Morning arrived quietly—but nothing inside Maya felt calm.
She sat by her window, knees pulled to her chest, staring at the pale sky.
Adrian's words replayed again and again.
I chose you.
I'll wait.
She pressed her fingers to her lips, as if that could stop her heart from shaking.
Choosing him meant stepping into a storm she didn't understand yet.
Walking away meant losing something that already felt irreplaceable.
Either way—she was scared.
---
Maya Pulls Back
At the university café, Emila watched Maya stir the same cup of coffee for the third time.
"You haven't slept," Emila said gently.
Maya gave a small smile. "I'm fine."
Emila didn't push. She just reached across the table and squeezed Maya's hand.
"Whatever you're carrying," she said softly,
"don't carry it alone."Maya looked away, eyes glistening.
"I don't know if love is supposed to feel this heavy," she whispered.
Emila sighed. "Love isn't heavy. Secrets are."
---
Adrian — Choosing to Fight
Across the city, Adrian stood in his office, staring at an old file on his desk.
Shiya's name.
Her family's contracts.
Their influence.
The invisible chains he had worn for years.
He closed the file slowly.
"No more," he murmured.
Alex leaned against the doorframe.
"You're really doing this, huh?"
Adrian nodded.
"For the first time… yes."
Alex studied him. "You know she might still walk away."
Adrian's jaw tightened—but his voice stayed calm.
"She deserves the choice. Even if it's not me."
That was the difference now.
---Shiya's First Move
Shiya sat in the backseat of a sleek black car, phone pressed to her ear.
"Yes," she said coldly.
"Start with the university. Rumors travel fast there."
A pause.
"No," she added, eyes darkening.
"Don't touch Adrian directly. Make her doubt him."
She ended the call, a faint smile playing on her lips.
If I can't have him… neither will she.The Rumor
By afternoon, whispers had started.
Maya felt it the moment she walked into class.
The looks.
The pauses.
The way conversations stopped when she passed.
A girl behind her whispered—
"Isn't she the one involved with that businessman guy?"
"I heard he was engaged."
"To someone powerful."
Maya's chest tightened.
She grabbed her bag and walked out before the tears could fall.
---Collision
Outside, she almost collided with Adrian.
They froze.
Time stretched.
"Maya," he said softly.
She looked at him—really looked at him—and saw how tired he was.
How much he was fighting without saying a word.
"I need space," she said quietly.
"Not because I don't care… but because I do."
Adrian nodded. "I understand."
She hesitated. "They're talking."
His eyes darkened instantly.
"What did they say?"
"It doesn't matter," she said, stepping back.
"Not yet."
But it mattered.
To both of them.Parallel Hearts
Emila found Alex that evening, sitting alone near the basketball court.
"You okay?" she asked.
He smiled faintly. "Learning."
She raised a brow.
"That silence isn't strength," he continued.
"And jealousy isn't love… but fear is."
She sat beside him.
"Then maybe," she said softly,
"we should stop being afraid."
Nearby, Max called Lila for the fifth time.
She finally answered.
"I'm fine," she said.
"But I'm not invisible. Don't forget that."
He closed his eyes.
"I won't."romise Without Words
That night, Maya stood on her balcony.
Her phone buzzed.
A message from Adrian.
> I won't chase you.
But I won't disappear either.
I'm here—whenever you're ready.She didn't reply.
But she didn't delete it either.
Above them, the same moon watched two hearts learning that distance doesn't always mean goodbye—
sometimes,
it means strength before love.