Rhythm Of Deceit

Chapter 7: The Web of Lies

The day after my encounter with Rio, I couldn’t focus on anything. The cryptic warning he had left me echoed in my head, replaying over and over again like a broken record. *You should be careful. Not everyone who smiles at you is your friend.* The words felt like a threat, but at the same time, there was something unsettlingly familiar about them, as if he was speaking from experience.

Lily had been right to warn me. There was no denying that Rio was dangerous, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I wasn’t entirely sure where Adler stood in all of this. His warning to stay away from Rio had felt genuine, but something about the way he had said it lingered in my mind. Was he trying to protect me… or was he hiding something?

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I found myself standing outside the college library, trying to clear my head. The campus felt quieter than usual, as if everyone else had gone about their day without any of the lingering tension that I could feel in every step I took.

I pulled out my phone, hoping for some distraction, and checked my messages. There was nothing of interest until I saw a new post from Sofia on her gossip blog.

**"The Real Story Behind Y2K's Drama: Adler, Rio, and the Power Struggle"**

Curiosity piqued, I opened the post, and my stomach dropped as I began reading. Sofia had done some serious digging, uncovering more about Adler and Rio’s past than I had ever expected. The post detailed their rivalry from high school to their rise at Southland College, painting Adler as the more “ideal” choice for fans, while Rio was described as the “bad boy” who thrived on controversy. But what really caught my attention was the part about Rio’s temper—how his obsession with being the center of attention often crossed lines. There were rumors about violent outbursts and threats he had made toward previous “admirers” that sent a cold shiver down my spine.

The more I read, the clearer it became that Rio wasn’t just a troublemaker. He was manipulative, obsessive, and potentially dangerous. But what about Adler? Sofia made a point to mention how Adler had always been the “golden boy,” the one who could do no wrong. But was there more to him than met the eye?

I clicked through the comments section, where people were debating about who was the real victim here: Adler, who had to deal with Rio’s games, or Rio, who was cast as the villain in the drama. I was stunned to see that some commenters were actually sympathizing with Rio, calling him misunderstood and suggesting that Adler was the one playing the “hero” for attention.

I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up as I scrolled through the responses. Could there be some truth to this? Was Adler really just playing a part, hiding behind his good guy persona?

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By the time I finished reading, I was feeling more confused than ever. What if Sofia was right? What if I was looking at this all wrong?

My phone buzzed again, and I looked down to see a message from Lily.

**Lily:** *“Have you seen Sofia’s blog? Rio is a total psycho, but I’ve been hearing rumors about Adler. We need to meet up later. I have a feeling we’re missing something big.”*

I immediately typed a response.

**Me:** *“I saw it. I don’t know what to think anymore. This whole situation is getting way too complicated.”*

**Lily:** *“I know, but I’m telling you, we need to dig deeper. There’s more to this than just a rivalry. We need to figure out what Adler is hiding.”*

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I stared at the screen for a moment, my mind racing. Lily was right. I couldn’t keep avoiding the truth. If I was going to make sense of this mess, I needed to confront both Adler and Rio—and maybe even myself.

But before I could respond to Lily, I heard a voice behind me.

“Hey, Aniya.”

I spun around to find Adler standing a few feet away, looking uncharacteristically serious. The warmth in his eyes had been replaced by something colder, almost guarded. His expression was hard to read, but I could tell he was struggling with something.

“Adler?” I said, feeling a mixture of relief and anxiety. “What are you doing here?”

He glanced down, his hands shoved into his pockets. “I was looking for you.”

I felt a wave of unease wash over me. “Looking for me? Why?”

Adler hesitated, his gaze flicking toward the ground for a moment before meeting mine. “I think we need to talk. About everything.”

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My heart skipped a beat. Was this it? The moment I’d been waiting for? I had so many questions swirling in my head—about the notes, about Rio, about Adler’s relationship with him.

“I’m listening,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

Adler took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. “I know you’ve been getting these notes. And I know you’ve probably heard some things about Rio. But I need you to understand that it’s not what you think.”

I frowned, my confusion deepening. “What do you mean? What isn’t what I think?”

Adler looked around, as if making sure no one else was listening. Then, lowering his voice, he said, “I’ve been watching him. Rio doesn’t just play games. He’s… he’s dangerous, Aniya. And I’m not just talking about his temper. There’s something darker about him. Something that he’s been hiding from everyone—including you.”

I took a step closer, my heart racing. “What are you saying, Adler? You’re telling me he’s dangerous, but you’ve barely said anything about your past with him. What’s really going on here?”

Adler didn’t answer right away. Instead, he took a long, drawn-out breath, as if gathering the courage to say something he wasn’t sure he could.

“Look, I know you’re confused. And I know it seems like I’ve been dodging your questions. But I need you to trust me on this. Rio has always been… obsessed with control. He’s been pulling strings behind the scenes for a long time. He’s not just trying to mess with you—he’s trying to ruin everything you care about.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I had known that Rio was manipulative, but the idea that he was capable of something so extreme made my blood run cold.

“Why is he doing this?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Adler’s eyes hardened. “Because he can. And because he knows how to get what he wants. He’s been targeting you, Aniya, and it’s not going to stop until you see him for what he really is.”

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I stood there, feeling like the ground was slipping out from under me. The lines between right and wrong, good and bad, were starting to blur, and I wasn’t sure who to trust anymore. Adler’s words seemed sincere, but there was still so much I didn’t know.

And somewhere deep inside me, I couldn’t ignore the feeling that Rio wasn’t just a villain in this story. Maybe he was more complicated than I’d ever imagined.

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End of Chapter 7

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