Chapter 128

Roshanay paused, drawing a slow breath as the memories rushed back. The memories arrived without warning, each one carrying the weight of a friendship she had failed to protect.

“She was so happy when she talked about him. Her happiness had been so bright that it blinded everyone around her. The way her eyes lit up... it was impossible not to see how much she cared. That day, the day everything went wrong, she insisted I come with her. She wanted me to meet him properly, to see the man she was planning to spend her life with. She introduced him to me as her boyfriend, so proud, so full of hope. She had no idea who he really was. None at all. She didn’t know about the lies, or the danger, or any of the things he had done. To her, he was a fairytale; to him, she was a tool. To her, he was just Ihtesham, the kind, attentive man who promised her the world.”

She looked up at Burhan again, searching his face for any sign that he already knew this part of the story. His express