Twisted Veil of Devotion

Part 21

STELLA POV

The studio felt darker than usual.

The windows were shut. The lights were off. Only the faint smell of flowers lingered, soft and gentle, like a lie covering something ugly.

My heart pounded in my throat.

"Ryan?" I whispered.

Nothing.

I swallowed and stepped farther inside, hugging myself.

"Ryan...?"

Silence stretched, thick and wrong.

Then the door slammed.

Hard.

I jumped.

Zane stood there. His presence hit the room like a storm. His shoulders were tense. His jaw was tight. His eyes burned.

He locked the door.

My stomach dropped.

He didn't move at first. He just stared at me like he was trying to understand how I could exist and hurt him at the same time.

"You ran," he said quietly. Too quiet.

My mouth went dry. "You... sent the note."

"Yes." His voice was sharp, cut with fury. "And you came running like a dog going back to its owner."

Heat crawled up my neck.

"Where is Ryan?" I whispered.

His face hardened.

"There was never Ryan. There was only truth. Your truth."

I felt small. Cornered. My chest tightened.

"You used me," I said.

He stepped forward. The air felt hotter. Angrier.

"You lied to me in my own house. Slept under my roof. Ate my food. Took my protection. And your heart was still with another man."

His voice cracked at the end. Rage and heartbreak tangled together.

I backed away.

"Zane, I was trying to survive."

He laughed. Not amused. Bitter.

"Survive? You kissed me. You held me. You let me believe you chose me."

His hands curled into fists.

"I built you a world where no one could touch you. No one could breathe near you without my permission. And all this time you were planning to run."

The room felt smaller.

My hands shook. I felt trapped. Like the walls were inching closer.

"I didn't ask for any of this," I said. My voice barely worked.

His eyes went cold.

"You asked the moment you walked into my life. The moment you let me touch you. The moment you let me hope."

He took another step.

I stepped back again. My spine brushed the edge of the table.

He noticed. His mouth twitched with something dark.

"Are you scared of me now?"

I couldn't answer.

Because yes.

Yes, I was.

He leaned in slightly.

"You should be. Because now I know the truth. And when I know the truth, I do not let it escape."