He stood up abruptly, pulling her up with him thanks to the handcuffs, and pinned her against the wall. His grip on her wrist tightened.
Ni-ki leaned in closer, his voice a cold whisper. "You're playing with fire, angel. Don't think for a second tha...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
This original ending was scrapped because your comments made me have a change of heart :-)
However, I will leave this here for anyone who is interested in knowing how Faux Devotion was supposed to end~!
CONTINUES FROM WHEN RHAINE GETS ON THE PLANE AT THE END OF CHAPTER "XLVIII"
"LADY, ARE YOU OKAY?"
Rhaine blinked, startled out of her daze by the small, curious voice beside her. She turned and found herself looking into the wide eyes of a young boy peering up at her with a mix of concern and confusion.
"You really look like you don't want to leave," he asked, his head tilting slightly, innocence written all over his face. He looked like he was Jian's age.
She forced a smile, wiping quickly at her cheeks. "I'm fine," she whispered, though her voice wavered as she said it. She realized she looked dead inside so she took out lipstick and reapplied them.
The boy simply nodded, as if he understood, and then offered her a crumpled napkin he'd been holding. "Here," he said shyly. "In case you need it."
Rhaine took it, her heart swelling at the small gesture. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice thick. She closed her eyes, trying to steady herself, but Ni-ki's face flashed in her mind—the raw hurt in his eyes.
The boy watched her for a moment longer, then shrugged and turned back to his own world, lost in a coloring book. She envied his simplicity, the way everything seemed so straightforward at that age.
The noise of the plane, the chatter of other passengers—it all faded as she turned to gaze out the window, wondering if she'd made the right Rhaine sniffled as she dabbed at her eyes with the crumpled napkin. It was soaked through, and she rummaged in her bag for tissues, her fingers brushing against something small and metallic.
She paused, pulling it out to see the bracelet—Jian's bracelet. The one Ni-ki had given her sister, a small charm with delicate engravings that held so much meaning in such a tiny piece.
Her little sister had sneaked it into her bag.
Rhaine clutched the bracelet tightly in her hand, feeling the cool metal against her skin, as if it were anchoring her in the moment. Her heart ached as the memories of Ni-ki flooded her thoughts—his touch, his smiles, the way his eyes softened when he looked at her.
He had been so much more than the tough exterior he wore. He had been her person, in a world that often felt too big and too cold.
She took a shaky breath, wiping her eyes again as she tried to steady herself. The flight attendant's announcement broke through her thoughts, but her mind was still reeling.
She had thought leaving would give her clarity, that distancing herself would somehow make it easier. But now, with the bracelet in her hand and Ni-ki's face still haunting her, she realized how wrong she'd been.
The plane rumbled as it continued its steady ascent, and Rhaine stared out the window, watching the city below grow smaller and smaller. She had wanted to escape, to run from the mess, from the chaos of everything she had left behind. But now, the truth was undeniable.
She would never stopped loving him.
Her chest tightened, a knot forming in her throat as she thought of how she had almost convinced herself to walk away from everything that had meant something to her.
But no matter how far she went, no matter where she ran, she couldn't outrun the pull of her heart. Ni-ki had been her world for so long, and no matter how hard it was, she knew she couldn't leave him behind—not like this.
Rhaine looked down at the bracelet once more, her grip on it tightening. Jian had been right to give it to her. She was connected to Ni-ki in ways she couldn't even explain—like two pieces of a puzzle that had been destined to fit together, no matter how many times they tried to pull apart.
With a final breath, Rhaine closed her eyes.
As the flight continued on its course, she stared down at the bracelet again. A soft smile tugged at the corner of her lips, and she whispered quietly to herself, "I'll always love you, Ni-ki. Always."
She was going to pursue McGill, and come back when she was ready. Hopefully. She was putting herself first.
While the plane soared higher into the sky, Rhaine knew that, somehow, she'd find her way back to Ni-ki.
