THE DEVIL IN THE DARK

Arora clutched the edges of the blanket, tightening her fingers against the sheets as she tried to stop the shivering. Every breath she took tasted like salt and copper; it was a reminder of how she had swallowed the dark water that had nearly filled her lungs. She looked at the man she knew nothing about, except that he had saved her life or perhaps ruined it further.

Arora couldn’t stop staring at him. There was something fishy about him. He wasn’t loud or aggressive but was calm, controlled, as if nothing in the world could shake him. She was terrified of the silence and wanted him to speak to bridge the distance between them. Hayden stood near the tall window of the suite; his hands were resting in his pockets as dark waves crashed endlessly outside, lightning flashing across the ocean, illuminating the sharp edges of his face before darkness swallowed him again.

Hayden turned toward her. “I know about your life, because I have been following Damian Kade for months”, he said while his voice was flat.

The mention of Damian made her chest tighten instantly; memory crashed through her mind all over again: the cold wind, Ashley’s laughter, Damian pushing her into the ocean. She felt darkness swallowing her; she tried to force herself to breathe.

Hayden immediately noticed. “You need to rest”

“No.” She looked at him desperately. “Tell me the truth”.

Hayden walked toward the small bar in the corner of the suite and poured himself a drink; his movement was smooth and precise, like he was in control. Arora studied him, and he looked dangerous not loud, but colder and somehow it frightened her more. Hayden took a slow sip of the drink before answering. “Damian stole from me”.

She shook her head faintly, confused. “What are you talking about?” he worked in finance. He didn’t ........

“He worked where money flows,” Hayden interrupted coldly. His words were brutal and harsh; it cracked deep down her heart as he walked closer, his gaze never leaving hers. “Your fiancé stole something from me.  Something worth killing for.” His entire face froze like a stone tried to control his anger.

Arora gaped at him, her mind racing. “No, it couldn’t be him. The truth hit her like a physical blow, but she refused to believe it.

Hayden’s expression narrowed. “He pushed you in the Ocean and watched you drown. He knew exactly who you were, your father’s company, your inheritance, and emotional history before even he approached you.” his voice was calm, but every word was deep.

A suffocating silence followed. Arora’s chest couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe; her throat felt tight and dry, and all of a sudden, her eyes were blurred with the fall of wetness. The memories of betrayal flashed violently through her mind, but she fought by twitching her head slightly, her mind screaming in denial.

“He loved me,” she muttered.

“Did he?” Hayden breathed.

Arora dropped her head, burning with shame as the tears finally spilled over, she hated feeling this small and broken in front of him but her mind wouldn’t stop tormenting her images of Damian kept flashing back him pressing a soft kiss to her forehead while promising they would be together forever, calling her beautiful as he rushed their engagement and holding her tight while casually sliding company documents for her to sign, document that she hadn’t even bothered to read.

“God. How could she have been utterly deceived?”

“I gave him everything,” she whispered.

Hayden didn’t lie, nor did he attempt to sugarcoat the truth to comfort her. Arora just laughed bitterly, I must look pathetic she said.

“You look betrayed,” Hayden said, cutting through her thoughts.

The observation surprised her, hitting harder than any empty sympathy ever could. For most of her life, people had treated her like an object of convenience; men flirted with her for her family’s last name, women mocked her behind smiles, but Damian had looked at her like she actually mattered. She had loved him so desperately that she willingly ignored every single warning sign. A tear slipped down her cheeks, and though Hayden noticed, he said nothing.

“What ........happens now?” Her voice cracked.

Hayden crossed his arms, his expression unreadable.

“Officially? You’re dead”

Her breath caught in her throat.

“Arora Vance drowned three nights ago,” he continued calmly. “The police suspended the search this evening, and Damian has already released a press statement, playing the grieving fiancé perfectly.”

“What about my company?” she asked.

Hayden’s gaze darkened. “Damian is now acting CEO”.

Arora couldn’t believe it; rage flooded through her chest, and her hands were shaking violently. Her father had spent his entire life building Vance Biotech from nothing until it became an empire. After his death, Arora took over the company, and investors had tried to force her out; she fought hard until she earned their trust, and now Damian had taken it all in the blink of an eye.

“What if I involved the police?”

“Damian now owns the company,’’ Hayden interrupted softly. “Without evidence, you’re simply a traumatized woman accusing him of attempted murder.”

He was right; Damian had planned everything perfectly. Fear deliberately crept back into her body. “What if he finds out I'm still alive?”

“He’ll come to finish the job he started on’’

The assurance of his voice terrified her. Outside, thunder rumbled deep over the ocean, rain hammered against the window in violent bursts. Arora pulled the blanket tight around her shoulders. She looked at him; her eyes were wide open with fear. What am I supposed to do? “Play dead forever?”

Hayden walked toward her slowly; every instinct warned her this man was more dangerous, but she trusted his cold honesty. He stopped right beside the bed, close enough for her to see the faint, jagged scar along his jawline.

“You have two choices, Arora”, he said. His voice was flat and steady. “You disappear, new identity, new country, new life.’’

She stared up at him. “And the second choice?’’

For the first time, the corner of his mouth curved not into a smile but something darker. “You stay dead,’’ he said softly, and learn how to destroy the people while you’re buried.

Arora’s pulse spiked; she expected to feel horrified by the idea. Instead, something cold, sharp clarity locked everything into place, and she met Hayden’s eyes. “And if I choose revenge?’’.

Hayden didn’t smile, but a dark shadow of an expression passed over his features. He reached into his jacket, pulled out a photograph, and tossed it on the bed. Arora picked it up with trembling hands; the moment she saw the image, the blood in her veins turned into ice.

It was Damian standing right beside her father, taken two weeks before his accident. But it wasn’t Damian who terrified her; it was her father’s expression. It was pure fear. While she was flipping the photo, she recognized her father’s handwriting; six words shattered everything she thought she knew:

DON’T TRUST DAMIAN WITH THE FILE.