2025-05-14 02:10:47
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Chapter 78Leo didn’t answer immediately.The silence stretched in the space between us like a wound. His expression was unreadable, caught somewhere between disappointment and disbelief.Finally, he exhaled and looked at me, not as an ally—but as a father figure forced to confront a choice he never wanted to make.“You sound just like Edwin,” he muttered.I flinched. “No. I’m nothing like him.”“Aren’t you?” He snapped, his voice rising. “You’re talking about power, control, territory—like it’s a game. Like lives don’t hang in the balance.”“I’m talking about survival,” I said through clenched teeth. “He’s taken everything from me. My people are either dead or missing. Marcus, Park… I can’t afford to play nice anymore.”Leo rubbed his face, weariness etched in every line. “Revenge has a price, son. You don’t know it yet, but you will.”“I’m not doing this for revenge.”He looked at me then, sharply. “Then why? Why risk becoming the very monster you’re trying to destroy?”“Because it’
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Chapter 77Inside was a flash drive. “This contains recordings. Meetings. Transactions. Documents Sterling never wanted seen. Enough to shake his empire. But you won’t be the only one after it. The moment you walk out of here, he’ll know I’ve picked a side.”“I’ll handle it.”He gave a thin smile. “I hope you’re as strong as you pretend to be. Because from this point on, the game changes. And people will die.”I pocketed the drive. “They’ve already started.”He stood, extending a hand. “Then let the war begin.”Back in the hotel, I locked the door and connected the drive to my laptop. What I saw made my skin crawl—bank records, surveillance footage of Nathan bribing school board officials, even videos of him threatening students and parents alike.One particular video caught my eye: it showed Edwin Sterling, sitting with city officials, discussing plans to tear down the original campus and replace it with a luxury resort. So this was never about education—it was about profit.A knock
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Chapter 76The thought of flying out of the little town scared the hell out of me. But still, it was of benefit not only to me but to the rest of the students whose lives were in the hands of Nathan and his cruel father. A man whom I had met once. “ Are you sure you really want to do this?” Leo looked at me. “ I know this is what your father had wanted but then I am beginning to have second doubts about it all. You can live the life you have always wanted. A life of peace away from all of this.” “ I have started this, Leo. I need to end it for all our sake.” I said packing a few of my things. “ What is going to happen in the meantime when you are away?” Ren looked at me. “ Nothing has changed, Ren. You and Park should coordinate the kids. Let them do more digging and find more about Nathan’s little experiment house. Also, let them know they have to keep their heads down till I am back. No one blows things out of proportion.” “ We have your back, Adrian. Always.” Park said with a
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Chapter 75Capturing Tessa and Damien was not a big hassle. I called Mr Davenport immediately. He and his wife were soon at the mansion’s doorstep to get Zee and also Tessa, who had been locked up in the attic. “ How is my daughter?” Mr Davenport asked, staring at me. “ She is fine. But we need to monitor her for a bit. She responded to treatment some few hits back.” “ And Tessa? Where is she?” Mrs Davenport asked “ I had her kept in the basement. Will you like for me to bring her out?” I asked, staring at her parents. “ No. I think she is not sober yet. I have always indulged her. I think it is time I let her know what I want and what I don't. If she can think of going ahead to hurt her sister, then I think she needs to pay the price.” Mr Davenport said, looking at me For a moment, I was lost. It felt too good to be true. One moment, the man was accusing me of trying to force myself on his daughter and the next, he was acknowledging me.He could see it in my eyes,” I am sorry I
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Chapter 74For a moment, I thought I had imagined it. My breath hitched, heart slamming so hard in my chest I swore the monitors could pick it up. I stared at her hand, frozen, willing it to move again.Then it did.A faint, unmistakable twitch.Not a spasm. Not a reflex. A movement."Zee?" I breathed, rising halfway from my chair, still holding her hand. "Zee, can you hear me?"She didn’t open her eyes, not yet. But her fingers moved again, slightly firmer this time, curling the tiniest bit around mine."Leo!" I shouted, not caring how loud I was. "Get the doctor! Now!"The door burst open almost instantly. Leo must’ve been standing nearby. He looked at Zee, then at me, wide-eyed, before walking as fast as he could down the hall.I turned back to her. Her chest still rose and fell steadily with the help of the machine, but there was a flicker of pink in her cheeks, a twitch in her eyelids. My heart threatened to burst from the hope clawing its way into me like light breaking through
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Chapter 73The silence in the car was deafening, only interrupted by the distant rumble of thunder rolling through the night sky. I peeped out a few times only to see the darkened skies. Rain hadn’t started yet, but the clouds above promised a downpour. Maybe it was fitting. Maybe the heavens were just holding their breath, the same way I was.I gripped the steering wheel tighter than necessary, my knuckles turning white. My mind kept playing the image of Zee’s fragile body, bruised and cold, over and over again like a cursed loop I couldn’t escape. Every second away from her felt like a betrayal, but I knew I had to do this. I had to face her father. I had to walk into the lion’s den, and I wasn't sure if I would come out alive. But I know I needed to try. I parked outside the Davenport estate. The security guards at the gate didn’t ask questions when they saw me; maybe they recognized the haunted look in my eyes, or maybe they already knew. Either way, they let me in, and I drov
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Chapter 72I stood frozen, the doctor's words slicing through my chest like a jagged blade. Might not wake up at all.Leo placed a hand on my shoulder, but I brushed it off. I didn’t need comfort. I needed Zee awake. I needed her breathing, talking, yelling—anything but lying in that sterile room like a ghost trapped between worlds.I can't even imagine what her father was going to do to me. He never wanted me for his daughter, and now she was teetering between life and death.I walked past the doctor without saying a word, pushing open the room doors. The strong scent of antiseptic stung my nose. Zee lay there, motionless, her body riddled with bruises and hooked up to IVs and monitors. Her face, though pale and still, held onto a fragility that made my chest ache.I sat beside her, taking her hand gently in mine. It was cold.“You can’t leave me,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “Do you hear me, Zee? You don’t get to leave me like this.”No movement.No flutter of her lashes.No squ
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Chapter 71 As I drove, my gaze was fixed on Zee, barely breathing. “ Hey, you are going to be fine, alright. Do you hear me, Zee? You are going to be fine. I am going to make sure of it!” I said with anger gushing right inside of me. I knew I should have taken her home, but the thought of having to deal with her father came to my mind. I don't want him to think I was trying to play cocky or smart with him.He was not going to believe I didn't have a hand in what was going on with Zee, so I might as well just take her to my house for proper monitoring. I looked back and I could see that her eyes were closed. I halted all of a sudden and kicked the door open. I rushed back to the back seat with my heart beating fast against my chest. I shook her severely. “ Zee! Talk to me, baby. Are you alright?” But no reply came except for the loud sound and blaring of car honks that were being blown as they drove up and down. I looked back, and I could see that some of the bystanders were now st
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Chapter 70Tessa stared at me in silence, her face unreadable. For a second, I thought she would lash out, throw something, scream, or even. But she did none of that.Instead, she let out a cold, clipped laugh. “You’re good, Adrian. You’ve grown teeth. The Adrain that I know would bend his knees and beg me to spare her life.”I let out a gentle smile, “I’ve always had them,” I replied. “You just didn’t notice because you were too busy playing god. Do you think I won't be able to see right through you? Why do you think I came to you when I should have gone to any of those rich and fancy girls on campus?” “ Do you think I care? You really think you have been using me all this while?” She moved closer until we were face to face. “You think this is a game? Do you really believe I’m bluffing with Zee’s life? Because if you do, then you really are stupid.”I didn’t flinch. “And you think I care if you kill her? Go ahead. Prove to everyone just how heartless you are. She isn't my family. S
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