The dim underground quarter cast long shadows across the cold, metallic floor as Eli was escorted deeper into the heart of the terrorist compound.
Each step echoed in the silence, a rhythmic drumbeat that seemed to quicken her already racing pulse. The decision to surrender had been calculated—there was no other way to see Rai again. And she needed to see him. She had to know he was alive.
As the thick iron doors slid open, Eli was greeted by a sight that made her stomach twist in disgust. Adira, the man she once thought she knew, sat leisurely in a sleek chair, legs crossed, his cold, calculating eyes studying her as though she were a puzzle he had already solved. His military past had hardened him, but it was his ambition that had turned him into this—into a man who could orchestrate the kidnapping of his own former friend.
"Eli," Adira's voice oozed with false warmth as he stood and approached her. His tall frame cut a striking figure, still as fit and commanding as she remembered. His black combat uniform clung to him, sleek and polished, giving him an air of invincibility. "I knew you'd come."
Eli's face remained impassive as she stepped further into the room, forcing herself to meet his gaze. The last time they had seen each other, Adira had vanished without a trace, leaving her and Rai behind to pick up the pieces of their lives. Now, he stood before her, the mastermind behind the chaos she was trapped in. But she couldn't show her rage. Not yet.
"You wanted to see me. Here I am," Eli said, her voice steady, betraying none of the storm inside her. "Now, where is Rai?"
Adira chuckled softly, the sound sending a chill down her spine. He began to circle her, like a predator toying with its prey. "Ah, straight to the point. Just as I expected." His boots clacked softly against the floor, his fingers trailing idly across the table beside him. "But we both know this isn't about Rai, is it?"
Eli clenched her fists at her sides but said nothing. She wouldn't let him bait her.
"You married him out of obligation, Eli," Adira continued, his tone condescending. "You always had that soft heart, wanting to fix everything, everyone. Rai was a broken man—crippled, without a future. You felt guilty, so you tied yourself to him. But was it love? No. It was pity."
His words struck a nerve, but Eli kept her face a mask of indifference. She had heard this argument before, from whispers in the court, from her own doubts late at night. But the truth was more complicated than Adira could ever understand.
Adira leaned in closer, his breath warm against her skin as he whispered, "With me, Eli, you don't have to pretend anymore. I've come back for you. We can be together again, like we were always meant to be."
Eli's heart hammered in her chest, but she kept her expression neutral. This was part of the game, the manipulation Adira excelled at. She knew better than to fall for his charm again, but she needed answers. She needed to know where Rai was and how much time she had left before everything spiraled out of control.
"Together again?" Eli's voice was cold. She tilted her head slightly, letting her eyes scan his face as though weighing his words. "You vanished, Adira. You left us—*me*—without any explanation. And now, you want to play the hero?"
Adira's eyes narrowed, a brief flicker of irritation crossing his features before he quickly masked it. "I left for reasons beyond your understanding. But everything I did—everything—was for us, Eli. To give us the future we deserve."
The future he spoke of sounded more like a prison to Eli. A gilded cage where power and prestige were dangled like bait. She glanced around the room, noting the steel walls and the single surveillance camera perched in the corner. A room designed for manipulation, not negotiation.
"And Rai?" she asked again, refusing to let him dodge the question. "Where is he?"
Adira's lips curved into a knowing smirk. "Ah, Rai. The noble cripple who clings to you like a lifeline. He's safe—for now. But you don't need to worry about him. Once this is over, we'll be free of all of this. Free of him."
Eli swallowed her disgust. "You're assuming I want to be free of him."
Adira's eyes glittered dangerously as he moved closer, his hand brushing against her cheek. The touch sent a jolt of revulsion through her, but she didn't flinch. She needed to keep him close, to play along until she found her opening.
"You don't have to pretend anymore," Adira murmured. "You married him out of guilt, Eli. Not love. I know you. You did it to protect him, to save him from the disgrace his family brought upon him. But you've suffered long enough."
Eli met his gaze, her voice a razor edge. "And what do you think I deserve, Adira?"
Adira smiled, his hand dropping from her face as he stepped back, his confidence restored. "To be at my side, ruling as the Marchioness of Ashford. You deserve power, wealth, everything you've been denied while shackled to Rai. His father's title is gone, his family ruined. And now, Rai is nothing more than a broken knight."
His words dripped with venom, yet Eli kept her composure, refusing to show any sign of weakness. She couldn't afford to let him see her turmoil. Her mind raced, calculating her next move. Adira's ambitions were clear—he wanted to use her to climb back into aristocratic circles, and to him, Rai was just another pawn in his twisted game.
But Eli wasn't the same woman Adira had left behind. She had learned how to survive in a world that demanded strength and sacrifice. She wouldn't let Adira manipulate her.
Not again.