VEIL OF RICHES (Elite Shadow serie #1)

C - 10

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With a deep breath, she stepped out of the shadows, into the light of the burning city.

The smoke swirled around her, casting eerie shadows across her face as she stood tall, facing the chaos Zachary had created. Her heart raced, but she knew she couldn’t let fear control her anymore.

From above, the helicopter spotlight locked onto her, illuminating her form in the midst of the burning streets. The moment felt surreal, like something out of a nightmare. In the distance, Shenaya could see Zachary standing on a rooftop, watching her intently. His dark silhouette was ominous against the orange glow of the fires he had set.

“Shenaya…” Zachary’s voice echoed through the loudspeakers again, but this time it was softer, almost tender. “There you are. You’ve always known I’d find you.”

Shenaya stared up at him, her chest tightening with both anger and sorrow. This man—this monster—had burned an entire city to the ground, all because she had escaped him. And now, he wanted to force her into a marriage built on fear and manipulation.

But Shenaya wasn’t the same woman who had once loved him. She had grown stronger, braver. She wouldn’t be broken so easily.

She took a few steps forward, her voice steady as she called out to him. “You think this is love, Zachary? You think burning down an entire city proves that you care for me?”

Zachary descended from the rooftop, coming down the metal stairway until he stood only a few feet away from her. The heat from the flames flickered in his intense gaze, but there was something else there—an unrelenting need, one that had long since crossed the line into obsession.

“I would burn the whole world for you,” he said darkly. “Marry me, Shenaya. That’s all I ask. End this war, and I will give you everything.”

Shenaya shook her head, her heart breaking at what he had become. “This isn’t love, Zachary. It’s madness. You can’t control me anymore.”

Zachary’s jaw clenched, frustration flashing across his features. “I don’t need to control you. I want you by my side. We could have everything together.”

“No,” Shenaya whispered, her voice filled with both sorrow and resolve. “You destroyed the very thing you claimed to love. There’s no going back.”

For a moment, they stood in silence, the crackling of the fire filling the space between them. Zachary’s eyes softened, as if he were trying to understand how he had lost her, how she had slipped through his grasp.

“You’re making a mistake,” he said quietly, his voice trembling with barely contained emotion. “You’ll regret this.”

Shenaya took a step back, knowing that her decision would cost her. But deep down, she knew it was the right one. She couldn’t sacrifice herself for a love that had turned into something so dark.

“I’d rather regret this than live in a world where I’m your prisoner,” she replied, her voice unwavering.

The words hung in the air, heavy with finality. Zachary’s expression hardened, his eyes narrowing as he realized she wasn’t going to give in. In that moment, Shenaya saw the dangerous man behind the obsession—the one who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.

As the fire raged on around them, Zachary turned to his men, his voice cold and commanding. “Find her. Burn everything if you have to.”

Shenaya’s heart raced as Zachary’s soldiers moved forward, ready to carry out his orders. She knew she had to run, but as she turned to flee, she heard him call out one last time.

“This isn’t over, Shenaya! One way or another, you’ll be mine.”

Shenaya glanced back at him, her resolve stronger than ever. “No, Zachary. I’ll never be yours.”

With that, she disappeared into the night, leaving the burning city—and Zachary’s madness—behind her.

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A vote will do to make me happy.

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