, Shorty." Ajax smirked again.
Gabriella watched them, a small, knowing smile playing on her lips. She turned her face away to hide it.
Ajax stood to leave.
"Are you coming for the trip?" Gabriella asked.
"No," Ajax replied. "You are?"
Gabriella nodded.
"Why?" Gabriella asked.
Ajax asked, mockingly. "Because I have to finish something important , He asked in teasing tone ,"I thought, you weren't a social butterfly."
"I'm not," Gabriella said, her tone suddenly cold. "But… I have something important to do there." She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.
The Night Trail
It was 9 PM. The street was crowded, the night alive with flashing neon signs and the distant hum of traffic.
Gabriella and Dona were walking together.
"Time flies so fast," Dona said, looking up at the lights.
"It really is fun to hang out with you," Gabriella agreed.
"Yeah, my friends always said I was so amicable!" Dona beamed.
Gabriella handed Dona a crisp, cold ice cream cone. They walked along, enjoying the sweetness.
Then, Gabriella's smile froze. She could see shadows—three shadows, moving with unnatural speed and closeness—in the light reflecting off a shop window. Someone is following them.
Dona, completely oblivious, was humming a song. "Run, bulletproofs, run…"
Gabriella cut her off, her voice low and sharp. "Dona.When, I say one, two, three, you have to run."
Dona frowned. "What?"
"Don't ask questions. Just run."
"One! Two! Three!"
They both sprinted. The three mysterious figures immediately started chasing them.
Dona looked back while running. In the flickering streetlights, she saw a bunch of men, all big, all sporting menacing tattoos, sprinting after them.
Dona was breathing heavily. "Why are they following us?!"
"I don't know! Maybe they're thieves! Keep running!" Gabriella lied, her eyes scanning for an escape route.
They ran, dodging pedestrians.
"Dona, take the next left, okay? Go!"
"Yes!" Dona veered left.
Gabriella turned sharp right.
The tattooed men kept following Gabriella. They didn't even glance at Dona.
Dona stopped and turned, watching in panic. "Gabby!"
Gabriella ran, but the path ahead reached a dead end, a towering wall of brick. She spun around to face her pursuers, her chin up, ready to fight.
But before the men could reach her—
A hand shot out and shoved her, hard, into a dark, narrow alleyway between two buildings.
Gabriella gasped, stumbling. She was pressed against the cold brick wall, standing incredibly close to a tall, looming figure. She could feel the rapid, strong beat of his heart against her shoulder.
She lifted her face.
It was Felix.
"Why were they chasing you?" he demanded, his voice a tight whisper.
"I don't know," Gabriella answered, her own voice shaky.
The mysterious men reached the dead end and were peering into the darkness, searching.
Gabriella tried to break free from the alley to face them. "I'm going to confront them! You dragged me back when I was about to!"
"But they have weapons," Felix said simply. "Let me handle this."
He stepped out of the darkness. He faced the three men.
And the fight began.
Felix was an absolute blur. He fought effortlessly, using fluid, powerful moves. Gabriella watched, truly impressed by his skill. Felix rolled his shoulders, his jaw tight with focus, fearless. A few minutes later, all three men were sprawled unconscious on the ground.
"Come," he called.
Gabriella stepped out.
Felix grabbed her hand, dragging her back down the street. "Let's go before they wake up."
Suddenly, one of the men sprang up behind them, a silent shadow with a knife raised high, aimed at Gabriella's back!
Gabriella reacted without thinking. She spun like a whip, her leg flying up in a powerful, swift kick that connected squarely with the man's chest.
THUD!
The man went down hard, the knife clattering harmlessly away.
Gabriella smiled, a dangerous, thrilling glint in her eyes.
Felix stared, then started to clap, a sound like dry thunder. "She is more interesting than I thought," he whispered, a smirk spreading across his face.
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To be Continued.....
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