Warning and whisperes

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The morning sun had just begun to climb the sky, painting soft streaks of orange and pink across the campus buildings. The university courtyard buzzed with energy—students rushing to lectures, groups chatting on benches, the occasional burst of laughter echoing against the walls.

Aria adjusted the strap of her worn canvas bag on her shoulder, weaving through the crowd with practiced ease. Her shift at the café had ended late the night before, and though she was tired, she carried herself with quiet determination. This was her routine: work, study, survive.

But even as she walked through the familiar campus gates, her mind betrayed her. It drifted back to the man in the café. His eyes. His voice. The way he spoke as if he could command the very air around him. She clenched her jaw, shaking her head. It was ridiculous. She had dealt with difficult customers before. He was just another face she would probably never see again.

“Aria!”

The call snapped her from her thoughts. Sara hurried toward her, auburn hair catching the sunlight, her energy a sharp contrast to Aria’s quiet presence. Sara had always been the brave one, unafraid to speak her mind, unafraid to stand up for Aria when others tried to push her around.

“You look like a ghost,” Sara said, linking arms with her the moment she reached her side. “Don’t tell me you pulled another double shift.”

Aria gave a small laugh. “Just the usual late closing. Nothing new.”

Sara narrowed her eyes, scanning her face like she could see every secret Aria was trying to hide. “You’re lying. You’ve got that look. Spill it.”

Aria sighed, not sure how to explain without sounding… ridiculous. “There was this customer,” she admitted finally. “Different from the usual. He was… unsettling.”

Sara’s brows arched. “Unsettling how? Creepy? Flirty? Do I need to march into your café and break someone’s nose?”

Aria smiled faintly despite herself. “No, nothing like that. He was just… intense. The way he looked at me, it felt like he could see right through me. And he asked my name.”

Sara’s expression shifted immediately, her teasing gone. “Did you tell him?”

“No,” Aria said quickly, shaking her head. “Of course not.”

“Good,” Sara muttered, her jaw tightening. “Men like that don’t ask out of politeness. They ask because they want something. And trust me, Aria, you don’t want to get tangled with anyone who carries that kind of… energy.”

Aria frowned. “You don’t even know who he is.”

“I don’t need to,” Sara shot back. “I know you. And if someone shook you up enough that you’re still thinking about it this morning, then he’s trouble.”

They reached the steps of their lecture hall, and Aria hesitated. Sara was right—she always was. But part of her hated how easily this stranger had lodged himself into her thoughts. It wasn’t supposed to happen. She had her life under control. She didn’t have room for shadows.

Still, his words from last night whispered at the edge of her memory. I don’t let people walk away that easily.

She shook the thought away as they entered the hall.

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Meanwhile, across town, in an office that overlooked the bustling city streets, Aryan leaned back in his leather chair. A cigarette burned slowly between his fingers, though he hadn’t touched it in minutes. Aarav sat across from him, sprawled comfortably, watching with that same lazy grin he always wore when Aryan was deep in thought.

“You didn’t drink your coffee last night,” Aarav said, breaking the silence.

Aryan’s eyes flicked up, sharp as ever. “It wasn’t about the coffee.”

Aarav smirked. “No. It was about her.”

For a moment, Aryan didn’t reply. He took a drag of the cigarette, exhaling smoke that curled lazily toward the ceiling. “She wasn’t afraid.”

Aarav tilted his head. “I think she was. She just didn’t show it.”

“That’s the point,” Aryan said quietly, almost to himself. “She looked me in the eye. No hesitation. No pretending. Most people can’t do that.”

Aarav leaned forward, elbows on his knees, his grin fading into something more serious. “So what now? You’re not usually the type to… notice.”

Aryan stubbed the cigarette out in the ashtray, his movements slow, deliberate. His gaze turned to the city beyond the glass, distant yet sharp.

“I told you once,” he said, his voice low, dangerous, “when I want something, I don’t stop until it’s mine.”

Aarav studied him for a moment, then sighed, leaning back again. “I knew you were going to say that.”

Back at campus, Aria was too busy scribbling notes to notice the dark car parked discreetly across the street. Too busy to notice the pair of sharp eyes behind tinted glass, watching her every movement as if she were the only person in the world.

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