"She was his greatest rival. His first obsession. And the only one who ever got away."
They were never meant to get along. She was the golden girl, the one who always challenged him-his biggest competition on the field and the only person who saw th...
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AUTHOR'S POV
Day four at Arzen Shah’s mansion was a quiet one for Arin. The house had a serene beauty, with sprawling gardens and walls that seemed to hum with stories of the past. But serenity did little to fight the dull ache of boredom creeping into her.
Arzen was at his office, the ever-dedicated workaholic, and his parents had left earlier to visit some relatives. Alone in the massive house, Arin sat cross-legged on the couch, fiddling with her phone.She scrolled mindlessly through her messages until she landed on Zara’s chat. Without hesitation, she sent a quick text.
> Arin: "Hey, how’s the office?"
The reply came almost instantly, as if Zara had been waiting for her.
> Zara: "The office is the worst without you, sweetie. 😩 Why aren’t you coming? Are you still unwell?"
Arin bit her lip, feeling a pang of guilt. She had indeed used her health as an excuse, but before she could explain herself, another message popped up.
> Zara: "BTW, Miss Sandra mentioned something weird… she said you’re shifting to another place. Is that true?"
Arin’s brows furrowed in confusion. Shifting? She had no such plans—or so she thought.
> Arin: "I’ll be back soon, don’t worry."
She set her phone down and leaned back, trying to shake off the unease. Her thumb hovered over her screen before she gave in to curiosity. She typed “ArzenShah” into her social media search bar.
His profile was impeccably curated, just like the man himself—sharp suits, intense stares, and captions that revealed little about his true personality.
Impulsively, she sent him a direct message.
> Arin: "When are you coming home? Need to talk."
It didn’t take long for her phone to buzz with his reply.
> Arzen: "Already missing me? Soon, honey. I’ll be home in an hour."
The casual intimacy of his words made her heart skip a beat, though she quickly brushed the feeling aside.
---
The house felt emptier with each passing minute. To distract herself, Arin joined Arzen’s parents in the lounge when they returned. They were warm and welcoming, particularly his father, who seemed genuinely curious about her life.
“You have such a grace about you, my dear,” his father said with a kind smile. “Tell me more about your family.”
Arin hesitated before sharing bits of her past, especially her relationship with her father, a man she both admired and feared.
