Amina's POV

Luke is dying.

I know it the moment I press my hands against him, the warmth of his blood slipping through my fingers like something alive. Like something trying to escape.

I can’t let it.

I won’t let it.

But my hands are shaking.

There’s too much blood. Too much glass, too much dust in the air, clogging my throat, making it hard to breathe. My bookstore is in ruins. The shelves are shattered, the books broken, the scent of gasoline mixing with something worse—metallic, thick, final.

And Luke is slipping.

His body trembles beneath my hands, his breath stuttering, and I should be focused. I should be counting seconds, applying pressure, saving him.

But something is wrong.

Not just the accident. Not just the wreckage.

The air itself feels off.

Like something in this moment doesn’t fit.

And then I realize—

It’s quiet.

Too quiet.

There should be chaos. There should be people moving, helping, screaming. But the only sound is the faint ringing in my ears. The sharp, uneven hitch of Luke’s breath.

And Elias.

Standing there.

Watching.

Too still. Too calm. Too close.

I don’t know what makes me look up. Some instinct. Some part of me that knows, before I even see him, that something isn’t right.

And when I do see him—

Everything inside me locks up.

Because Elias is moving.

Not towards me. Not towards the wreckage.

Towards Luke.

He kneels, slow, deliberate, and something cold slides through my ribs.

Something I do not understand.

I don’t hear what he says. Not all of it. But I see Luke’s reaction.

The way his breath catches.

The way his fingers twitch, curling into the floor like he’s bracing for something.

The way his eyes flicker—not with pain.

With fear.

My heart stutters.

Elias shifts. His hand moves, just slightly, just enough that I see it.

A shard of glass.

It catches the light as he tilts it, just barely, towards Luke’s throat.

Not enough to press. Not enough to draw blood.

Just enough to remind.

Luke goes still.

Completely, terribly still.

And I—

I can’t move.

I can’t breathe.

I want to. I want to scream, shove Elias back, demand to know what the hell is happening. But I can’t.

Because I don’t understand what I’m seeing.

Because Luke does.

Because this isn’t just an accident.

It’s something else.

Something bigger.

Something planned.

My stomach turns to ice.

The glass slips from Elias’ fingers.

It lands beside Luke’s arm with the softest sound, a whisper of impact, something almost gentle.

Almost meaningless.

But I see the truth.

And Elias—he knows I see it.

"He’ll be fine."

His voice is smooth. Careless.

I flinch.

Because now?

Now, his eyes are on me.

And he’s smiling.

Like he knows something I don’t. Like he was waiting for me to catch up.

And suddenly—

I don’t know who the hell I’ve been trusting all this time.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***