Chapter 5

The morning in Manila felt heavy—almost too calm for Summer Skyton’s liking. Even the birds outside her hotel window chirped in an eerie rhythm, as if nature itself sensed the tension looming beneath her skin.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror of Room 2703, heart pounding. Her hazel eyes were slightly bloodshot from lack of sleep. Her jet-black hair was braided into a clean, no-nonsense style, but it did little to hide the subtle tremble in her shoulders.

“Are you sure about this?” Thunder’s voice came softly from behind her. He was seated on the couch, dressed in casual jeans and a light jacket, but his alert posture and clenched jaw revealed his readiness for anything.

“I have to be,” she replied, fixing the small transmitter to the inside of her blouse. “This ends today. For good.”

Thunder stood and approached her, placing his hands gently on her waist. “I know what you’re trying to do. But if something goes wrong, you give me the signal. You hear me?”

Summer nodded, her voice low. “I won’t let him haunt me forever.”

They had orchestrated a plan: Summer would meet Lava at a private dinner he had arranged under the guise of reconciliation. Hidden cameras and microphones would capture everything. Thunder had an elite security team stationed within a one-block radius, all disguised in civilian attire. The Philippine authorities were involved but agreed to remain unseen unless triggered.

But even with all the planning, the fear clung to Summer like a second skin.

That evening, she arrived at the restaurant—a rooftop bar at one of Manila’s most exclusive hotels. The skyline shimmered behind her, but it felt cold, distant. Summer wore a sleek black dress, elegant and disarming. Her lips were painted a soft coral, the exact shade Lava used to adore.

He was already there.

Lava stood as she approached the table, a dazzling smile spread across his face. He looked expensive, magnetic—tailored suit, slicked-back hair, the scent of imported cologne hanging in the air like invisible smoke.

“You look... divine,” he murmured, pulling out her chair.

“I’m not here for compliments,” she said flatly.

“Of course.” He poured them both a glass of wine, his eyes never leaving hers. “Just one last dinner. One last night to remember what we were. Or maybe... what we could still be.”

Summer gave a tight smile, playing her part. “What we were died on the day you left me at the altar.”

Lava’s expression didn’t falter. “I made a mistake, Summer. But you and I—we were meant to build an empire together. You think Thunder Voldizépeña can love you the way I did?”

Her jaw clenched. “Thunder respects me. You used me.”

“I made you!” he snapped suddenly, voice low but sharp. “Everything you are—the fire, the independence, even your pain—I created that. I gave you purpose.”

Summer leaned in, her eyes steel. “You gave me trauma. And tonight, I give you the truth.”

She pressed the hidden button in her bracelet.

From a van parked outside, Thunder and the agents tuned in, hearing everything. Thunder clenched his fists. "She’s doing it... brave girl."

Inside, Lava continued his manipulation. “All those nights I cried thinking about you—”

“You don’t get to rewrite history, Lava,” she cut in. “You left me. You humiliated me. And now, you're under investigation.”

Lava blinked. “What?”

Summer stood, removing her necklace. “Hidden mic. Hidden cameras. The police are waiting. Your threats, your blackmail, the kidnapping—you’re done.”

But Lava didn’t panic.

Instead, he laughed—a slow, menacing chuckle that made her skin crawl.

“You really thought you could trap me in my own game?” He stood and whispered near her ear, “You may have evidence. But I still have power. You should ask your precious Thunder if he told you everything.”

Summer froze.

“What do you mean?”

“Ask him about what happened two years ago in Toronto. The fire. The girl who died. Or should I say—the girl who he let die?”

Summer’s breath caught in her throat.

Lava leaned back, hands raised as hotel security—Thunder’s team—finally entered the scene.

“I’ll go quietly,” he said, eyes never leaving hers. “But remember, Summer. You’re not as free as you think.”

As they dragged him away, he smiled one last time.

“Thunder may be your hero, but even heroes have their sins.”

Summer sat alone at the table, shaking. Thunder rushed in minutes later, wrapping her in his arms.

“You did it. It’s over,” he said, pressing his forehead against hers.

But her mind was spinning.

“What did he mean?” she asked. “What happened in Toronto?”

Thunder stiffened.

“I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want to lose you,” he whispered. “But I think it’s time you knew.”

Her chest tightened. “Tell me everything, Thunder.”

And in that quiet moment, as the Manila skyline flickered like a heartbeat, Summer realized that her journey wasn’t over.

It was just taking another turn.

A deeper one.

A darker one.

Thunder stiffened.

“I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want to lose you,” he whispered. “But I think it’s time you knew.”

Summer’s heart sank, her fingers curling against his chest as a quiet storm brewed behind her eyes. “Then tell me. No more secrets, Thunder. Not after everything.”

He looked away for a moment, jaw tense, breathing uneven. The sky above them pulsed with a distant rumble of thunder, as if mirroring the name of the man who now stood before her—equal parts savior and stranger.

“There was a fire. Two years ago. In Toronto. I was finalizing a corporate deal with a pharmaceutical investor. We were at a gala—everything was supposed to be secure. But something went wrong. Someone triggered an explosion, meant to destroy evidence about illegal drug trials they were funding.”

Summer’s eyes widened. “And the girl?”

Thunder swallowed hard. “Her name was Alana. She was one of the whistleblowers. Brave, scared… and yes, someone I used to know. She tried to run. I tried to help her escape, but…” His voice broke. “I didn’t make it in time.”

Summer stood in stunned silence, piecing together the fragments Lava had dropped. “But why hide that from me?”

“I didn’t want you to think I was like him,” Thunder said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’ve spent years trying to atone for the lives lost under my watch. That’s why I support survivors, build safe houses, advocate for mental health. Not for press. For penance.”

She stared at him, mind caught between trust and betrayal.

And yet, as her eyes met his—a man wounded, vulnerable, but unflinchingly real—she saw the truth: Thunder had his ghosts, just like she did.

Summer turned away, hugging herself tightly. “We’re both broken, Thunder.”

He stepped closer, his voice steady but raw. “Then let’s stop hiding our cracks. Maybe, just maybe… we can heal together.”

But just as she let herself breathe, a message notification vibrated on her phone. The name on the screen stopped her cold.

Unknown Sender: “If you think Lava was your worst enemy, wait until you meet the one pulling his strings.”

Summer’s grip tightened on the device.

The past wasn't finished with her yet.

And neither was this war.