Pearl shut the door behind her, the weight of it almost echoing through the silence of her house. The warmth of the library still lingered on her lips, the memory of the kiss gnawing at her chest. What had she just done? What had he just done?
Her fingers trembled as she walked toward her bedroom, the walls pressing in on her, and her thoughts racing. She couldn't breathe right, her heart pounding with the aftershock of that moment. The kiss... was it real? Was it a mistake?
No. It had been real. The heat, the longing, the way her skin had hummed under his touch—it was undeniable.
She collapsed on her bed, staring up at the ceiling, trying to shake off the whirlwind of emotions that refused to leave her.
What the hell was I thinking?
The phone buzzed in her hand, breaking her train of thought. She looked at the screen without hope, half-expecting some silly message from a friend. But the name that flashed across the screen made her pulse spike.
love_peace
Her stomach dropped.
She tapped the message, her eyes scanning the screen as cold dread seeped into her bones.
"I told you to stay away from Vansh. He's not who you think he is. If you care about yourself, you'll walk away now before it's too late. Don't say I didn't warn you."
Her breath caught in her throat.
Who the hell was this?
Pearl's fingers shook as she gripped the phone tighter, rereading the words. Something about the message felt... off. Too direct. Too specific. She swallowed, feeling the weight of it settle deep in her gut.
She thought about Vansh—the way he looked at her earlier, like he wanted to say something but couldn't. The way he hesitated. Could it be true? Was this person right?
Her mind spun, a storm of confusion, anger, and fear.
Stay away from Vansh?
No. She couldn't just listen to some anonymous message. But...
What if this wasn't some random person? What if they knew something she didn't?
Pearl set the phone down, but the words wouldn't leave her. The doubt was already starting to creep in, the seed of suspicion planted deep in her chest. And now, she had no choice but to figure out what to do next
Pearl sat up, the phone still in her hand, her fingers twitching in fear. Her thumb hovered over the screen again as if the words were going to change. Maybe it was just a mistake, she thought. But when she looked at the name again—love_peace—the message had already sunk in deeper than it should have.
Her eyes flicked over the text once more, trying to convince herself it wasn't a threat, but...
"I told you to stay away from Vansh. You're already in too deep. He's dangerous, and you're too blind to see it. I warned you. This will be the last time I say it—stay away. Don't make me show you the truth. I'm not the only one who's been watching."
Pearl's blood ran cold, the words sinking into her skin like ice.
Her heartbeat thudded in her ears, louder now, as if something was creeping closer. Watching? How could someone possibly be watching? Her thoughts scrambled—she hadn't noticed anyone, had she? Had someone been watching her and Vansh at the library?
She reread the message again, panic flooding her chest. The warning was too personal, too specific. Who the hell was this? And what truth were they talking about?
Her fingers trembled as she stared at the message, the weight of its meaning pressing down on her. She'd almost forgotten the phone was still in her hand, her mind racing. What do I do now?
The tiny text box blinked as if it was waiting for her to respond, daring her to answer.
But then, just as she was about to dismiss it all and forget the whole thing, another message popped up, just as cold and threatening as the first.
"You can't hide from the truth. It's already too late. Don't try to run. I'll find you. And I'll make you see it."
The words were like a slap to the face, and Pearl felt a shiver crawl up her spine, her hands freezing on the screen.
No one had ever spoken to her like this. No one ever would.
Her thoughts raced, heart pounding harder now, as the message burned into her mind. Whoever this was, they knew things they shouldn't. They were dangerous.
And now, Pearl wasn't just afraid of what she didn't know about Vansh... she was terrified of what she didn't know about herself