Sins of Dominion

Chapter 22: The Final Stand

Evelyn

The air was thick with tension as we made our way through the dimly lit corridors of Dominion University. The campus, usually so alive with activity, was now eerily quiet, as if the entire world was holding its breath, waiting for the storm to break. The only sound was the echo of our footsteps against the cold stone floor, a steady rhythm that did little to calm the racing of my heart.

Dominic’s grip on my hand was firm, his expression set in a mask of determination that hid the turmoil I knew was brewing beneath the surface. I could feel the tension in his body, the way his muscles coiled with barely restrained anger, and it only made my own anxiety spike higher.

We were headed to the one place where this all began—the old greenhouse. The message from Isabella had been clear. She was waiting for us, ready for the final confrontation. It was a trap, I knew that much, but we had no choice but to walk into it. There was no more running, no more hiding. This would end tonight, one way or another.

As we stepped out into the cool night air, I felt a shiver run down my spine. The sky was overcast, the moon hidden behind thick clouds, casting the world in shadows. It was the perfect backdrop for what felt like the climax of some dark, twisted fairytale.

Dominic paused at the entrance to the greenhouse, his hand tightening around mine as he turned to look at me. “Are you ready for this?” he asked, his voice low and steady, though I could hear the concern that laced his words.

I nodded, my resolve hardening as I looked into his eyes. “I’m ready. We face her together.”

A flicker of something passed through his gaze—pride, maybe, or something deeper—but he didn’t say anything more. Instead, he pushed open the door, and we stepped inside.

The greenhouse was as foreboding as ever, the overgrown plants and cracked glass giving it an air of abandonment and decay. But tonight, there was something different, something that made my skin crawl. The air was heavy with tension, charged with an almost palpable energy that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

Isabella was waiting for us.

She stood in the center of the greenhouse, her back to us, her posture as poised and elegant as always. The dim light from the single hanging bulb cast long shadows across her face, but I could still see the cold, calculating glint in her eyes when she finally turned to face us.

“Dominic. Evelyn.” Her voice was as smooth and controlled as ever, but there was an edge to it, a sharpness that hadn’t been there before. “I’m glad you could make it.”

Dominic stepped forward, his body tense and ready, his gaze locked onto his sister’s. “This ends now, Isabella,” he said, his voice hard and unyielding. “We’re not playing your games anymore.”

She tilted her head slightly, a small, almost amused smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “You’ve grown bold, brother. I wonder who I have to thank for that?”

Her gaze flicked to me, and I felt a chill run through my veins. There was something predatory in her eyes, something that made me want to take a step back, but I held my ground.

“You’ve had your fun,” I said, my voice stronger than I felt. “But it’s over now. We’re not afraid of you anymore.”

Isabella’s smile widened, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Oh, Evelyn. You’ve always been so naive. You think this is about fear? About control? This is about survival. About power. And you… you’re just in the way.”

She took a step closer, her eyes narrowing as she looked at me. “You’ve made my brother weak. You’ve filled his head with these foolish notions of love and freedom, and now look at him—he’s a shadow of the man he once was.”