LOGINHeads up- hey, besties đ€(At this point, youâre more than my readers to me.)Weâre entering the final arc of this story, and I want to gently prepare you- the next few chapters may not unfold the way you expect or hope. Some moments might be frustrating, some painfulâbut I ask that you keep an open heart and continue reading.Even when things donât go the way you want for now, trust that every turn matters. I promise a satisfying ending- one that makes the journey worth it.So step into this arc knowing itâs unpredictable. Read with a free mind, feel everything, and let the story take you where it needs to go.I love you all.Now⊠continue reading đ€* ~Teyanaâs POV~I had never been this aware of my own breathing in a while.Everyone here sat like they were bracing for impact. I was not comfortable with the faces here- especially Jeremyâs mother, Natalie. John sat on the middle couch. My mother was beside him, her fingers folded neatly in her lap. Mariah sat opposite her. Natalie w
~Teyanaâs POV~(A Week Later)I didnât want to be here. I didnât think I could. And yet, here I was. It was Chrisâ burial. A week had passed since his death. The media frenzy, the chaosâit had only magnified the reality of the moment. It was even rumored that his father had closed down his company, same as his mother, because they were moving out of the country after his burial.After the news confirmed Chris had killed Dr. Smith and Adam, and had attempted to harm Maxton too, the world had labeled Maxton as someone who had taken the law into his own hands. He might get bail, the reports said, but penalties were inevitable.He was also getting heavy supports from his family members and friends. I heard that Jeremy had been also making sure that Maxton got bailed. Carolâs hand rested lightly on my shoulder in the cab. âWe can go back if you donât want to attend,â she said softly, her voice calm but tinged with concern.I managed a small, tentative smile. âNo⊠Iâll go. I need to. To cl
~Teyanaâs POV~âDonât⊠please⊠donât shoot.âThe words kept leaving my mouth before I was even aware of where I was. They spilled out weakly, broken, threaded with panic, as if my body was still trapped in that room even though my mind was trying to crawl its way out.A hand settled over mine. It was warm and grounding.âTeyana. Hey. Youâre okay. Youâre safe.â I wanted to call his name- Jeremy. But that wasnât Jeremyâs voice. Yet, it sounded familiar.I jerked upright with a sharp gasp, my eyes flying open as my body jolted into full consciousness. My chest heaved heavily as air rushed back into my lungs, my heart slamming so hard it hurt. White light blinded me for a second, sterile and too bright, and the sharp scent of antiseptic filled my nose.Hospital. Thatâs where I was. My head throbbed immediately, a dull but insistent ache that made me wince as I lifted my hand to my forehead. Something rough met my fingersâbandages plastered on my forehead. That was when I noticed the IV t
~Jeremyâs POV~For a fraction of a second, everything went silent.The kind of silence that followed something irreversible. The kind that sucked all the air out of the room and left your ears ringing even when no sound remained.My heart pounded harder than it had ever been. Chris was going to shoot Teyana, but she was still here- alive and breathing- hard. My gaze slowly darted to the floor. Chris lay sprawled on the there, motionless. Completely still.Chris. Chris Dales. He is dead. I felt bile rise to my throat. I had never been this traumatized in my entire life. I was going to shoot him, but it wasnât my gun that shot him.Blood crept out from beneath his head, spreading slowly, deliberately, like it had all the time in the world. The bullet had gone straight through his forehead. Clean and final.My fingers were still wrapped around the gun in my hand, my arms rigid, my chest heaving violently, but I knew, deep in my bonesâ even though I couldnât actually differentiate reality
~Jeremyâs POV~Zayne said nothing, but his expression turned to stone. I glanced at the gun in my hand, then at Teyana. Guilt wedged through me. She looked so tired, so weak, like she could collapse anytime soon. I couldnât wait to get her out here, yet, I couldnât risk any stupid action.Chris wasnât stupid. His gun was still pointed at her, even though he was talking to Zayne. âYou know,â he said slowly, pacing the space between us with the gun still trained on Teyana, âyou both always did this. Made me the third wheel. I was always thereâbut never really there. You never paid attention to me.ââThatâs not true,â Zayne said firmly. âChris, you know that isnât true.ââShut your damn mouth!â Chris roared, swinging the gun toward him. âJust shut up!âThe room vibrated with his rage. The air felt charged, brittle- like anything could shatter it.âDonât shoot him, Chris. Please.â I begged.âThis ends here,â Chris continued, breathing hard. âRight now. Jeremyâif you donât kill himâŠâ He t
(Minutes Earlier)~Jeremyâs POV~I didnât hear Zayne at first. My pulse was a roar in my ears, an engine running wild.âYou will kill us both at this point if you do not slow down,â he warned sharply.Only then did my foot ease off the accelerator. I hadnât realized how reckless Iâd been driving. I didnât care. We were closeâso close to Glemont, close to wherever Chris had taken her. I knew it was Glemont. Had to be. Every minute wasted felt like another inch Chris dragged Teyana toward death.âWeâre almost there,â I muttered, jaw locked tight.From the back seat Knox leaned forward. âEither of you have a gun?ââFuck.â I slapped the steering wheel. âIâm not with one.âZayne shook his head. âWasnât expecting today to turn out like this. I donât have it with me either.ââHere.â Knox shoved something cold and metallic into my hand. A compact handgun. âSir Jeremy should have it. Heâs going in first.âZayne tensed beside me. âI actually donât think thatâs a good idea. His headâs all over t







