Flames of Ambition

34: Zexel's Past II

Chapter 34: Zexel’s Past II

Zexel could feel the bullet pierce through her flesh, and the burning pain immediately spread throughout her body. Her knees buckled, and her strength began to leave her.

A cough tore from her throat, and she spat out a mouthful of blood. Her lips were now stained with the taste of rust and pain, and her vision blurred as her breathing turned ragged.

Panic gripped her chest—not because of the injury, but because her body was failing her faster than she expected. She turned her gaze to Jason, who had run over to help her stand.

She saw the panic on his face… but something was off. There was fear, yes, but not the kind she expected. There was no worry in his eyes—none of the usual tenderness or desperation she’d seen in him before.

“Zee, please! Stand up! Don’t give up! Reinforcements will come! Just hold on!” Jason’s voice trembled as he tried to support her weight. But even Zexel could feel it—she was beyond saving.

She weakly pushed him away and looked at him with a pained, affectionate smile.

“J-Jee… l-leave… now…” she gasped, her voice barely audible.

With the last of her strength, she reached for a gun lying beside a corpse. Without hesitation, she pulled the trigger and gunned down the remaining enemies in front of her. Her body swayed as she fell to her knees and collapsed to the floor.

She expected Jason to catch her.

Instead, what greeted her next was a smile. But it wasn’t the loving one she knew.

Jason stepped in front of her, holding a gun in his hand, and pointed it straight at her.

Her heart froze.

The smile on his face twisted into one of cruelty.

“How does it feel, Zee?” he asked coldly.

Her body went cold. Her vision blurred further, not from blood loss alone but from the betrayal she could hardly comprehend.

“You’re too soft. I didn’t expect you to fall for something like this. But hey, I did say I had a surprise for you, right?” Jason mocked, then kicked her, striking her back near the fresh wound.

She gasped in agony.

“I’m the mastermind behind this whole event,” he sneered. “From now on, I’ll be the most powerful person in the underworld. So… thank you for your sacrifice, Zee. You can rest easy now.”

His smile—so familiar, so once-cherished—now looked repulsive to her. Disgusting.

She felt sick.

Blood poured from her lips again as she struggled to process his words. Her chest heaved as pain and fury waged war within her.

“Nine years… nine damn years of pretending to love you. Enduring your face, your voice, your kisses. All for this day. I told myself it would be worth it, and it was. You, on the other hand… You’re just disgusting. If it wasn’t for your power, I’d never have stayed with you. A murderer like you doesn’t deserve to live. I’m just giving justice to the people you’ve killed.”

Zexel’s heart broke not from the betrayal—but from remembering every single moment they shared, now stained in deceit.

She smiled bitterly.

So this… is what it means to truly lose.

“Yo-you th-think I-I’ll le-let y-you… win?” Her voice was faint but laced with venom.

Jason’s eyes widened as he suddenly saw the familiar ruthless gleam in her gaze—the one everyone feared. He immediately raised his gun and fired again, shooting her multiple times.

But before the final shot, Zexel’s hand shot up and struck several acupoints in his legs. Jason’s body stiffened, then collapsed.

He was paralyzed.

“You bitch!” he spat.

Zexel, barely clinging to consciousness, reached into her pocket and pulled out a grenade. She yanked the pin.

Jason’s face paled as he screamed, struggling to move—but he couldn’t even lift a finger.

“Let’s die together… so all your effort, all your schemes… will be for nothing,” she whispered.

Her vision went dark.

The last thing she felt was the searing heat of the explosion. Then… silence.

--*--

Zexel woke up with her body drenched in sweat.

Her heart raced, and her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath. The room around her was dark, lit only by the moonlight filtering through the curtains. She looked down.

She was still wearing her usual ancient clothes.

It had just been a nightmare.

No… not a nightmare.

A memory.

She hadn’t dreamed of that day in years. Yet tonight, it returned, vivid and raw.

Troubled, she summoned her three personal servants—Fan Yi, Fan Er, and Fan San—to prepare her bath.

She didn’t want to talk. She didn’t want to explain the pain in her chest or the storm in her heart.

Once the warm water was ready, she dismissed them and slipped into the bath alone.

Her naked body sank into the warm pool, steam rising to kiss her skin. But no amount of heat could chase away the coldness in her soul.

Why now? Why that dream again?

She submerged deeper into the water, letting her mind drift. Her eyes closed as she tried to push away the images, but they clung to her like a curse.

She didn’t know how much time passed, but by the time she came back to herself, the water had turned cold.

She quickly got out, dried off, and changed into clean clothes. Then, unable to rest, she roamed around her Headquarters.

It was still late at night, but many were still awake. Some were patrolling, some training, others laughing and enjoying the many luxuries the HQ provided.

Zexel’s base was large and well-equipped, offering a life of comfort for her people. Many could stay here for months—even years—without boredom. But despite this, her members still did their jobs diligently, eager to earn rewards.

Loyalty ran deep here.

As Zexel strolled through the halls, she passed by familiar scenes—training sessions, friendly duels, laughter, and quiet conversations.

It reminded her of the past.

But it was different.

Her old organization—before she came to this world—was filled with greed. No one was satisfied. They always wanted more. It was that greed that gave Jason the leverage he needed.

She knew, even now, that Jason hadn’t been acting alone. The plan had been too complex, too refined for him to pull off by himself.

She knew Jason well.

There were only two possible explanations.

First: It had been her fault. Jason had always been like that, but he had hidden his nature so well that she never saw it. And the moment she let her guard down, he took his chance.

Second: Jason had been corrupted midway. Someone had gotten to him. Manipulated him. Promised him power. Filled his heart with greed and planted the seed of betrayal.

And among those two options, the second was far more likely.

Someone else was behind Jason…

And someday, she would find them.

And end them.