Rhythm Of Deceit

Epilogue

A year had passed since that last day—the day when Rio finally walked away, when Adler and I stood together, stronger than ever, and when the chaotic storm that had clouded our lives for so long finally settled. Things had changed, but some things had remained the same.

Southland College had moved on, as it always did. The whispers about Rio and the turmoil he had left behind slowly faded into the past, becoming just another story shared by those who had witnessed the drama unfold. But for me, for Adler, and for the people who had stood by my side, it was something that would never fully disappear. It had shaped us. It had changed us.

But what mattered now was the future.

Adler and I had grown in ways I never thought possible. When I had made my choice, when I had decided to embrace the love that had been waiting for me all along, I had no idea how much it would change everything. The love we shared had been tested, torn apart by secrets and jealousy, but we had weathered the storm. And now, as I sat beside him, my hand resting comfortably in his, I knew that this was where I was meant to be.

We were different, yes. We had scars—emotional ones that we carried with us—but we had come through it stronger. Our relationship had become something deeper, more real. There was no pretense between us. No fear. Just love.

Adler was still the same—his easy smile, his calming presence—but I could see the growth in him, too. He was more open, more vulnerable in a way he hadn’t been before. He had learned to love me not just with his actions, but with his heart. And I had learned to love him in return, with the same openness, the same honesty.

It wasn’t perfect. No relationship ever was. We still had our moments of doubt, our challenges, but we faced them together. And for the first time in my life, I was confident in my choices.

The college year had come to a close, and with it, the uncertainty of the future loomed. Graduation was just around the corner, and I had no idea where life would take me after that. But as I sat with Adler under the shade of a tree on the campus lawn, watching the sunset, I knew that I didn’t have to have everything figured out.

As long as I had him by my side, I knew I could face whatever came next.

The door to my future was wide open, and I was ready to walk through it.

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*Elsewhere, Rio’s POV*

Rio had disappeared from Southland College, just as he had promised. After everything that had happened, after all the lies and broken hearts, he had vanished into the shadows, leaving the past behind him. But like everything else in his life, it wasn’t as simple as just walking away.

He was in a small, quiet town now, far from the people who knew him, far from the ones he had hurt. He had left behind the fame, the manipulation, and the bitterness that had once consumed him. Here, he was just another face in the crowd. A man trying to rebuild the pieces of himself that had been shattered by pride and jealousy.

Some days, he felt a sense of peace that had eluded him for years. Other days, he couldn’t shake the regret—the feeling that he had lost the one thing he had wanted most. He had tried to hold on to Aniya, tried to claim her as his, but in the end, he had learned the hardest lesson of all: love cannot be forced.

And in some small way, he was beginning to accept that. Maybe one day, he would be ready to move forward, to forgive himself for his mistakes. But for now, he would live in the silence, in the quiet of this new life he had chosen. A life that was his to shape.

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*Back at Southland College*

Months passed, and life returned to its rhythm, a rhythm that no longer felt as uncertain as it once had. Aniya and Adler, though still navigating the early stages of their relationship, were happy. Their love was now built on trust, understanding, and a shared history that had tested them both.

They had become the couple everyone looked to as an example of perseverance. They had weathered the storm, and together, they were stronger.

Lily and Julian, too, had grown in their own ways. Lily had found her voice, becoming a force of nature in her own right, pursuing her passions with the same intensity she had once reserved for supporting her friends. And Julian, ever the reliable friend, had moved forward with his life, focusing on his own future while still being the best friend Adler and Aniya could ever ask for.

Sofia, the college blogger, had moved on from the drama, turning her writing into something more meaningful. She had chronicled the chaos of the past, but now her focus was on the future—on the stories of people who had found redemption, love, and hope.

As for me, I had learned the most important lesson of all: that love, real love, wasn’t something to be taken for granted. It wasn’t about control or obsession. It was about respect, freedom, and trust.

I didn’t need to be perfect. None of us did.

What mattered was that we were still here, still standing. And for once, I was at peace with that.

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The End of the Epilogue

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