Chapter Nine

Justin froze in place, his eyes widening in a mix of confusion and shock as Ayva's piercing scream filled the air. She was consumed by fear, it was evident in the way her voice trembled and her hands shook uncontrollably.

"Don't come any closer!" "Stay away from me!" Her words echoed in his ears.

Justin, who had been attentively watching Ayva from his seat in the audience had immediately sensed that something was wrong during her Q/A session. He had immediately followed her without a moment of hesitation when she hastily fled the room.

But the way she was looking at him now, a combination of fear and anger in her tear-streaked face, made his heart sink. It was as if... as if she believed something unthinkable.

"Surely you don't think that I'm..." Justin's voice trailed off, his words hanging in the charged atmosphere. He had refused to accept the horrifying possibility that had crossed his mind but then, her reaction, her tears proved that he was right.

He stared down at Ayva, his e