THE ROSE AMONG THRONS
521 Words
~Leanah~
The mansion never felt more like a prison than it did now. I walked through the hallways as if the walls were listening — like every chandelier could fall if I stepped out of line.
I knew too much.
But not enough to save myself.
Not yet.
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Elara had left that morning, her eyes full of worry.
“You need to be careful,” she’d whispered.
“Whatever happened to Amira… it wasn’t an accident. You might be next.”
Her words haunted me.
I clutched the silver necklace she gave me for protection — a tiny cross, warm from my skin. It didn’t offer much comfort.
Not when Aiden returned that evening.
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He looked exhausted — dark circles beneath his eyes, coat damp with rain, and that same unreadable expression on his face.
“You’re late,” I said, my voice trembling just slightly.
He paused at the threshold, studying me. “I didn’t expect you to wait.”
“I didn’t expect you to come back.”
Silence.
Then he stepped in, closing the door behind him with a quiet finality.
“You found the file, didn’t you?”
I froze.
So he knew.
“I... I read Amira’s name,” I said slowly. “And mine. You knew I would look.”
“I left it there on purpose.”
---
My heart skipped.
“What do you mean?”
“I wanted to see if you would run,” he said simply. “If you did, I would’ve let you go.”
“And if I stayed?”
“I’d know you were strong enough to face the truth.”
I stared at him, unsure whether to be flattered or terrified.
“You’re playing games with me.”
“No.” His voice softened. “I’m protecting you in the only way I know.”
---
A long pause. Then I whispered, “Did you love her?”
His eyes darkened.
“I did. But it was a different kind of love. Dangerous. Poisoned by expectation and power. Amira was smart — too smart. She found out something she shouldn’t have. And then…”
“She died.”
He nodded. “They said it was an overdose. But I never believed that.”
---
~Aiden~
I had spent years trying to forget Amira. But now I remembered everything — the fire in her voice, the fear in her last message.
She tried to warn me.
And now, Leanah was walking the same path.
Except this time, I wouldn’t let the past repeat itself.
Even if it meant going against my own family.
---
~Leanah~
Later that night, I stood outside the balcony, feeling the cold air whip around me.
Aiden joined me silently. No words were exchanged.
But I felt it — his presence, like a storm waiting to break.
“Do you trust me?” he asked suddenly.
“I don’t know,” I replied truthfully.
“I need you to,” he said, turning to me. “Because what’s coming next… will change everything.”
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To be continued in Chapter 12...
- Writer
