Chapter 94
Despite the rough state Zayn was in, his gaze was as fierce and determined as ever.
The sight of him, alive and standing tall, sent a wave of relief through the crowd.
Behind him, two of the hired kidnappers stumbled in, restrained by the Moonshadow warriors.
Their faces were swollen and bruised, evidence of the struggle that had clearly gone poorly for them.
One of the men, noticing Victor in the crowd, didn’t hesitate to point a shaking finger in his direction.
“It’s him!” the thug shouted, his voice filled with anger and desperation. “He paid us to kidnap Dr. Zane, said it was all for some tech patent. We were only following orders!”
A collective gasp rose from the crowd, all eyes now fixated on Victor. His face drained of color as he frantically shook his head.
“This…this is nonsense!” he sputtered, his voice barely audible. “I would never…
But Zane didn’t give him a chance to finish.
Striding over, Zane’s fist shot forward, connecting with Victor’s jaw.
The sickening crunch reverberated through the room as Victor staggered backward, clutching his face. His eyes, wide with fear and betrayal, locked onto Zane’s.
“I warned you, Victor,” Zane growled, his voice low but filled with a fury I had never heard before.
“I told you to leave my research alone, to stay away from my work. You were once someone I trusted more than anyone, someone I thought would push boundaries with me for the good of our community. And now…”
He paused, his voice breaking slightly. “Now, I find out that you would rather see me dead just to get your hands on my research. I am so disappointed in you.”
Victor’s face contorted as Zane’s words sank in.
The crowd watched, spellbound, as realization dawned in Victor’s eyes–a mixture of regret and disbelief. He had been on the brink of something monumental, only to destroy it all with his own
/hands.
Chapter 91
Police officers arrived moments later, taking Victor into custody as he stood there, defeated and humiliated.
With every step they took to escort him out, Victor’s shoulders slumped lower, the last of his defiance crumbling away.
The academics who had once respected him turned their backs, murmuring bitterly amongst
themselves.
In one reckless act, Victor had doomed his career and his name.
After Victor was gone, I walked up to Zane, a cautious smile on my face. He looked at me, the exhaustion evident in his eyes, but he managed a faint grin.
“Thank you, Sophia,” he said softly. “If it weren’t for you, I’m not sure I’d be standing here.”
I nodded, the relief washing over me. “It’s not over yet,” I murmured, “but at least you’re safe.”
The media buzzed with energy as they documented the drama that had unfolded before them.
In the midst of the chaos, I took a quiet moment to text Lirian, who had been anxiously waiting for
news.
r’s done. Zane is safe,” I typed quickly, a smile tugging at my lips.
Before long, I was back on a plane, the weight of the day finally settling over me.
Lirian sat beside me, his gaze intense as he watched me. I could feel his thoughts swirling with questions.
“That was…incredible,” he finally said, his voice low and filled with admiration. “But, Sophia, I have to ask–sometimes it feels like you knew this was going to happen, like you could predict every
move.”
My heart pounded fiercely, a thunderous beat that seemed to echo in the quiet space around us: The anxiety gnawed at me, a constant reminder of the secret I held so close, the one I had shielded from everyone—including Lirian.
Had he somehow It together?
pieced
I forced myself to calm down, smoothing out my breathing, steadying my pulse.
With as much composure as I could muster, I finally spoke, my voice low and measured.
It was Zane,” I explained, a hint of nonchalance in my tone. “He mentioned that Victor seemed to be
planning something and asked if I could help. What’s going on?”
30
Even as the words left my mouth, I knew they were a deflection.
The truth, the one that ached beneath my skin, was far more complicated.
I couldn’t possibly tell Lirian that I’d been given a second chance–that I’d come back from the dead. That was a burden I wasn’t ready to share. Instead, I had woven Zane into the story, attributing everything to him. It was my deepest secret, the one thread keeping my past and present worlds
separate.
But Lirian wasn’t ready to let go of the topic, not so easily.
