Rhythm Of Deceit

Chapter 21: Crossroads

The air between Adler and me felt charged with an electric tension as we stood face to face by the fountain. The soft glow of the streetlights cast a shadow over his expression, making his eyes look deeper than usual, more intense. He had come for something, and I knew it wasn’t just a casual conversation.

“Aniya,” he began, his voice steady but laced with an edge I hadn’t heard before, “I’ve been thinking a lot about everything that’s been happening. About you, about Rio, about what’s been going on between us.”

I swallowed hard. His words hit me like a wave, threatening to pull me under, but I tried to stay grounded. I needed to hear this. I needed to hear from Adler, even if it meant confronting everything I was avoiding.

“You’ve been on my mind a lot too,” I confessed, my voice quieter than I intended. “Everything’s just… it’s a mess, Adler. I don’t know what to believe anymore. I don’t know what to feel.”

Adler’s jaw tightened, and his eyes searched mine as if trying to read every emotion I hadn’t voiced yet. “That’s what I’m here to talk to you about. I need you to listen to me, Aniya. You deserve to know the truth about everything.”

My heart skipped a beat. The truth. It was a word I’d been hearing a lot lately, from both Rio and Adler. But which truth was the real one? And could I trust either of them?

“I don’t know if I can handle any more truths right now,” I muttered, looking away from him. The confusion in my chest was suffocating, and I couldn’t breathe. But Adler stepped closer, closing the distance between us, his presence demanding my attention.

“I’m not going to lie to you, Aniya,” he said firmly. “I’ve been thinking about Rio too, and I don’t like what he’s been doing. He’s dangerous. He’s using you, and I won’t stand by and let him hurt you.”

I looked up at him, my chest tightening with the weight of his words. “I’m not a little girl, Adler. I can take care of myself. I don’t need anyone to protect me from Rio. And I’m not sure I even know what you mean by ‘using me.’”

Adler sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I know you’re strong, Aniya. But Rio is playing a game with you, and you’re caught in the middle of it. He’s manipulative, and you’re only seeing the version of him that he wants you to see. He’s good at hiding his true intentions, but I’ve seen it. He’s only in this for his own gain, and the moment he gets what he wants from you, he’ll drop you like everyone else.”

I flinched at the coldness in Adler’s words. It hurt, but I couldn’t ignore the truth that lingered behind them. Was Rio really that kind of person? Had he been pretending this whole time? The doubt that Adler planted in me grew like a seed, taking root deep in my mind.

“But you’ve seen the way he looks at me, Adler,” I said, my voice trembling slightly. “He’s not just using me. He… he cares about me. Or at least, I think he does.”

Adler’s expression softened, but only for a moment. “You think he does,” he repeated quietly, “but you have to ask yourself why. Why would someone like Rio, with everything he’s been through, suddenly care about you? What makes you so special to him?”

I was silent, unable to answer. Adler’s words were cutting through the fog in my mind, forcing me to face things I hadn’t wanted to see. Rio’s past, his family, everything he had shared with me—it all felt so complicated. Too complicated for me to figure out alone.

Adler stepped even closer, his gaze intense, and for a moment, I felt like I was drowning in his presence. “Aniya, listen to me. I care about you. I always have. And I’m not going to let Rio tear you apart. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you.”

The intensity in his voice sent a shiver down my spine. I knew he meant every word. Adler had always been there for me, and I trusted him more than anyone. But now, standing here with him, I couldn’t help but feel torn.

I looked away, my heart aching. “I don’t know what to do anymore, Adler. I can’t keep going back and forth like this. I don’t even know what I feel anymore. One minute, I feel like I’m falling for Rio, and the next minute, I feel like I should stay far away from him.”

Adler’s face softened, and he placed a hand gently on my shoulder, as if trying to offer me some form of comfort. “You don’t have to make a decision right now, Aniya. But don’t let Rio control you. Don’t let him make you think you have no other choice. You deserve someone who loves you for who you are, not for what you can give him.”

I looked into Adler’s eyes, and for a brief moment, I saw the vulnerability in him that I had never noticed before. It was like a shield he had let down just for me. The love I had always felt for him, the connection we shared, was undeniable. But Rio’s confession, his vulnerability—it made everything harder to understand.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Adler,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “But I don’t know how to let go of what I feel for Rio. I don’t know if I can.”

Adler’s expression hardened for a split second, then softened again, like he was trying to suppress the pain that flickered across his face. “I understand, Aniya. I really do. But you need to trust me. I’m not going to push you into anything. I’m just asking you to be careful. Rio is dangerous, and I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

I swallowed hard, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill. “I will be careful. I promise.”

For a long moment, Adler and I stood there in silence, the weight of his words hanging between us. The truth was, I wasn’t sure who I could trust anymore. Rio’s darkness and Adler’s warnings were like two opposing forces, both pulling me in different directions.

And then, just as I thought I might break under the pressure, Adler spoke again, his voice softer this time.

“I’m here, Aniya,” he said. “Whenever you’re ready to talk, whenever you need me, I’ll be here. I’m not going anywhere.”

I nodded, my heart aching with the conflict inside me. I wanted to believe him. I wanted to trust Adler with everything I had. But the storm that was raging inside me was far from over, and I didn’t know if I could ever fully find peace until I figured out what was real, and what was just an illusion.

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End of Chapter 21

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