Gossip girl

"When people play with fire, they often forget... some fires don't just burn, they consume. And Upper East Siders, this blaze is far from over. XOXO, Gossip Girl."

---

Aryan's Calculations

I watched the sun rise over Manhattan from the floor-to-ceiling windows of my penthouse, coffee in hand, mind already racing. Gabriel thought he could threaten me? That he could loom like a shadow over Serena?

No. I didn't play games with people like him—I ended them.

By noon, my team of lawyers had buried him under lawsuits and asset freezes. It was the slow strangulation of a man who had made a fatal mistake—underestimating me.

Gossip Girl (Text Blast):

"They say revenge is best served cold. But someone's turning up the heat on our favorite Upper East Side outcast. Careful, Gabriel, you might just get burned. XOXO."

---

Serena's Suspicion

"You've been... busy," Serena murmured, her fingers tracing the rim of her coffee cup as we sat in her kitchen later that morning.

There was a question in her voice—and I knew what she was asking without her saying it. She wasn't naive. She knew Gabriel's sudden disappearance wasn't coincidence.

"I took care of it," I said, meeting her gaze without hesitation. "He won't bother you again."

Her eyes searched mine, a mix of relief and worry flickering across her face.

"Aryan... what did you do?" she whispered, voice barely above a breath.

"What needed to be done," I replied softly, brushing my thumb over her hand. "To protect you. Always."

There was a moment of silence, heavy with unspoken truths. And then she nodded, trusting me... for now.

---

Blair's Chess Game

Blair Waldorf never missed a shift in the social balance—and Aryan Jain was shifting it, subtly but surely.

As she strolled through Central Park, arm linked with Nate's, her mind wasn't on their conversation. It was on Aryan—and the way Serena looked at him lately, like he was both her savior and her secret.

"Serena always falls fast... but this feels different."

"B, you okay?" Nate asked, sensing her distraction.

"Just thinking," she replied with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

Blair Waldorf didn't like not knowing what game was being played. And she was determined to find out.

---

Gossip Girl (Text Blast):

"Spotted: Queen B with a lot on her mind. Wondering what, B? Or should we say... who? Watch your back. XOXO."

---

The Trap Springs

By afternoon, Gabriel was done. His accounts were empty. His business connections burned. Even his apartment was under foreclosure.

I got the call confirming it as I stood on the rooftop garden of The Palace, watching the city beneath me.

"He's out," my head of security said simply.

"Good. Make sure he stays that way," I replied.

And just like that, Gabriel was a ghost.

---

Chuck's Realization

Chuck Bass wasn't blind. He knew when someone was playing the long game—and Aryan was playing it better than anyone Chuck had ever seen.

"So... Gabriel just vanishes overnight," Chuck mused, nursing his glass of bourbon as he and Nate lounged in the suite.

"Good riddance," Nate muttered, scrolling through his phone.

But Chuck wasn't so quick to dismiss it. "No one vanishes that fast without help."

He knew Aryan was behind it—the precision, the ruthlessness. And Chuck respected it... but he also wondered how far Aryan was willing to go.

"We're not so different, you and I," Chuck thought, a slow smile playing at his lips.

---

Gossip Girl (Text Blast):

"Looks like the Upper East Side just lost one player... but don't worry, darlings. The game's far from over. XOXO."

---

A Quiet Victory

That evening, Serena and I stood on her balcony, the city lights stretching out before us. She leaned against me, her head on my shoulder, the tension finally draining from her body.

"I don't know what I'd do without you," she whispered.

I pressed a kiss to her hair, knowing full well I'd cross any line to keep her safe. Even the lines I swore I never would.

"You'll never have to find out," I promised.

---

Gossip Girl (Final Text Blast of the Night):

"And just like that, the storm passes... or does it? Because on the Upper East Side, the calm never lasts for long. Sweet dreams, darlings. XOXO, Gossip Girl."