LETTERS OF A VIRGIN

24. Sin City and Demands

VARYNUS GALYNER POV

The sun blazed low over the Nevada desert, casting a merciless glare across the barren landscape as we sped toward the family compound. Dust rose in spirals around the vehicle, dancing in the air like ghosts of the past-ghosts of betrayal. My hands clenched the steering wheel tightly, a storm brewing inside me. Jonathan sat beside me, his jaw locked, the weight of what was to come heavy on both of us. We didn't need to speak; we both knew Maya had taken Nicolas from me, and nothing could wash away that stain.

When the compound's steel doors came into view, I felt a surge of cold anger. I had already locked Maya and Lana away in a windowless cell. Chains bound their wrists to a freezing metal bed. It wasn't cruelty-it was justice. They had to understand the price of silence, and I would make sure they did.

I stepped out of the vehicle, the dust settling around us. Jonathan followed closely as we reached the door to their cell. I turned to him, my voice low and firm. "Open it."

Without a word, Jonathan twisted the handle. The door groaned open, revealing the stark, cramped room. Maya and Lana were shackled to the bed, their faces pale, their eyes flickering between fear and defiance. I let the silence stretch, the tension suffocating the air around us.

I stepped inside slowly, the weight of my gaze resting on Maya. "We need to talk about Nicolas."

Her head dropped, her dark hair falling in front of her face like a shield. But I could see the anguish in the lines of her body, and for a moment, it satisfied me. It wasn't enough to soothe the rage boiling in my chest, but it was something. The flickering television in the corner painted the room in a dull, flickering light. A

perfect setting for the moment to come. With a click, I turned on the screen. The image of Paris appeared, her body trembling, her face contorted in agony as the torture unfolded in brutal detail.

Maya's head snapped up, her eyes

widening with horror.

"No! No, please! Turn it off!" Her voice cracked as the panic set in. She struggled against the chains, tears streaming down her cheeks. But I watched her crumble with cold detachment. Her pain was a mere echo of what I felt when I lost Nicolas.

"Watch it," I commanded, my voice like ice. "Watch it, and know this is the price of your silence."

Her sobs filled the room, a pitiful sound that grated on my nerves. I turned off the screen, letting the silence settle like dust over the room. "Maya, we have unfinished business."

Her chest heaved with sobs. "You don't understand... I can't do this. Nicolas... he was supposed to protect me! He promised me."

"Nicolas is dead," I said flatly, my words sharp and cutting. "He's gone because you couldn't stay out of this mess. Malcolm Erin killed him trying to bring down a network-one you're connected to. You're the reason he's gone. And now, Paris will die too unless you talk."

Her lips trembled as she looked at me, wide-eyed. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen!"

Jonathan stepped forward, his shadow looming behind me, adding weight to my next words. "If you don't tell me what you know about Silver Wheels, Paris will die. You'll have blood on your hands. Again."

Maya's breathing grew ragged. "Who is Silver Wheels?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

I took a step closer, towering over her. "Don't insult me. You know exactly who I'm talking about."

Maya trembled, the fear in her eyes warring with the guilt that clung to her like a second skin. My mind flashed back to my engagement day with Claudia-Nicolas and Maya had been inseparable, always whispering about Silver Wheels. I'd overheard them, and now it was all crashing down.

"I loved him," Maya whispered, her voice thick with desperation. "You don't understand. His father forced him to marry someone else, but we were meant to be together."

"What did you really want from him, Maya?" I hissed, leaning closer, my voice dripping with venom. "What was your plan?"

Her eyes welled with tears as she choked on her next words. "We... we had a deal. Nicolas... he made a deal with the Russians. He promised them traffickers in exchange for billions. It was our way out-our escape. But everything went wrong. And now I'm alone."

The confession hit me like a blow to the chest. So this was what Nicolas had been hiding-his recklessness, his selfishness. He had put everything on the line for her. And for what? A fantasy that tore our world apart.

"You're the reason he's dead," I said, my voice low, dangerous. "Your greed, your selfishness-you killed him.”

Maya's sobs turned into wretched cries, her body shaking as she tried to find her voice, but I didn't care. She had earned this.

Suddenly, Lana screamed, her voice cutting through the room. "You monster! How could you do this? You shot her!"

I turned to face her, the broken plaster on her arm a reminder of the chaos I had unleashed. "Lana, shut up," Maya snapped weakly, but Lana was relentless.

"It's not fair! You're a demon! Look at what you've done to us!"

I took a step closer, my lips curling into a smirk. "Quite the performance, Lana. But your pain means nothing to me."

Maya's voice broke as she pleaded, "Please, Varynus. Let Paris go. She's innocent. Hurting her won't change anything."

"I don't care about innocence," I spat. "This is about truth. Nicolas is gone because of your lies and secrets. You will speak, or Paris will suffer."

"I swear, I don't know much!" Maya sobbed, her words spilling out in desperation. "Nicolas and Silver Wheels met at Lost Souls Hub. I don't know why! I don't know who Silver Wheels really is!"

I grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at me. "You're lying. You're hiding something, and I will tear it out of you piece by piece if I have to."

Maya's eyes were wild, filled with terror. "Please, Varynus. I'll do anything, just let Paris go. Please... I beg you."

I released her with a shove, my patience wearing thin. "When I return, I expect answers. If you fail to deliver, Paris dies. Your guilt, your truth, is all that can save her now."

As I turned to leave, the heavy weight of the moment bore down on me. Maya had given me a lead, but it felt hollow, incomplete. And yet, the hunt for Silver Wheels was only beginning. The past was catching up, and soon, no one would escape its grasp.

_____

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