Rhythm Of Deceit

Chapter 17: Fractured Trust

The next few days were like living in a haze. Rio’s warning echoed in my head, his words replaying over and over: *Stay away from Adler. It’s for your own good.* But could I really do that? How could I stay away from the one person who had always been there for me? Who I had trusted—no matter how confusing everything had become?

The campus felt different now, like I was walking through a world that no longer made sense. I caught glimpses of Adler in the halls, but I couldn’t bring myself to approach him. Every time I saw him, a knot tightened in my stomach. What if Rio was right? What if Adler was hiding something? Or worse—what if he was involved in whatever mess Rio was trying to warn me about?

Lily noticed my growing unease, but she didn’t ask about it directly. Instead, she quietly supported me, offering distraction in the form of random coffee runs and late-night study sessions. But even her company couldn’t push the thoughts from my mind. I was losing grip on everything I had believed, unsure who to trust or even where I stood.

Then came the email.

It was late one night when I opened my inbox and found a message from Sofia Rodriguez, the college gossip blogger. Her email was brief, with a simple subject line that made my heart drop: *I know what’s going on with Rio.*

Without thinking, I clicked it open.

*Aniya,*

*I know you’ve been hearing rumors about Rio, but what I’m about to tell you goes much deeper. You need to be careful, because Rio is not who you think he is. I’ve been doing some digging, and there’s more to him than just the bad boy persona he’s been selling to everyone. Meet me tomorrow after class in the library. I’ll tell you everything.*

*—Sofia*

I sat there for a long time, staring at the screen, the weight of her words sinking in. What did she know? How did she know all of this? I had heard the whispers about Rio before, but Sofia’s email hinted at something far darker. Something that could change everything I thought I knew about him.

But should I trust Sofia? I’d never really talked to her much. She was a notorious gossip, someone who always seemed to know everyone’s business. She’d exposed so many secrets over the years that I wasn’t sure what was true anymore. Was this just another one of her stories? Or was there something she wasn’t telling me?

I looked at the time. It was getting late, and I needed to sleep, but I couldn’t shut off my thoughts. I had to meet Sofia. I needed answers, no matter how much it scared me.

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The next afternoon, I found myself sitting in the quiet corner of the library, waiting for Sofia. My fingers tapped nervously against the table as I watched students pass by, their voices low and muffled. The air smelled like old paper and the faint scent of coffee from the café downstairs. It was a place of refuge for me, yet today, it felt like a battlefield.

When Sofia finally appeared, she didn’t waste time with pleasantries. She slid into the seat across from me, her eyes scanning the room before meeting mine. She looked serious, her usual playful demeanor nowhere in sight.

"I’m assuming you got my email," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

I nodded, my stomach a knot of anticipation and fear. "What’s going on, Sofia? What do you know about Rio?"

Sofia took a deep breath, her eyes darting to the side as if to make sure no one was listening. "Look, I’ve been doing some research. I’ve been talking to people, digging through old records. And what I’ve found isn’t pretty. Rio’s not just some rich kid with a bad attitude. He’s been involved in some shady stuff for years."

My heart raced. "Shady stuff? What kind of stuff?"

She leaned in closer, her voice dropping even lower. "His family has connections—powerful ones. They’ve been using Rio as a pawn in their business deals for years. I’m talking about organized crime, Aniya. Drugs, money laundering… the whole nine yards. Rio’s been tangled up in it all, and now he’s using you to get what he wants."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I felt dizzy, like the floor was giving way beneath me. "What? No… that can’t be true."

Sofia nodded, her eyes never leaving mine. "I know it’s hard to believe, but I’ve seen the evidence. His father is a well-known businessman, but there’s more to him than the public knows. Rio’s been under his control for a long time, and now he’s trying to make his own mark. He’s using you, Aniya. You’re part of his game."

I recoiled as if the words were a slap. "But why me? Why get involved with me? Why not just stick to his own world?"

Sofia hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. "I don’t know. Maybe you were a way for him to prove something. Or maybe he thought you could be useful. But I do know one thing—you’re in danger now. He’s not going to let you go easily."

The room felt suffocating as the realization set in. Rio had been playing me this entire time, manipulating me for his own gain. I had been nothing more than a pawn in his game, just like Sofia said. The trust I’d placed in him felt like a cruel joke, and my heart ached with the bitter sting of betrayal.

"How do you know all of this?" I asked, my voice trembling.

Sofia sighed, glancing down at her hands. "I’ve been researching Rio for months. He’s been on my radar for a while, but I didn’t have the full picture until recently. I didn’t know what I was dealing with until it was too late."

"But why tell me now?" I asked, still struggling to understand her motives. "Why warn me now?"

She looked at me with a mixture of pity and regret. "Because you deserve the truth. I couldn’t just sit back and watch you get caught up in all of this. You’re in too deep, Aniya. You have to make a choice. Get out before it’s too late."

The words felt like a death sentence. How was I supposed to walk away from this? Rio, Adler, the lies, the games—I couldn’t just leave it all behind. Not when I still had feelings for Rio, even after everything he’d done.

But Sofia was right. I was in too deep. And the deeper I went, the more dangerous it became.

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End of Chapter 17

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