Ava's mind felt like it was spinning. Viktor's words echoed in her head, each one more chilling than the last. She had always known that things weren't exactly as they seemed, but now she could see just how deep the web of lies really went. It wasn't just about her and Noah anymore. It was about something far bigger, something that she couldn't even begin to understand.
She looked over at Noah, his face as hard as stone, but his eyes... his eyes were different. They were filled with something that terrified her. Regret? Fear? Or was it just exhaustion from the weight of everything that had happened? She couldn't tell. What she did know, though, was that she was no longer sure who Noah really was. The man she thought she knew was buried beneath layers of secrets, and the truth was something neither of them was ready to face.
Noah, sensing her gaze, gave her a quick, almost imperceptible nod. It wasn't much, but it was enough to reassure her, even if just for a second. She wasn't alone. Whatever Viktor and Liam were trying to pull, they had each other. That was something they could still rely on, no matter how twisted everything had become.
"You think you can change the rules of the game, Viktor?" Noah spoke again, his voice low and dangerous. His eyes never left Viktor's, and the tension between them was palpable. It was clear now that they weren't just talking about a rivalry,they were talking about survival.
Viktor took a slow step forward, the smirk never leaving his lips. "I don't change the rules, Noah. I make them. I've been making them all along. You just didn't know it."
Ava's heart thudded painfully in her chest. She didn't want to think about what that meant. She didn't want to think about how deeply she and Noah were involved in whatever Viktor had been scheming. She wanted to walk away, to find a way out of this twisted nightmare, but the walls were closing in, and every path seemed blocked by more lies.
"You know," Viktor continued, his tone almost too calm, "I've been watching you, Ava. Watching both of you. You're like a puzzle I've been trying to solve. It's almost... cute, how you think you have control over your own lives. But you don't. You never did."
Ava's blood ran cold at his words. She wanted to shout, to scream at him, but all that came out was a hoarse whisper. "What do you want from us? What do you want from me?"
Viktor paused for a moment, his expression shifting. For just a second, he seemed almost... human. But that was quickly replaced by the same cold, calculating gaze she had come to hate. He stepped closer to her, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I want you, Ava. I want everything you have. Your heart, your trust, your loyalty... and I'll get it, one way or another."
Ava felt a wave of disgust rush over her, but she refused to let it show. She wasn't going to let Viktor see how much his words rattled her. She clenched her fists at her sides, trying to steady her breathing. She wasn't weak. She had been through worse. She could handle this.
But it wasn't just Viktor she was worried about. It was Liam, too. He stood silently in the background, a smirk still playing on his lips. He was the one who had broken her once before, and now she had to face him again. This time, she wasn't the same person she had been when they first met. She wasn't the vulnerable, broken girl he had manipulated. But the scars... the scars were still there, buried deep within her, and Liam knew how to push those buttons. He always had.
Liam's eyes met hers, and for a brief moment, she saw something different in them,something almost... regretful? But it was gone as quickly as it came, replaced by that same cruel gleam.
"You should've known better, Ava," he said, his voice dripping with venom. "You really think Noah's your savior? He's just as much a part of this as I am. You're all just pieces in a much larger game."
Her chest tightened at his words. She didn't want to believe it. She couldn't believe it. But the more she looked at him, the more she realized that there was some truth in what he said. Noah had been keeping things from her. Secrets, things he should have told her. The walls between them were growing taller, thicker, and no matter how hard she tried to break them down, she felt more and more like a stranger in her own life.
Noah's voice cut through the silence, low but sharp. "I'm done listening to you. You're not going to use her against me, Viktor. And you sure as hell won't manipulate her again, Liam."
Viktor smiled, his eyes glinting with amusement. "You really think it's that simple, Noah? That you can just walk away from all of this? No. You're too deep now. You're part of the plan. Both of you."
Ava's mind raced, trying to piece together what Viktor was saying, but it all felt like too much. She wanted to scream, to throw herself at Viktor and demand answers. But she knew that would only make things worse. She had to be strong, had to think this through. She couldn't afford to fall apart now.
Noah stepped closer to her, his presence a shield, and she could feel his warmth, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. She wasn't alone. No matter what Viktor or Liam said, she wasn't alone. They were in this together. And together, they would fight back.
"I won't let you destroy us," Noah said, his voice filled with unwavering conviction. "You can't control everything. You can't control her."
Viktor's expression darkened, the smirk fading into something far more dangerous. "We'll see about that, won't we?"
The tension in the air was suffocating, and Ava couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to explode. The game was far from over. And they were all just pawns, playing a dangerous game with no clear end in sight.
But Ava wasn't going to let herself be a pawn anymore. She would fight, no matter what it took. Because one thing was clear,her life, her choices, her love,they were her own. And she would never let anyone take that away.