Dangerous Affection

The Showdown

(QUINN'S POV)

I could feel my heartbeat in my throat as I faced Clint, the guy I once called a friend. But now, standing here, I didn't recognize him anymore. He wasn't the guy I used to hang out with. This Clint was someone else, twisted, vengeful, and totally lost.

"Let her go, Clint," I said, keeping my voice steady, though I couldn't stop the sarcasm from creeping in. "You're still holding on to this? This childish revenge fantasy? This is between me and you, not her."

Clint's face twisted into something that almost looked like amusement, but there was a hard edge to his eyes. "You think I'm going to just let her go? She's my leverage. She's the only thing keeping you here."

I couldn't help but laugh, a bitter sound that filled the empty room. "Leverage? Really? You're still holding on to that pathetic excuse? You've been making plans to ruin everything I've worked for, and you think you've got the upper hand? Cute."

Clint's grin widened. "I've got everything I need, Quinn. You? You're just some guy in a suit pretending to be important. You've got your little desk job, pushing paper around, pretending you're doing something meaningful. But in the end, you're just like everyone else, average. Like those cops you see in movies, sitting on their asses eating donuts. Me? I'm making real money. Real power. I'm making my dreams come true."

I rolled my eyes. "Real power, huh? That's rich. So, what's your big plan, Clint? Destroy the hospital? That's your big masterstroke? How does that feel, ruining everything? Do you even think this through, or are you just getting off on the chaos?"

Clint's face hardened, his hands clenching into fists. "You don't get it, do you? I was always second to you. Always in your shadow. You had everything, your career, your friends. But now? Now, I'm the one making moves. I'm the one people respect. You're just some guy solving other people's problems while I make my own."

I could feel the rage boiling inside me, but I kept my voice level. "You still don't get it, do you? It's not about the money, Clint. It's not about who's winning. You can't even see that you've lost. You've spent your whole life pushing people away, and now you're holding onto this fantasy like it's gonna fix everything. It won't."

Clint's eyes flickered with something, maybe guilt? But before he could say anything more, he snarled, "You had it all, Quinn. You gave it up for her. You chose some girl over everything you've worked for. And now look at you. Nothing but a sad little investigator, stuck in the past."

That hit harder than I wanted to admit, but I wasn't about to let him see it. "You still don't get it, do you? I didn't give up anything. You're the one who sold out. And now you're so damn obsessed with getting revenge on me that you've forgotten why we were friends in the first place."

I stepped forward, determined to end this, but Clint stepped in front of Lila, blocking my path. His eyes glinted, his voice low. "You always thought you were better than me, Quinn. But now, I've got everything. The money. The power. You? You're just someone who chose the easy path."

I gritted my teeth, taking a step closer, my focus on Lila. But before I could make a move, a shadow loomed behind me. The next thing I knew, I was slammed to the floor. My head rang, the world spinning as the impact knocked the wind out of me.

Could this get any worse?
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