Twisted Veil of Devotion

Part 10

You haunt, you hunt, but now I see
The strength you sought to take from me
Was always mine; it grows each day,
While shadows fade, I find my way.

So step in close, I will not run,
This war you've started, I have won.
Your grip is lost, your chase is done;
I am no prey. I am the sun.

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Zane POV:

Frustration and anger boiled inside me as I stood at the head of the conference room, the weight of my decision heavy in the air. I had been hearing whispers, pieces of information from my spies, but nothing conclusive. Nothing solid enough to tell me where she was, or to bring her back to me.

But I was done waiting. If they wanted to play games, then fine. I would play by my rules.

"I will make her come to me herself," I said, my voice cutting through the room like a blade. I saw the men around me flinch at the coldness in my tone, but I didn't care. "I will send a message—not only to her, but to everyone."

The men exchanged uneasy glances, but I didn't care. My mind was already set on the course.

"Find me three women," I continued, the words dripping with venom, "same build as Stella. Kill them. Send their heads in a package to three different police stations every week."

The room fell silent. I could feel their shock, their hesitation, but I didn't care. I was beyond caring.

"Do what I say now!" I screamed, my voice full of rage. "The world will know not to mess with me."

I took a deep breath, letting the weight of my words settle. "Stella will know that I will burn the world down if it means I can get her."

The men in the room looked at each other, nervous, but they knew better than to question me. They nodded, understanding the severity of my command. As they filed out of the room to execute my orders, I stood still, feeling the cold, dark satisfaction wash over me.

It was time to make her understand the depth of my obsession. Time to make her see that no one could protect her from me.

I stood, watching as my men prepared to carry out my orders, the air thick with anticipation. The weight of what I was about to do didn't faze me. I had always been a man of calculated decisions, but this was different. This wasn't just a warning. This was a declaration.

"The message on the package is simple," I said, my voice cold as ice. "If they don't deliver Stella to me, each week, they will be receiving three packages in different police stations."

I let the words hang in the air, the finality of them settling into the room. No one dared to speak, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. They knew what I was capable of. They had seen it before. But this... this was personal. And when something was personal, there were no limits to how far I would go.

I could already imagine the chaos my plan would unleash—the horror, the fear, the panic that would sweep through the police force, the city, maybe even the whole damn country. It didn't matter. I wasn't playing by anyone's rules but my own.

I turned away from my men, heading for the door, my thoughts focused solely on her. Stella.

She had to know that I wasn't playing games. That there was no escape. I would make her come to me. No one—not the FBI, not Ryan, not anyone—would stand in my way.

I slammed the door behind me, the sound echoing like the final toll of a bell. This was war. And I was ready to win.

It had been three months since we came to the safe house, and in that time, life had settled into a strange, almost peaceful routine. The tension that had been our constant companion seemed to ease with each passing day. There had been no word from Zane, no threats, no signs of trouble. The FBI and police were still working tirelessly to find ways to capture him, but for now, there was calm.