All That's Left

Chapter 33 | Vania

The dull, pounding ache in my head was the first thing I noticed when I woke up. My vision blurred, and it took a few seconds to piece together where I was—the house. Lucas had knocked me out, and I was still tied up in the dim room he'd thrown me in. My arms felt raw from the rope cutting into my wrists, but that wasn't what had me scared. No, it was the sight of Lucas, moving around the room with a wicked smile on his face, getting ready for something.

I blinked through the pain, trying to sit up. "W-Where are you going?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. It was all I could manage.

He didn't even bother looking at me as he slipped on his jacket. "To take care of your little boyfriend once and for all."

My heart clenched, panic flooding my system. 

Dorian.

He would be coming here once he figured out where I was, and Lucas...Lucas had every intention of killing him. "Please," I begged, struggling against the ropes, "you don't have to do this. Just leave Dorian out of it. This is between us. You don't need him."

Lucas finally glanced at me, a smug grin on his face. "Oh, Vania, you still don't get it, do you? Dorian is the reason all of this happened. If it weren't for him, your father would still be alive, and you and I...well, we could've had a different life together." His voice was laced with bitterness, twisted with delusion.

I felt a wave of nausea hit me. The delusion in his voice, the way he genuinely seemed to believe this was all Dorian's fault—it terrified me. He wasn't just dangerous; he was completely unhinged.

"No," I said, shaking my head despite the dizziness. "You're the one who did this, Lucas. It was you, not Dorian. My father—"

"Your father!" Lucas snapped, cutting me off. His face twisted in anger. "Your father got in the way of what was mine. He tried to keep you from me! He was in the way, Vania. In the way of us, don't you see that?

I could feel the bile rising in my throat, a deep, overwhelming fear settling into my bones. nOthing I said was going to change his mind. I could see it in his eyes. He was too far gone.

Suddenly, we both froze as the sound of tires crunching on gravel echoed from outside. Lucas's head snapped toward the window, his eyes narrowing.

And then I heard it—Dorian's voice, yelling from outside, full of anger and desperation.

"Lucas!"

I felt my blood run cold.

Lucas's grin widened. "Looks like he made this easy for me."

"No—Lucas, please!" I tried to get up, tried to use my legs to kick at him, but he was already moving toward the door. Panic flooded me, my chest tightening with fear. If he got out there, Dorian didn't stand a chance. Lucas had already proved how dangerous he could be, and now, he had nothing left to lose.

Desperation surged through me, and I pulled against the ropes with everything I had. My wrist burned, but I didn't care. I couldn't just sit there and let this happen. Lucas was out of the room in an instant, and I could hear Dorian's voice calling out again.

I yanked harder, teeth gritted as I felt the rope start to loosen, After what felt like an eternity, I managed to slip my hand free. I ripped the rest of the ropes off, ignoring the pain in my wrists and the dizziness that made the room spin. I had to move fast. Dorian was in danger.

I ran toward the door, heart hammering in my chest as I stumbled down the stairs and out into the open air. That's when I saw them—Lucas and Dorian, already in the middle of a fight.

But Dorian was on the ground, not moving. Oh God, no.

Without a second thought, I launched myself at Lucas, tackling him with all the strength I could muster. We hit the ground hard, my body crashing into his, but the impact barely fazed him. He twisted and shoved me off, and before I could react, his boot connected with my ribs, sending a sharp, agonizing pain through my side.

I gasped, crumpling to the ground as the air was knocked from my lungs. Tears blurred my vision, but I forced myself to look up.  Lucas loomed over me, his eyes wild and furious. "You think you can save him?" he sapt, voice dripping with venom.

I tried to get up, but every movement sent waves of pain through my body. I looked over at Dorian, still unmoving on the ground, and a sob clawed at my throat.

Lucas reached into his jacket, and when his hand came out, he was holding a gun.

I forze, my breath catching in my throat as he aimed the barrel at Dorian.

"Please, no—" I choked, my voice barely a whisper.

He smiled, eyes cold and unfeeling. "Say goodbye, Vania."

I screamed, the sound tearing from my throat as I forced myself to stand, every fiber of my being screaming at me to protect Dorian. But I was too late.

Lucas's finger hovered over the trigger, the sound of the gun firing filling the air.