Rhythm Of Deceit

Chapter 6: The Tension Grows

The next few days passed in a blur, each one indistinguishable from the next. Classes were a distraction I couldn’t fully immerse myself in, and the whispers about Rio and Adler seemed to echo louder with each passing hour. I had tried to move on, to act normal—like I wasn’t receiving cryptic notes and feeling like I was at the center of some dangerous game. But no matter how hard I tried, it was impossible to escape the feeling that something was about to shatter.

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I couldn’t stop thinking about what Adler had said to me that day in the student center. He was right, of course—Rio was trouble. But the more I thought about it, the more I couldn’t shake the feeling that Adler was hiding something too. His warning to stay away from Rio felt too certain, too desperate. Why was he so adamant about it?

It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Adler—on the contrary, he’d always been kind and considerate to me, ever since I first started following his dance crew. But that day, when I saw the look in his eyes, I couldn’t help but feel that there was something he wasn’t telling me. Something he was afraid I might find out.

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I snapped out of my thoughts when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I looked up to find Lily standing there, her eyes wide with a mix of curiosity and concern. She had that look on her face—the one that meant she had something important to tell me.

“Hey, Aniya, can we talk?” she asked, her voice low.

I nodded, trying to shake the fog from my mind. “Sure, what’s up?”

Lily glanced around, as though to make sure no one was listening, before pulling me aside to a quieter corner of the student center. “Okay, you won’t believe this, but I heard something from Sofia today. She’s been digging into Rio’s background, and it’s not pretty.”

My stomach twisted. “What do you mean, not pretty?”

Lily hesitated, clearly weighing how much to say. “I don’t have all the details, but apparently, Rio’s been involved in some shady stuff. There’s talk of him using his connections to get people into trouble, pushing them into things they don’t want to be part of—things that go way beyond just being a college troublemaker. And the worst part? Sofia thinks that he’s been targeting you.”

My breath caught in my throat. “Targeting me?”

Lily nodded, her face grim. “Yeah. She thinks he’s been leaving you those notes—trying to get under your skin. You’re not the first person he’s done this to, Aniya. There’s a pattern with him.”

I felt a chill run down my spine. All this time, I thought it was just some twisted game Rio was playing, trying to manipulate me. But now? The reality of the situation was sinking in, and it felt far more dangerous than I had ever imagined.

“Why would he target me?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “I haven’t done anything to him. I’ve barely spoken to him outside of the show.”

Lily shrugged. “That’s the thing with people like Rio—they don’t need a reason. They just do it for the control, the power. And right now, it seems like you’re the next person in his sights. I don’t like it, Aniya. I’m really starting to worry.”

I swallowed hard. The idea that I was being targeted was overwhelming. But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Rio’s cryptic messages, the way he seemed to always be lurking in the background, watching me—it was all part of a bigger game. But what was his end goal? And why me?

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Before I could respond, I noticed a familiar figure approaching from the other side of the room. It was Rio, his tall frame cutting through the crowd as he made his way toward us. His presence was as commanding as ever, his sharp eyes scanning the room until they landed on me.

Lily stiffened beside me, her gaze hardening. “Speak of the devil,” she muttered under her breath.

I felt a knot form in my stomach. I didn’t know if I was ready to face him, not after everything I had learned. But I couldn’t back down now. Not when the truth was starting to unravel.

Rio smiled when he reached us, though it was more of a smirk than anything resembling warmth. “Hey, Aniya. Lily.” His voice was smooth, almost too smooth, and there was something unsettling in the way he said my name.

“What do you want, Rio?” Lily’s tone was sharp, a protective edge to her voice.

Rio’s smile didn’t falter as he looked from Lily to me, his gaze lingering just a second longer on me than necessary. “I just wanted to check in on my favorite fan. How’ve you been, Aniya?”

I forced myself to meet his gaze, trying to keep my cool. “I’ve been fine.”

Rio’s eyes twinkled with amusement, like he knew something I didn’t. “I’m glad to hear that. You’ve been… on my mind, you know?” He leaned in just a little closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “I don’t want you to be scared, Aniya. You’ve got a lot of people around you, but trust me when I say, you should be careful. Not everyone who smiles at you is your friend.”

I felt a chill run through me at his words, my heart racing in my chest. Was this his way of warning me off? Or was it another form of manipulation?

Lily stepped forward, cutting through the tension. “What’s your point, Rio?”

He straightened up, his smile fading slightly as he took a step back. “No point. Just looking out for her. You’re a smart girl, Aniya. I think you’ll figure things out. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

He turned and walked away, his footsteps slow and deliberate, but there was no mistaking the underlying threat in his words. He was playing games, and I was caught in the middle.

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As Rio disappeared into the crowd, I stood frozen, my mind reeling from his words. What did he mean by all that? Was he trying to intimidate me, or was there something deeper behind his cryptic message?

Lily didn’t look reassured either. “That was creepy,” she muttered. “And I don’t trust him for a second. But you’ve got to stay sharp, Aniya. This guy is playing you, and I don’t think he’s going to stop until he gets what he wants.”

I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest. I couldn’t ignore it anymore. The tension between Adler, Rio, and me was only growing, and I had no choice but to figure out what was really going on.

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End of Chapter 6

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