C - 9

3 2 0
                                    

---

Shenaya clenched her fists, her heart torn in two. She didn’t love Zachary. Not anymore. The man she had once cared for had become a monster, consumed by his obsession. But how many more people would suffer if she refused?

Slowly, Shenaya rose to her feet, her body trembling with the weight of her decision. She knew what she had to do.

With a deep breath, she stepped out of the shadows, into the light of the burning city. Zachary’s helicopter circled overhead, its searchlight casting a spotlight on her as if the entire world was watching.

She could see the dark silhouette of Zachary standing on a nearby rooftop, waiting—waiting for her to give him the answer he demanded. For a moment, their eyes locked, and despite everything, Shenaya felt the gravity of his presence. The weight of his desire. His control.

But this time, she would not break so easily.

“I’m here,” Shenaya called out, her voice steady despite the chaos around her.

Zachary’s figure moved closer to the edge of the rooftop, his voice booming over the speakers once again. “Then you know what I want.”

Shenaya swallowed hard. “I do,” she said, her voice barely audible now. “But this isn’t love, Zachary. This is control. You think you can keep me by burning everything in your path? Destroying lives, cities, all for me?”

Zachary’s voice softened, though the power in his words remained. “All I want is you, Shenaya. Marry me, and it all ends. I’ll stop everything.”

Shenaya closed her eyes, the weight of the decision pressing down on her. Marry him, and she could save the city. Refuse, and who knew how far he would go?

But even as her heart ached, she knew the truth. She couldn’t give in. She couldn’t let Zachary control her life anymore. Love wasn’t built on fear, on destruction. It was built on trust—something they had long since lost.

Finally, she opened her eyes, meeting Zachary’s gaze with newfound strength. “I won’t marry you, Zachary,” she said firmly. “Not like this.”

Zachary’s silence was deafening, the tension between them palpable as the fire blazed around them. For a moment, Shenaya thought he might retaliate—push further in his desperate pursuit. But then, something shifted in his eyes. A realization, perhaps. That no matter how much power he held, he couldn’t force her love.

A long pause followed, the crackling of the flames the only sound in the distance.

Zachary finally spoke, his voice filled with bitter resignation. “You’ll regret this.”

Shenaya watched him turn away, his figure disappearing into the shadows as the helicopter flew off into the night. The fires still burned, but she knew, deep down, that the worst was over.

–––––––––––

A vote will do to make me happy.

VEIL OF RICHES (Elite Shadow serie #1)Where stories live. Discover now