The tension in the room thickened, the weight of unspoken truths pressing down on Ava's chest. The silence stretched on, as each person in the room appeared lost in their own turmoil. Noah's grip on her hand tightened, as if grounding himself in the moment, but Ava wasn't sure if he was trying to reassure her or himself. His face was a mix of frustration and helplessness, and it only made her feel more isolated.
Viktor watched them with cold eyes, a predator savoring the distress of its prey. His lips curled into a malicious smile, and his voice dripped with disdain. "You really think you can escape this? The story's already been written, Ava. The ending has been decided."
Ava's stomach churned as his words hit home. The more Viktor spoke, the more everything felt like a cruel game. No one was innocent, and it seemed like no one could be trusted. The only question that lingered was who would make the final move, who would be the one to claim victory in this twisted dance.
"I don't care about your games," Ava said, her voice unwavering despite the confusion gnawing at her mind. "I'm not some piece for you to move around."
Viktor laughed, the sound unsettling. "Oh, Ava. You still don't understand, do you? You're already playing, whether you want to or not. And the worst part? You'll never even know when you've lost."
Noah shifted beside her, his thumb tracing the back of her hand absentmindedly. His voice was low, barely above a whisper. "We don't have to play by their rules. We can still get out of this. We can still fight."
Ava turned to look at him, searching his eyes for any sign of certainty, any sign that the man she loved still held onto some form of hope. But all she saw was exhaustion, a man who had fought for so long that he was beginning to doubt if the battle was even worth it anymore.
But she couldn't afford to feel hopeless. She couldn't let herself crumble. Not when everything was on the line.
"What exactly do you want, Viktor?" Ava demanded, her voice steady despite the war raging inside her. "What's your endgame?"
Viktor's eyes gleamed with a dangerous amusement. He took a slow step toward them, his footsteps echoing in the silence. "My endgame?" He paused, as if savoring the moment. "I want to see you break, Ava. I want to see you doubt everything you thought you knew. I want you to question the very foundation of everything that's brought you here. I want to see how much you can lose before you give in."
Ava's heart pounded in her chest, but she refused to let Viktor's words break her. She had already lost so much. Her trust, her peace, her sense of security. But she wasn't going to let him take any more from her. Not without a fight.
Noah's hand slipped from hers, his movements slow and deliberate as he turned to face Viktor. His jaw was clenched, his body tense with barely contained rage. "You won't break her," Noah said, his voice low and dangerous. "You won't break either of us."
Viktor's smirk only widened. "Oh, Noah, you're too naïve. This isn't about what I can do to her. It's about what she's already done to herself. You all are trapped, whether you realize it or not."
Ava felt a chill crawl down her spine as Viktor's words sank in. Trapped. Was that all they were? Players in a game that had already been decided for them? Was there truly no way out?
A shadow moved behind her, and she turned, her breath catching in her throat when she saw Liam standing just a few feet away. His expression was unreadable, his eyes dark and calculating.
"You should listen to Viktor," Liam said, his voice almost calm. "You're all trying to fight a battle you've already lost."
Ava's stomach twisted at the sound of his voice, but she didn't flinch. "What do you want, Liam?" she asked, her voice cutting through the tension in the room.
Liam stepped closer, his presence as unsettling as ever. "I don't want anything, Ava," he said, his lips curling into a smile that made her skin crawl. "I'm just here to watch. To see how long it takes for the cracks to show, for you to realize that none of this is what it seems."
Ava felt her anger flare, but there was a part of her that recognized the truth in his words. This wasn't just about them anymore. It was about something much bigger, something darker than any of them could have anticipated.
"No more games," Ava said, her voice gaining strength. "I'm done being your pawn."
Viktor's expression shifted, his amusement faltering for a brief moment. "You think you can walk away from this? You think you can just… be done?"
"I think you've underestimated me," Ava replied, her gaze steady.
Noah stepped forward, standing beside her once again. His presence was a quiet reassurance, a reminder that they weren't alone. They may have been trapped in a web of lies and manipulation, but as long as they stood together, they could still fight.
But Viktor's laughter broke the silence, low and menacing. "You're not done with this, Ava. Not until the very end."
And as his words hung in the air, Ava realized the truth: there was no easy way out. The choices they had made, the paths they had walked, had led them here. The web was tightening around them, and there was no escaping it.
But Ava wouldn't give up. Not yet. She wouldn't let Viktor, or anyone else, have the final say. She was going to find a way out of this madness, even if it meant uncovering truths she wasn't ready to face.