Chapter 11: The Truth You Can’t Escape
861 Words
The drive was silent.
No tension-filled arguments.
No teasing.
No sharp replies.
Just silence.
Reya sat beside Aarav, her mind racing.
That man…
The way he looked exactly like Aarav.
The way Aarav reacted.
And most importantly—
The way he said, “you shouldn’t have gotten attached.”
Reya’s fingers tightened slightly.
She glanced at Aarav.
His eyes were fixed on the road.
Calm.
But not really.
“You’re not going to say anything, are you?” she finally asked.
Aarav didn’t reply immediately.
“We’re not safe here,” he said instead.
Reya let out a small, frustrated breath.
“That’s not what I asked.”
“I know.”
“Then answer me.”
Silence again.
Reya looked away.
“Fine,” she said quietly.
“Keep your secrets.”
The car stopped.
Reya frowned.
“This isn’t home.”
“No,” Aarav said.
“It’s safer.”
She stepped out slowly.
It was an old house.
Isolated.
Quiet.
Too quiet.
“This is your idea of safe?” she asked.
Aarav came to her side.
“For now.”
They walked inside.
The place was simple.
Nothing like the mansion.
No luxury.
No guards.
Reya turned to him.
“Now can you explain?”
Aarav stood still for a moment.
Like he was choosing his words carefully.
Then he spoke.
“That man you saw…”
A pause.
“…his name is Arjun.”
Reya’s brows furrowed.
“Arjun?”
Aarav nodded.
“He’s not just someone from my past.”
Another pause.
“He’s part of who I am.”
Reya blinked.
“That makes no sense.”
Aarav exhaled slowly.
“Because you don’t know the full story.”
“Then tell me.”
Their eyes locked.
For the first time—
Aarav didn’t look away.
“I wasn’t always a bodyguard,” he said.
Reya crossed her arms slightly.
“I figured that much.”
Aarav ignored the comment.
“I was trained,” he continued.
“From a young age.”
“For what?”
A pause.
“To protect… or eliminate.”
Reya went still.
“Excuse me?”
Aarav’s gaze hardened slightly.
“I was part of a system.”
“What kind of system?”
“The kind that creates people like me.”
Her heartbeat picked up.
“And him?” she asked.
Aarav’s jaw tightened.
“He was trained with me.”
Reya’s eyes widened.
“Then why does he look exactly like you?”
Silence.
Aarav didn’t answer immediately.
Because that was the part…
That changed everything.
“They experimented on us,” he said finally.
Reya froze.
“What?”
“Multiple identities. Same face. Same skills.”
Her mind struggled to process it.
“You’re saying…”
“Yes,” Aarav cut in.
“There are others.”
The room felt colder.
Reya took a step back
“That’s insane.”
“It’s real.”
Her breathing became uneven.
“And they’re after me?”
Aarav stepped closer.
“You’re not just a random target, Reya.”
Her eyes locked with his.
“Then what am I?”
A pause.
A long one.
Then—
Aarav said quietly—
“You’re the reason they’re coming back.”
Her heart dropped.
“What does that mean?”
Aarav didn’t answer.
Instead—
He stepped even closer.
“You need to trust me.”
Reya let out a small, disbelieving laugh
“You keep saying that, but you don’t tell me anything!”
Aarav’s voice lowered.
“I’m telling you enough to keep you alive.”
“That’s not enough for me!”
Their voices echoed in the empty house.
Tension rising again.
Then suddenly—
Reya stepped closer.
“No more half-truths,” she said.
Aarav looked at her.
Really looked.
And this time—
He didn’t step back.
“You want the truth?” he asked quietly.
“Yes.”
“Then listen carefully.”
Her heartbeat sped up.
“Your kidnapping attempt years ago…”
A pause.
“…wasn’t random.”
Reya’s breath stopped.
“It was planned.”
Her voice came out barely above a whisper.
“By who?”
Aarav’s eyes darkened.
“By the same people who created me.”
Silence.
Everything clicked.
The past.
The attack.
The danger.
It was all connected.
Reya felt the ground shift beneath her.
“And now?” she asked slowly.
Aarav stepped closer.
“Now they want what they couldn’t get back then.”
Her throat went dry.
“And what is that?”
Aarav’s gaze locked into hers.
“You.”
Her heart pounded loudly.
Fear.
Shock.
Confusion.
But beneath all that—
Something else.
Trust.
Because even now—
Standing in the middle of all this chaos—
She felt safer with him.
Than anywhere else.
Aarav’s voice softened slightly.
“I won’t let them take you.”
Reya held his gaze.
“You’re sure about that?”
Aarav didn’t hesitate.
“Yes.”
A pause.
Then—
More quietly—
“No matter what it costs.”
That line…
Felt like a promise.
And a warning.
To be continued
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- Writer
