The evening air was thick with the scent of rain and jasmine as Anaya stood by the terrace railing, shoulders tense beneath her silk shawl. The city lights flickered like distant stars, but all she could see was him, Riyan, leaning against the doorway, that reckless smirk teasing the edges of his lips.

He was a trouble wrapped in designer leather, with eyes that seemed to dare the world to challenge him. And tonight, those eyes were fixed on her like a flame drawn to moth wings-impossible to resist, even if she knew she should.

Anaya’s breath caught as he stepped forward, the space between them shrinking with every heartbeat. “You look like a dream that’s too dangerous to chase,” his voice dropped low, velvet-smooth, yet edged with mischief. “But dreams like that... they’re the kind that ruin you.”

Riyan’s hand lingered just a heartbeat longer than expected, and Anaya’s pulse thundered in her ears, wild and reckless, like the storm gathering beyond the terrace.

“Do you know what they say about forbidden fruit, Anaya?” His voice dipped lower, a mischievous gleam igniting in his eyes. “It’s not just sweet... it’s intoxicating. Dangerous enough to ruin you, but so exquisite you’d risk everything for just one taste.”

Her gaze dropped to their hands, so close it felt like a promise and a warning all at once. Her mind screamed to pull away-to protect the carefully built walls of her life-but her body betrayed her. She was already caught in this web of desire and defiance.

Suddenly, a sharp knock at the terrace door shattered the fragile bubble around them. Anaya’s heart slammed against her ribs. She turned and there, shadowed by the dim light, stood her father’s most trusted aide, eyes sharp and searching.

“Anaya,” the man said softly but firmly, stepping into the moonlight. “You need to come inside. Now.”

Riyan’s smile faltered for just a second. “Looks like the night’s just getting complicated.”

Anaya’s breath hitched as she glanced between the two- the man who represented everything she was bound to obey... and the man who made her want to break every rule.

With a last lingering look, Riyan stepped back into the darkness, his voice barely a whisper, “This isn’t over.”

Anaya swallowed hard, her world tilting. Secrets, lies, and a forbidden passion with the stakes higher than ever, the question wasn’t if she would fall, but how hard.