ck up and handed it to Ria. Ria accepted it slowly, her fingers trembling against the velvet box, still visibly stunned. The heat of the diamonds felt heavy like a bra
th betrayal. "Mira, I want the truth. Right now." She looked back at Serene, her chest heaving as she breathed hard. Serene slowly freed herself from Mira's grip, wiping her arm before stepping closer to Ria, a cold and cruel smile spreading across her lips. "Ask your mother why people call her a witch," Serene said her voice dropping to a harsh whisper that carried perfectly through the quiet. "And ask what really killed your father." Ria froze, the blood draining from her face. Serene leaned in slightly, her scent sour with malice. "It runs in the blood, Ria." A cruel, mocking laugh escaped her lips. Ria looked at Mira, but Mira immediately looked away, guilt written across every line of her face. Ria turned to Dan, her eyes pleading, but he avoided her gaze too staring at his boots. Her chest tightened painfully, a physical ache lancing through her heart. Everyone around her had gone silent. The sound of rain suddenly filled the air, heavy, freezing droplets beginning to pour from the dark sky, instantly hissing against the edges of the bonfire. Ria stepped back slowly, her body shaking from the inside out. Then, she turned and ran. "Ria!" Mira called after her, her voice desperate over the sound of the downpour. But Ria didn't stop. The freezing rain soaked through her clothes instantly, pasting her hair to her face as hot tears streamed freely down her cheeks. She kept running across the wet sand, away from the light, until she finally collapsed behind a parked car, Clutching her purse tightly against her chest, she slid down onto the wet ground. Her heart ached violently, a deep, hollow wound. The rain poured endlessly over her trembling body as she curled into a ball and cried. After what felt like hours she shakily pulled out her phone. The soft, blue glow of the screen illuminated her tear-streaked face. The AI interface was open, the loading light pulsing quietly. "M-Mobo..." she whispered brokenly into the microphone, her voice shuddering against the glass. "They said I'm a witch. They said my mother is one too." Her voice cracked, a sob catching in her throat. "All this time... she hid everything from me." She hugged her knees tighter against the cold steel of the car. "I just want to disappear somewhere nobody knows me. Somewhere peaceful. Somewhere I won't be recognized... not even by my mother." Tears blurred her vision again, distorting the digital light. "I want someone to love me genuinely Mobo. Someone I can call my first love." For a long moment, the phone remained completely silent. The algorithm didn't type. Then, Mobo's voice spoke softly from the speaker, "Ria... go home. Ask your mother the truth then get some sleep." Ria shook her head violently against her knees. "No. I don't want to hear anything from her." Her expression darkened with a raw, bitter pain. "Right now, I'd rather marry a ruthless stranger than stay with someone who lied to me my entire life." "Ria," Mobo warned gently, the digital cadence glitching slightly. "Be careful what you wish for." "I don't care," she whispered into the rain. "I just want to leave. Even if it's only for one year." A brief and terrifying silence followed. The blue light on the screen flared blindingly bright for a single second. "Your wish is granted, Ria." Ria frowned immediately, wiping the water from her eyes as she looked down at the screen. "What did you just say?" No response came. The phone had gone entirely black, the battery instantly drained to zero. Still shaking and numb from the cold, Ria eventually stood up and wa
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