Scarlet Ink

nnerved her, not just because it felt dangerously intimate, but because a part of her-one she didn't want to acknowledge-had liked it. Her father noticed her growing distraction. Over d

hung heavy with silence as Aria stood outside the warehouse, heart pounding. The message had been cryptic, but something about it felt... undeniable. She needed answers. The further she was drawn into Kael Romanov's orbit, the more tangled the lines became between what she knew and what she feared. Pushing the rusty door open, a groan echoed into the emptiness. The place was dimly lit by a single overhead bulb that flickered like a dying star. Shadows clung to the walls, stretching long and twitchy. Inside stood a man, face half-shrouded in darkness, dressed in a worn leather jacket. He had the tired look of someone who'd spent years looking over his shoulder. "You're early," he said, his voice rough like gravel. "I'm not staying long," Aria shot back. "Who are you? Why did you bring me here?" He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he motioned to a cluttered table in the center of the room. Spread across it were folders, grainy photographs, and what looked like police case files. Her eyes scanned the mess-until they froze. There she was. Captured in candid stills-walking on campus, talking to Kael, smiling at the fundraiser. The timestamps were recent. The realization hit like a slap: someone had been watching her. Closely. "You've been spying on me?" she whispered, voice shaky. "Not me," the man said. "Them. The Romanovs. Kael." Her heart clenched. "You're lying." He stepped closer. "I used to work for your father. I was on the force when we tried to take down Viktor Romanov ten years ago. I saw firsthand what they were capable of. Your father protected you, kept you away from the worst of it. But Kael? He's no