Chapter 55

Aarya

I woke up abruptly, my heart racing and my body drenched in sweat. The fear that grappled my body due to the nightmare made me quiver. I glanced at Xander, who was sleeping peacefully beside me. I slipped out of bed quietly, not wanting to disturb his sleep. I needed space to clear my head. Exiting the room, I entered the living room and sank into the soft couch.

Wrapping my arms around myself, I tried to shake off the lingering fear that the nightmare had left me with. The opulent living room felt suffocating with my apprehension and unease. It felt like a different lifetime when Baba, Maa, Amit, and Atul were here, laughing and chatting on this very sofa. I could still hear their voices and see their faces.

My mind kept returning to Xander’s comments. He thought it was not an accident. I trusted his instincts, and I was convinced that he was right. But who could have done this? And why? As far as I knew, my family had no enemies. Alex pointed to the weird-looking soot that ooze