Ruthless

54

I must have lost focus because the faint rustling of footsteps approaching jolted me back to reality. Panicked and desperate to hide before anyone noticed me, I sprinted through the darkness, knowing the car, already consumed by flames, could explode at any second.

I prayed I wouldn't be seen as I reached the spot where I had left Edward and quickly ducked into a corner. My breath was shallow, and adrenaline still surged through my veins. Taking a deep breath I tried to remain calm down.

After wiping away the bead of sweats from my forehead and then rubbed my damp hand against my dress I peeked out cautiously. The flickering flames cast eerie shadows, illuminating only the vague outlines of the figures approaching but not enough to reveal their faces.

"Don't go near it. The car's going to explode," one of them warned sharply, causing the other to halt instantly.

They stood still, watching the fire rage on into the night. I silently begged that my plan would work, that they'd believe we were trapped inside the burning car.

One of the men, standing slightly behind the others, reached into his pocket and pulled out what I assumed was a phone. The dim light from the screen briefly illuminated his hand as he dialed a number, confirming my assumption. I strained to hear. The tension mounting with each unanswered ring caused my heart to pound harder.

Then, a voice answered—a voice I knew all too well.

"Mother, the work is done," the man said, his tone filled with grim satisfaction as he held the phone up, pointing it toward the blazing car. At that very moment, the car erupted in a massive explosion. The blast was so intense that the ground shook beneath me, sending shockwaves through the air. The noise was overwhelming, and I clamped my hands over my ears, trying to block out the ear-splitting sound.

I began to chant "It's okay" under my breath, trying to calm myself as I felt the tightness in my chest from hyperventilating.

Time became a blur, and when I finally opened my eyes, I realized I'd been standing there with them shut for who knows how long. The two men were already gone.

Utterly drained, I slumped against the rough rock behind me, closing my eyes once more, trying to make sense of what had just happened.I still can't believe that Allison ordered her men to kill us. Was I simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, or was I the real target? Or worse, were we both in her sights all along, and she just seized the perfect opportunity to strike.

But the biggest and most disturbing questions remains—how did she know I was with Edward, and how did she find out about our plans today?

The idea that someone in Edward's men is feeding her information gnaws at me, making me suspect that this whole 'mistake identity' might have been planned from the start.

My hands curled into fists as a wave of fury surged through me. I wanted nothing more than to strangle Allison with my bare hands. She kidnapped me and my friends, forced me into a fake marriage to frame me for her husband's murder, and then nearly killed me to cover the news of his death under an even bigger scandal.

Even now, after escaping her clutches, she's still after me, determined to make my life miserable. It feels like some kind of twisted karma from a past life..

I must have done something terrible to her in a past life, because I can't fathom why she's so intent on destroying any peace I find. Not that I would call my life with Edward joyful, but it's... normal.

He doesn't treat me like dirt; he mostly just ignores me, only speaking to me when necessary, and honestly, that's a relief.

Thinking of Edward, I opened my eyes and glanced down to find him stirring, his face contorted with pain.