Game of betrayals

The sun had barely set when Arkins arrived at Melly's house for the so-called movie night. The air around the estate still carried the weight of the scandal, but inside, Nabi acted as if nothing had happened. She welcomed Arkins with an overly bright smile, completely unaware of the storm brewing between him and Melly.

Melly, on the other hand, was fuming. She had barely spoken a word to Arkins since he betrayed her by agreeing to Nabi's invitation. He found it amusing, but he also loved watching her struggle to act indifferent.

"Wow, I wasn't expecting you to come this early," Nabi said, stepping aside to let Arkins in.

"Couldn't keep myself from coming," Arkins replied smoothly, casting a quick glance at Melly. She scoffed and looked away.

Nabi giggled. "Well, I hope you're ready for a fun night."

Arkins smirked. "Always."

Melly rolled her eyes.

They settled in the spacious living room, where Nabi had already set up a tray of drinks and snacks. She sat next to Arkins, much to Melly's irritation.

"So, what are we watching?" Arkins asked, casually resting his arm on the couch.

"A romance movie," Nabi answered with a grin. "Something steamy."

Melly nearly choked on her drink. "What?"

"Oh, come on. Don't tell me you're scared of a little romance, Melly," Nabi teased.

Melly shot her a glare. This girl is seriously testing me.

Arkins smirked. "Romance, huh? That should be… interesting."

The movie started, and as expected, it was filled with intimate, tension-filled moments. Nabi seemed fully immersed in it, while Melly tried to keep herself from rolling her eyes every five seconds. Arkins, however, was only paying attention to Melly.

At some point, he leaned over and whispered, "Are you really mad at me, or are you just jealous?"

Melly turned sharply to face him, her face inches from his. "Jealous? Please. You can enjoy your movie night with her."

Arkins chuckled. "You're cute when you're mad."

Melly clenched her jaw and turned away, crossing her arms.

Nabi, completely oblivious, decided to make things even worse. "Arkins, you have nice hands," she said, picking up his palm and tracing her fingers over it. "Are you a fighter? You have that strong yet elegant vibe."

Melly snapped. "Okay, that's enough!"

Nabi looked at her in surprise. "What's wrong, Melly?"

Melly stood up. "Nothing. I just remembered I have something to do."

Arkins quickly grabbed her wrist before she could leave. "You're not going anywhere." His voice was low, possessive, and only meant for her ears.

She met his gaze, and for a moment, she felt trapped under its intensity.

"I need to go," she muttered, though her voice lacked conviction.

Arkins smirked. "Liar."

Just then, Nabi's phone rang, breaking the moment. She excused herself to take the call, leaving Melly and Arkins alone.

The room suddenly felt smaller.

Melly tried to move, but Arkins still held her wrist. Slowly, he pulled her closer until she was standing between his legs.

"Stop playing games with me, Melly," he whispered.

Melly stared down at him. "I'm not playing games."

Arkins smirked. "Then why do you keep running?"

Melly swallowed hard. "Because… you make me feel things I shouldn't."

Arkins reached up, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Then stop fighting it."

Melly felt her breath hitch. His hand trailed down her arm, sending a shiver through her body. Their faces were so close, she could feel his breath against her lips.

She knew he wanted to kiss her.

And worst of all, she wanted it too.

But just before it could happen, Nabi walked back in, completely unaware of the charged atmosphere. "Alright, let's continue—" She paused, looking between the two. "Um… did I interrupt something?"

Melly quickly stepped back. "No!"

Arkins chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "Not at all."

Nabi smiled. "Good. Because I was thinking, Arkins, you should sleep over. It's already late, and my parents won't be back for days."

Melly's eyes widened. "WHAT?"

Arkins smirked. "I like that idea."

Melly groaned. This night just got worse.

Later that night, as the movie continued playing, Melly was the first to fall asleep on the couch, her soft breathing barely audible over the background noise. Nabi and Arkins, however, remained awake, sitting close to each other.

Arkins glanced at Melly, ensuring she was deep in sleep. This is my chance, he thought. If he was going to tear this family apart, he needed to go deeper—right through Nabi.

He shifted slightly, making his body language more inviting. As the movie played a steamy scene, Nabi's eyes flickered toward Arkins. The tension in the room thickened.

Then, as if on instinct, Nabi leaned in, her lips capturing his in a slow, deliberate kiss.

Arkins let it happen. Not because he wanted it, but because he had a plan. He felt nothing—no excitement, no desire. Just a cold detachment as he allowed Nabi to kiss him.

"You're a good kisser," Nabi whispered seductively, pulling back for a moment before pressing in again.

Arkins smirked inwardly but played along, responding just enough to keep her engaged.

"You're handsome, Arkins," she murmured against his lips. "Strong. Just my type."

Arkins said nothing, letting her talk. She was digging her own grave, and he was just handing her the shovel.

When she tried pulling him even closer, he placed a firm hand on her shoulder, stopping her. "Not here," he whispered. "Melly could wake up."

Nabi pouted. "Then let's meet somewhere private," she suggested, her voice dripping with need.

Arkins raised an eyebrow. "You really want it that bad?" he asked, pretending to be amused.

"Come on, I've been doing this since I was abroad," Nabi admitted carelessly. "It's nothing new."

Arkins fought the urge to smirk. So, she's that type.

"Wow…" He chuckled, pretending to be impressed. "You must've had a wild time in the U.S."

"You have no idea," Nabi said proudly.

Arkins nodded, mentally storing every word she said. Unbeknownst to her, he had been secretly recording their conversation on his phone. Just wait until tomorrow, he thought. You'll go down with your parents.

Meanwhile, as Nabi kissed him again, something strange happened—Melly, still asleep, saw everything in her nightmare. It wasn't just a dream. It was as if her mind had tuned into reality, showing her the betrayal happening right in front of her. She jolted slightly in her sleep but didn't wake up. Her subconscious already knew the truth.

---

The Next Morning

By the time the sun rose, Arkins had already left the house. Melly, still processing her nightmare, pretended to be asleep when he left. She didn't want to face him—not after what she had seen.

She wasn't sure if it was just a dream or something real, but either way, she felt something was off.

Hours later, the internet broke.

An anonymous hacker—someone other than Melly—had just dropped a bombshell. Scandalous pictures, videos, and recordings of Nabi's reckless activities in the U.S. had surfaced online. The posts spread like wildfire, trending across every social media platform, news channel, and gossip forum.

Nabi's reputation was in ruins.

Arkins smirked as he scrolled through the posts. He had collected all the dirt from the internet, compiled it with the recording he made last night, and leaked everything himself.

"Checkmate," he whispered to himself.

Nabi was about to fall—just like the rest of her family.

---

Meanwhile, in Nabi's House

Nabi's parents sat in their luxurious living room, watching in horror as news outlets blasted their daughter's scandal across every platform. Her father's grip tightened around his phone, his knuckles turning white.

"This is getting out of hand," he muttered under his breath before dialing Nabi's number.

"Nabi, pack your things and come to the island," he ordered the moment she answered. "It's no longer safe for you to stay there."

"But—"

"No arguments. Just do as I say," he snapped before hanging up.

Frustrated and shaken, Nabi grabbed her phone and stormed toward Melly's room. She shoved the screen in Melly's face, showing her the viral posts.

"Look at this! What the hell is happening?!" Nabi exclaimed.

Melly's eyes widened slightly as she scanned the evidence. Her mind raced. Somebody else is playing the game with me… but who? And why target Nabi?

Melly quickly masked her surprise. She crossed her arms, feigning indifference. "Relax. Scandals can't destroy you," she said coolly, knowing damn well that they could.

Nabi ran a hand through her hair in frustration. "I need to talk to Arkins."

Melly frowned. "Why do you want to talk to him?" she asked, suspicious.

"Because…" Nabi hesitated, then lowered her voice. "Some of the stuff I told him last night is in the uploads. Which makes no sense."

Melly's expression darkened. "Huh?" Her brows furrowed as she studied Nabi. "And why the hell would you tell him all that? Did you trust him that much?"

"Because yesterday we—" Nabi hesitated again, about to confess their kiss.

But before she could finish, Arkins walked in, his face unreadable.

"Hey, Nabi," he said smoothly, his voice laced with fake concern. "I saw the scandal… Whoever is behind this seems to be targeting your whole family now." He paused, studying her reaction. "Are you okay?"

Nabi scoffed, throwing her phone onto the couch. "No. Do I look okay?" she snapped.

As the conversation between them continued, Melly stood there, frozen, her mind spinning.

She didn't know what shocked her more—the fact that someone else was playing her game or the revelation that Arkins had somehow been involved in all of this.