Chapter 155
I was barely back in my room when the guards came for me again. It hadn’t even been long enough to catch my breath, but it didn’t matter to them. They yanked me out of the room like I was nothing. I knew better than to fight, but I had something this time, something that made me feel a little braver Hidden in my bra was the shiv I’d made the last time I stayed in that room, back when fear ruled every minute. It was small, sharp, and dangerous, and I had every intention of using it.
I was going to kill him. I was going to kill that bastard, Dax, and put an end to this nightmare. The thought burned in my mind, giving me the courage I needed to stay calm, even as the guards dragged me down the hall. My hands itched to grab the shiv, but I had to wait for the right moment. Not yet.
As we stepped into the main hall, the sight that greeted me made my stomach turn. It was like some kind of twisted show, and Aston was the main act. He was on display for everyone to see, slumped over, barely able to hold himself up. The sight of him stopped me in my tracks. Aston looked awful-worse than I’d ever seen him. His face was swollen, bruises covered his body, and though the bleeding had stopped, he was a mess. It looked like they’d used him as a human punching bag, and from the way he was breathing, shallow and laboured, it wasn’t over.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to look away, but my eyes kept drifting back to him. How could they do this? How could anyone let this happen?
And then I saw them. Sitting like some twisted panel of judges, Mara was perched next to Brax, looking cold and uninterested. Her eyes didn’t even flicker as she glanced over at Aston. Laura sat beside Dax, her face expressionless, as if she were just another spectator at a casual event. I couldn’t believe it.
What the hell was this?
I bit my lip, hard, trying to keep myself from shouting. My fingers curled into fists at my sides, my nails digging into my palms. The guards pushed me forward, closer to the scene. I didn’t want to be any nearer to this madness, but I had no choice.
“What’s going on?” I muttered, though no one answered.
I couldn’t take my eyes off Aston. He was barely conscious, swaying slightly where he stood, his head hanging low. Every part of me wanted to run to him, to help him, but I couldn’t. Not yet. I couldn’t do anything until I knew what this was. Why they’d brought me here.
Dax stood up slowly, like he had all the time in the world, and walked towards Aston. The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. He stopped in front of Aston, looking down at him like he was something disgusting stuck to the bottom of his shoe.
“You should’ve known better, Aston,” Brax said, his voice calm, almost bored. “You never stood a chance.”
Aston didn’t respond, didn’t even lift his head. He just stood there, taking whatever Brax dished out, too beaten down to fight back.
My hand twitched, itching to reach for the shiv. I was so close to just doing it. Ending this. But I held back. There were too many guards, too many people. If I went for Brax now, I’d be dead before I even got close.
“Is this all just some game to you?” I spat, unable to keep the anger out of my voice any longer. “What are you doing to him?”
Brax turned his head slightly, barely acknowledging me. “A lesson,” he said simply, like it was obvious. “Aston needs to be reminded of his place.”
I clenched my fists tighter, trying to keep my anger in check. “He’s had enough.”
Brax raised an eyebrow, amused by my outburst. “You think this is about what he deserves? This is about power. Control.
Aston needs to learn that he has none.”
I gritted my teeth, feeling the shiv pressing against my skin, reminding me that it was still there. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, the urge to do something, anything, nearly overwhelming me.
And then Brax spoke, his voice cutting through the tension like a knife. “Kira, you’re here because I want you to see what happens when people step out of line. When they forget how to be nice.”
I glared at him, not caring if he saw the hatred in my eyes. “You think this is going to scare me?”
Dax smirked. “I think it’s going to remind you of your place.”
I glanced over at Laura, expecting her to say something, to do something, but she remained silent. Her eyes were on Dax, but there was no fight in her now. Not like before. She looked tired, defeated, like she’d given up. And that scared me more than anything.
“What do you want from me?” I asked, my voice trembling slightly. “What’s the point of all this?”
Brax stepped closer to me, his eyes narrowing as he spoke. “The point, Kira, is that you’re not in control here. You never were. And Aston? Well, he thought he could change that. He was wrong.”
I swallowed hard, trying to keep my fear at bay. I knew I had to stay strong, for Aston, for myself. But the weight of it all was crushing me.
Aston didn’t move, didn’t even flinch. He just stood there, broken and silent.
The moment I thought everything was over, a bomb went off. The explosion shook the room, and suddenly, there was chaos everywhere. People were shouting, panicking, running in every direction. Smoke filled the air, and through the confusion, I heard them start blaming each other. Brax and Dax’s men were shouting back and forth, accusing each other of setting the bomb, even though none of them had a clue what was really happening.
I didn’t waste any time. While they were distracted, I grabbed the sharp piece of metal I’d hidden earlier and began cutting the ropes binding Aston. My hands shook, not just from fear but from the rush of adrenaline pumping through my veins. The sound of gunfire cracked in the distance, but I blocked it out, focusing on freeing Aston. His breathing was shallow, and I wasn’t sure how much longer he’d last.
“Come on, Aston,” I whispered as I worked, my heart racing. “Just hold on.”
Finally, the ropes snapped loose, and Aston slumped forward into my arms. He was heavy, much heavier than I expected, but I managed to get him up, leaning most of his weight on me. He groaned in pain, his body weak from the beating he’d taken, but he was conscious. That was enough for now.
The gunshots were getting closer, and I knew we didn’t have much time. I glanced around, seeing nothing but confusion and smoke. Brax’s men had turned on Dax’s, firing wildly at each other, and it seemed like no one even noticed us slipping away.
I dragged Aston towards the exit, my legs shaking from the effort, but I didn’t care. All I needed was to get him out of there. My heart pounded in my chest, the sound of gunfire and shouting filling my ears, but we made it outside. Aston’s men were already there, some of them pulling up in cars, others rushing toward us to help. I could’ve cried in relief.
Two of Aston’s men came up and took him from me, guiding him toward one of the cars. He was barely able to stand, but at least now he had support.
Just when I thought we were in the clear, Brax and Dax staggered out of the building. Both of them were covered in blood, their clothes soaked through like they’d just been through hell. Brax was limping, clutching his side, while Dax looked like he was barely holding on to consciousness.
Aston saw them too, and even though he was weak, I saw him move. He pushed himself up in the seat, reaching out toward Brax. Despite everything, despite all the pain Brax had caused, Aston couldn’t just sit there and watch his brother die.
“Brax!” Aston called out, his voice hoarse and strained.
Brax looked over, his eyes filled with a strange mix of regret and anger. He stumbled towards us, and Aston reached for him trying to stop the bleeding. His hands were shaking, and I could see how much it hurt him to see his brother like the
“This… this wouldn’t have happened if you had just loved me right,” Brax whispered, his voice barely audible over the chann His eyes fluttered shut, and I watched as his body went limp.
Aston let out a growl, something deep and broken Inside him. It was the first time I’d ever seen him cry Tem fromed down his face, mixing with the blood on his hands. He shook his head, refusing to let go of Brax, even though there was nothing more he could do.Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.
I stood there, frozen for a moment, watching Aston fall apart. This wasn’t the man I knew, the strong, ferien leader whore always had control. This was a brother who’d just lost the person he’d grown up with, someone who, despite everything, he still loved.
But Dax? Dax was still alive, leaning against the side of the building. Something inside me snapped then. All the anger, the fear, the pain I’d been holding in came rushing to the surface.
Without thinking, I grabbed the shiv from my bra, my hand gripping it so tightly my knuckles turned white. I didn’t even hear Aston’s voice when he called out to me. I was already walking toward Dax.
Dax looked up at me, a weak smile tugging at his lips. He thought he’d get away with everything, He thought he could keep doing this, hurting people, ruining lives.
Not anymore.
I didn’t say a word as I reached him. His eyes widened as he saw the blade in my hand, but he didn’t have the strength to stop me. I plunged the shiv into his chest, feeling the resistance as it cut through flesh. Dax gasped, his mouth opening in a silent scream, but I didn’t stop. I twisted the blade, making sure it would be the last thing he ever felt.
He slumped to the ground, lifeless, and I stood there, staring down at him. My chest was heaving, my hands shaking, but I felt nothing. No regret, no guilt. Just relief.
It was over.
Aston’s sobs brought me back to the moment, and I turned to see him still holding Brax’s body, his face buried in his brother’s chest.