ZionThe whole time, I didn’t move from where I stood. I was so shocked by how everything had unfolded that I didn’t know what to say for the next few minutes or if there was even anything to say.So I just leaned against the wall, with my arms crossed, keeping the distance between us like that would somehow make this whole thing less real. Ellen kept pacing in front of me, her heels clicking on the floor in this restless rhythm like she had something to say, but just couldn’t get it off her mind, yet. She kept smoothing her blouse, tucking her hair behind her ear, then tugging it loose again, like she couldn’t decide whether she wanted to look in control or admit she was falling apart.“Zion,” she said suddenly, snapping her head toward me so fast it startled me. Her eyes burned in a way that felt off, not fiery, but desperate. But before she said anything else, she shot me this sheepish smile. “You keep saying I’ve crossed some line, but don’t you get it? I did it for you. Every sin

AriaI knew something was wrong the second the clock ticked past midnight, and my phone still hadn’t buzzed. Zion had said he needed some time to think things over and would let me know what he had settled on today. He was never late without a reason, and he always made sure I knew where he was. Even if he was too busy to call, he would send me a quick text, just to let me know. He had never left me waiting like this, and the silence pressed heavier with every passing minute.At first, I told myself not to panic. I made tea and sat by the window, trying to calm down. Maybe he had been caught up in something, I thought. Maybe he was sorting through everything in his head after what I told him about Ellen. He would need time, I told myself. He would come back with answers. But as the minutes dragged into hours, my chest grew tighter, and the tea went cold, untouched.I scrolled through my messages again, even though I already knew I hadn’t missed anything. I called him once, then again,

AriaI think I may have been unconscious for a long time, because when I opened my eyes, it felt like I had been underwater too long. Everything was blurry, my ears were ringing, and for a second, I couldn’t remember where I was. I blinked slowly, trying to pull the pieces back together. What was I doing here? How did I get here? And that was when the pounding ache at the back of my head reminded me.The warehouse. I was at the warehouse for Zion!I was lying on the cold floor, with my cheek pressed against the rough concrete. My hands felt heavy as I pushed myself up, and the effort made my head spin so hard I almost collapsed again. I took in a deep breath and forced myself to stay upright, even though my body begged me to lie back down.The room was dim now, lit only by a single bulb that swung slightly overhead. I could see shadows stretched across the walls like long fingers, and for a second, I wondered if I was alone. That was when I heard it again. The faint sound of Zion’s vo

AriaWhen I heard the sound of the metal above us groaning like it might give way at any second, I was so petrified by fear that I didn’t know what to do or how to even react. It felt like this was unreal. This could not be happening, but as I heard the metal overhead creak more, that’s when it hit me, this wasn’t a dream. It was real.After I shook off the fear, I scrambled forward, trying to loosen the knots around his arms, but Ellen’s voice stopped me cold.“You know, I could end this right now,” she said. Her tone was light, almost casual, like we were talking over coffee instead of standing in a room where Zion’s life was hanging by a literal metal thread.I turned toward her instantly, my eyes raw with desperation. “What are you talking about?”She smirked softly, and it was calm in a way that made my skin crawl. “The beam, ropes. All of this. I could stop it right now. If you do one thing for me.”My heart dropped at the mischief in her tone. “What thing?”“Let him go.” She sa