Bound by Shadows

33

"Mad dog?" Zavian's voice bounced off the walls of his office, sharp and agitated.

"Yeah, he's the one screwing with our operations. Ethan Calbert is one of his lackeys," Caelus replied in a flat tone, barely looking up. "You know anything about him?"

Zavian gave a slow nod, his expression darkening. "He's a faceless, ruthless bastard. Never shows himself, only sends his puppets. But why would he target you?" He turned his gaze toward me, waiting for an answer I couldn't find. My mind was a mess, tangled in the chaos of everything that had happened. I sat in silence, too drained to respond.

"You aren't even tied to the mafia," Zavian added, confusion lacing his words.

"Technically, she is," Tadashi chimed in from his spot near the door, ready to bolt if Zavian's temper flared again. "By blood, she's your sister, so that's enough."

"Shut up," Zavian snapped, rolling his eyes, clearly irritated. "Why are you even here?"

"Because," Caelus cut in before Tadashi could answer, "he found the guy who made the call."

Zavian's curiosity piqued. "Where?"

Tadashi straightened, taking the opening. "We've narrowed it down to somewhere along Riverside Drive."

Zavian waved dismissively. "That's common knowledge. It's a damn big area. Worthless information." He turned to Caelus. "I'll send my men—"

"No need," Caelus interrupted. "I've already taken care of it."

Zavian's eyes shifted from Caelus to me, his expression softening. "You good?"

I wasn't. My heart pounded, anxiety clawing at my chest. Every nerve felt raw. "Can... can I go to Phoebe's house this week?" My voice cracked.

Caelus shot me a sharp look, his grip tightening on the chair, clearly caught off guard. Zavian arched a brow. Of course, Caelus was irritated—I hadn't told him anything, just like he never told me when he made decisions that affected us both.

Zavian's demeanor shifted. After a beat, he relented. "Fine. Stay at Phoebe's. I'll send a few men to watch over you."

I nodded, muttered a quick thanks, and hurried out of the office, snatching up my bag. I needed to get out. Away from the suffocating weight of their world, this dark, twisted place I never belonged in. Everything was crushing me—the lies, the false hope, the endless disappointments. I needed air.

"Zanya!" Caelus's voice echoed behind me, his footsteps closing in. "Zanya!" he called again, more urgent this time.

I ignored him, forcing my legs to keep moving, refusing to look back. But when he yelled my name again, louder, more desperate, my feet stopped on their own. I cursed myself, wanting to run, to escape before I gave in—before I saw his face and fell for his lies all over again.

"What's wrong?" His voice was softer now, his hand reaching out to touch me. I felt him close, but I turned to face him anyway, my heart breaking one last time. The tears I'd been holding back threatened to spill, but I was so tired. Tired of crying. Tired of hoping.

His brows furrowed as he read the pain on my face. I reached into my bag, pulled out the folded document I'd been holding onto since we got back, and shoved it hard into his chest.

His jaw tightened, muscles twitching beneath the surface as he clicked the file open. The weight of silence hung in the air as his frown deepened, fingers tracing the rough edge of his jaw. His eyes flickered across the paper, the tension in his body rippling with every breath.

Finally, my voice broke the silence, low and bitter. "You served me divorce papers."

He stood there in silence, the hallway feeling like it was just the two of us, though Zavian's men passed by in the background and Tadashi lurked near the door. He must've sensed the gravity of the moment because he quietly slipped away, knowing this wasn't some petty lovers' quarrel.

Caelus's icy blue eyes locked onto mine, but there was something there I hadn't seen before. Fear. Raw and desperate.

"I can explain, please... fuck, please don't leave me," he stammered, his voice cracking. The divorce papers slipped from his hands, fluttering to the floor as he pulled me into his arms. His grip was tight, trembling, but I stood there, cold and unmoving.

With what little anger I had left, I shoved him away. My hands were freezing, my head throbbing, my heart screaming at me to stay while my mind fought to break free.

"I'm done," I spat, my voice shaking with fury. "I'm done waiting for you to get your shit together. I'm done begging for the bare minimum—just for you to tell me the truth instead of finding out when it's too late. I kept forgiving, kept understanding, and for what? For this? For betrayal? For constantly being kept in the dark?"

"Zanya, please... I was wrong," he pleaded, his voice barely above a whisper.

"You are wrong!" I screamed, the sound bouncing off the walls. "You were the reason I wanted to fly back to New York! The divorce papers were dated the day of the accident." My chest heaved as I gasped for air, the pain in my heart almost unbearable. "You were the reason I got hurt in the first place. Everything that's happened—it's all because of you."

Caelus flinched like I'd struck him. His mouth opened, words forming, but nothing came out. He stood there, speechless, as if my truth had ripped the air from his lungs.

"I never should have married you. I regret every single second I wasted on you. Loving you was the worst decision of my life—no, you were the worst decision. I regret giving you my heart when you barely deserved my attention. You were nothing but a selfish, hollow void, and I hate myself for ever thinking you were more. Every day with you was a slow death, and I can't believe I lowered myself to your level. I regret every kind word, every compromise, every moment I stood by your side when you weren't worth standing next to. You drained me, sucked the life out of me, and left me with nothing but resentment. I wish I could erase every memory, every touch, every second I spent loving someone as worthless as you for the second time."

I sucked in a sharp breath, but the damage was done. The words I never meant to say had already escaped, hanging heavy in the air, impossible to take back. Caelus just stood there, motionless, absorbing each cruel syllable. His face remained frozen, but then—just one tear broke free, tracing a slow path down his cheek. His eyes... they were empty, hollow, like I'd ripped something vital from him, as if I had killed the very light inside him.

Every word I had spoken, every truth I had thrown at him, had carved away at whatever love, or hope, or belief he had left. He didn't fight back, didn't argue or beg anymore. He just stared at me, like he was already gone, like I had killed the last piece of him that had been holding on. And as I turned away, my heart splintering under the weight of it all, I heard his voice, broken and small, whisper behind me, "What's left for me, if you leave?"

"You should have thought of it in the first place," I whispered back, walking away.