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​💔 🏥 City Hospital – Room 204
​The air in Room 204 of City Hospital was thick, but not with sickness. It hummed with a dangerous closeness.
​Gabriella, pale but beautiful, was tucked into the stark white sheets, wearing the loose, impersonal blue hospital gown. Her head rested against Jake's chest, their arms wrapped around each other in a fierce, silent embrace that felt like both a beginning and an ending. Jake, broad-shouldered in a simple black T-shirt and dark pants, sat on the edge of the bed, his cheek pressed gently against her hair. The world outside their bubble didn't exist.
​"You are soo warm," Gabriella murmured, her voice a fragile wisp.
Jake tightened his hold. "Really ?." His gaze, usually sharp, was soft, reflecting the deep, confusing love he'd just confessed—a love born in the fires of their rivalry.
​CRASH!
​The door to Room 204 didn't just open; it slammed against the wall.
​Dona stood frozen in the doorway, a half-empty water bottle slipping from her hand and clattering across the polished floor. Her wide eyes—the deepest pools of shock Gabriella had ever seen—flew from Gabriella's face to Jake's arm wrapped around her.
​Gabriella's heart hammered. Her eyes, which had been warm a second ago, went cold and calculating. She pushed away from Jake, a sudden, sharp movement that shattered the moment.
​Jake, utterly confused, turned, seeing Dona. A painfully awkward smile stretched his lips. "Dona! Hey," he mumbled, running a hand through his golden hair. He knew he was caught. Without another word, he slid off the bed and practically ran out of the room, leaving a whirlwind of confusion behind him.
​Dona slowly walked closer, picking up the bottle, her confusion deepening. "You two… you were enemies, Gabby. Like, a full-on war zone. And now, within minutes... you're that close? I don't buy it."
​Gabriella offered a small, mysterious smile. "He confessed to me."
​"Seriously?!" Dona couldn't believe it. "But you said being with him was impossible because of the whole enemy thing!"
​Gabriella's smile faded. Her expression became utterly flat, terrifyingly blank. "Exactly. We aren't the real enemies. Me and Raina are. And Jake… he promised he'd accept me, whoever I am."
​Dona finally got it. She smiled, then the smile twisted into a knot of confusion. "But... Jake can't leave Raina. She's his best friend. Would he really let his new girlfriend—his enemy's enemy—go through with a revenge plan that would hurt his bestie?"
​Gabriella's answer was chillingly simple. "No. I know Jake. He wouldn't."
​Dona leaned in, her voice low. "So, you're stepping back? Dropping the revenge?"
​The coldness in Gabriella's eyes intensified. "No. I will revenge Raina for her sin. I won't step back for anyone. Not even Jake." A cruel, satisfied smile played on her lips. "I just won't let him know my every step to destroy her."
​Dona's eyes widened again. "You're going to use your boyfriend to get revenge on your enemy, behind his back?"
​Gabriella simply nodded, her eyes hardening into tiny, sharp points of resolve.
​ Reception Area – A Dangerous Secret
​Downstairs, in the bright, busy hospital reception, Jake was waiting near the coffee machine when he saw Ronnie. He waved him over.
​"Ronnie! What are you doing here?" Jake asked.
​"Lara's routine check-up. You know, since she lost all her old memories," Ronnie said, his expression softening as he spoke of his girlfriend. "Wait, why are you here?"
​"Gabriella's admitted. Fainted. Anemic," Jake explained casually.
​"Oh, how is she?" Ronnie asked.
​"Fine. Better than fine, actually," Jake grinned, his mood soaring. "Any progress with Lara?"
​Ronnie chuckled, a dark sound. "Do you want our love story to end that quickly?" He smiled mockingly, then his face went cold. "I don't want her memory back."
​"What?" Jake was instantly on guard. "But... that's not something you can control, man. You have to prepare for the possibility."
​Ronnie's smile returned, smug and secretive. "She won't."
​"Did you...?" Jake asked, his brow raised.
​"Yes. I did," Ronnie admitted. "But some secrets are safe only with me."
​Jake ignored the ominous comment. His happy mood was too powerful. "You're too happy, what happened? Good news?" Ronnie asked.
​"You bet," Jake confirmed.
​"Is it about Gabriella? Did she accept your—"
​"My love? Yep," Jake finished, his chest swelling with pride.
​Ronnie stared, then threw his head back and laughed. "I can't believe it!"
​In a flash, Jake's playful mood vanished. He snatched his bike key from his pocket and threw it, hitting Ronnie right in the chest. Ronnie caught it just before it fell, his smile disappearing instantly.
​"What's so funny?" Jake asked, his face serious.
​Ronnie placed a calming hand on Jake's shoulder. "Sorry, bro. It was unexpected. We know Gabriella. She isn't like other girls. How did you do it?"
​Jake smirked. "You think I'm not worth it?"
​"No, man! Of course, not. No girl could reject you."
​Jake's smile disappeared as he remembered the one person who did reject him—Gabriella, the first time. He started walking away. Ronnie followed. "Wait! Look, all that's cool, but... you know Gabriella and Raina are enemies. How will you manage? You'll have to choose one eventually."
​Jake stopped, his back still to Ronnie. "I won't. I won't let Raina harm Gabriella. And I won't allow Gabriella to meddle in Raina's matters."
​"But look at me! Raina hated that I was with Lara, and our ten-year friendship ended because of it!" Ronnie protested.
​"It's clear now," Jake said. "I talked to Raina. She won't do anything against Gabriella anymore. She got what she wanted."
​"What did she get?" Ronnie demanded.
​"The pendrive. The bullying video."
​Ronnie gasped. "That was with Gabriella all this time?! I was searching everywhere! Are you sure?" When Jake nodded, Ronnie exhaled a massive sigh of relief. "Finally! This is the best news."
​Jake's eyes narrowed. "Do you know Felix?...Raina's fiancé? The one she's engaging soon?".
Ronnie scoffed. "Yeah, I know. Her mother's business partner's brother. She hated him, was madly in love with Kevin... wait, is she really agreeing to the engagement?".
​"They're engaged within a month," Jake confirmed.
​"Unbelievable. He's totally not her type. Why are you asking? Is everything okay with him?" Ronnie's eyes instantly became suspicious.
​Jake's voice was low, cold, and utterly terrifying. "No."
​He smiled like a predator who had just scented his prey. "He's too interested in our personal matters. There's something off. His sudden arrival and his whole approach is suspicious. He's hiding something big."
​Jake's eyes glowed with fierce, predatory suspicion. "I must find out what."
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​As Jake walked toward the parking lot, already scheming to expose the mysterious Felix, he had no idea that the girl he had just sworn to protect was already two steps ahead of him, holding a far more dangerous secret.
​He was focused on exposing Felix's lie, while Gabriella was focused on destroying Raina—and she was using Jake's sudden, heartfelt love as the perfect, unsuspecting weapon to do it.
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To be Continued....
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