The journal felt like a weight in my hands, its leather cover rough against my palms, almost alive with the secrets it held. My breath hitched as I read the final line again: Riven’s family name, smeared beneath a bloodstain, as if the past itself had branded me. I should have felt relief at finally understanding a fragment of my father’s warnings, but instead, a cold dread coiled around my spine.Before I could tuck it away, a shadow moved behind me. I spun—heart slamming against my ribs—and froze. Damien’s grin was slow, calculating. “Curiosity can be dangerous, Aria,” he murmured, leaning closer, the journal pressing into my chest. His voice was silk and venom all at once. “But knowledge… knowledge can save you.”“I don’t need your lessons,” I said, my voice shaking more than I wanted. My pulse hammered as I realized he knew the journal’s contents. How much did he know? How long had he been watching me?“Watch me, then,” he said softly, eyes glinting. “Or better yet, follow me. Riv
Last Updated : 2025-10-05 Read more