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Chapter 36Alice“I’ll go,” I said firmly, no hesitation in my voice.George stared at me like I had lost my mind. “What did you just say?”“I mean it, George.” I held his gaze, every word steady. “I’m done with all of this… the fighting, the attacks, the nightmares. He wants me. There’s no point running anymore.”I stepped closer until we were barely inches apart, his warm breath fanning my face. “I’m going in there. I’ll face him head-on and end this… for good.”“No,” George said quickly, pulling me even closer, his voice cracking. “You don’t have to do this. You don’t have to face that monster by yourself. Let me handle him. Please don’t put yourself in danger like this.”“I’m not putting myself in danger,” I shot back, tears stinging my eyes again. “I’m going out there to stop him. I’m going to save my brother… and anyone else who might get hurt because of his twisted game. I can’t just sit back here and let innocent people suffer when I can put an end to it.”“You don’t get it, A
Chapter 35AliceThe next few days felt like the calmest I had known in years.Leaving the city was the smartest thing we could have done. George didn’t even argue when I suggested it. For the first time in a long while, we didn’t have to live looking over our shoulders, waiting for Thomas’s next threat or attack.The peace actually lasted for a while… until it didn’t.One afternoon, my phone buzzed with a new message. I opened it and froze.“You really thought you could run away from me? I have your brother. If you care about him at all, come to the address attached to this message. Forty eight hours… that's all you have. Come alone.”The words slammed into me like a fist. I just stared at the screen, unable to move.George was sitting on the other side of the living room. He must have felt the change in my expression because he got up quietly and walked over to where I was. His eyes searched my face, full of concern.“Something seems to bother you,” he said softly. “What is it?”I lo
Chapter 34Alice Brian rose to his feet and picked up his suitcase. “I think I’m done here for now,” he said quietly. “It’s now up to the both of you to decide if you want to end this or not.” He turned towards the door, and stopped. “George, you know where to find me once you’ve made up your mind.”“Wait, please,” I called out, rushing after him. “Isn’t there any other way out? Do I… really have to go that far to put an end to all of this?”“Unfortunately, Alice…” He rested a gentle hand on my shoulder. “There isn’t any other way. If you truly want to be free from Thomas, I’m afraid this is the only way out.”He reached for the doorknob, twisted it, then glanced back at us. “Have a good day.”With that, he stepped out and closed the door softly behind him.The moment he was gone, a heavy wave of unease settled over me. I turned to face George, and my eyes instantly filled with tears.He hurried over and pulled me into his arms. “It’s okay, Alice. Everything’s going to be alright. Ju
Chapter 33AliceI raised an eyebrow.“I know this might sound crazy…” Brian said quickly, before I could speak. “But it could be the only way to fix this mess.”My chest tightened with anxiety. “What do you mean?” I asked, my voice shaky.He gestured towards the couch behind me. “Please, sit down.” His voice was quiet and calm.I hadn’t even noticed I had been standing the whole time. I dropped onto the couch right away, my back straight, my eyes fixed on him, waiting nervously.George sat beside me right after. His foot kept tapping lightly against the floor… he was clearly on edge.“There’s only one way to get Thomas to trust you again,” Brian continued, his voice dropping to a whisper, “...and to stop seeing you as a danger.”A heavy knot formed in my chest. I stared straight at him, my heart pounding with unease.“Believe me, Alice… you already have the one thing that can soften his heart. You can get him to listen… to do whatever you want him to do.”At first the words sounded ri
Chapter 32 Alice“What? What do you mean?” George asked quickly, giving Brian a puzzled look. “And… if you’ve been hiding for months, how do you even know all this?”Brian gave a small, quiet laugh and leaned forward a little. “Okay, let me explain it better.”George nodded fast and shifted in his seat, his eyes still glued to Brian.“First things first… I know pretty much everything Thomas is planning because I planted a secret listening bug in his house. It lets me hear what he says and what he’s up to. That’s how I’ve been keeping track of his dirty plots.”George’s eyes widened. So did mine. He really went that far to spy on Thomas. The thought of it alone made me sick with panic.“So now back to the other question,” Brian continued. “George, there’s something you need to know… a deep family secret.”He glanced at Zach, who was still sitting quietly. George caught the hint right away.“Excuse us for a minute. I’ll call you when I need you,” George said under his breath, turning t
Chapter 31Alice“What?” I choked out, my voice breaking. “I thought he was… dead.”George gave a small nod. “That’s exactly what he wanted everyone to believe. But he’s been alive the whole time… just hiding so Thomas would believe he was really gone.”“That’s insane,” I whispered, the words hitting me like a blow. A dull ache, accompanied with fear… twisted in my chest. “You’re telling me he faked his own death just to throw Thomas off? He’s actually been out there this whole time?”“Exactly,” George said quietly. “He needed to disappear to stay safe from more attacks. But now he’s ready to come out of hiding. He’s trying to reach out to us.”I stared at him, still trying to process the words. “Why now?”“There’s something he wants to let us know,” George went on.My eyes snapped towards his. “What’s that?”“He says there are a lot of hidden truths about Thomas he wants to share with us. But in return… he needs us to do something for him.”He caught my confused gaze and went on righ
Chapter 16 George Alice stood frozen, her eyes locked on mine like she was trying to fix a puzzle. Then, without a word, she turned away… her back to me… as tears broke free from her eyes. “I've had enough humiliation,” she whispered, her voice shaking through her sniffles. “I… I just can’t any
Chapter 13Alice I rushed into the living room, my heart pounding… and just like George said, Leo was safe. He was a little shaken, but unharmed. He sat on the couch, wide-eyed and clutching a pillow, looking both scared and confused.The minute he spotted me, he jumped up and ran straight into my
Chapter 15 George My grip tightened around the letter the moment Maria mentioned Leo’s name. My hands trembled as I scanned the words, my heart pounding. ‘Happy early birthday, Leo. Three weeks left. Enjoy the peace while it lasts.’The message hit me like a blow to the chest. For a long seco
Chapter 18Alice The day after I saw that disastrous headline was supposed to be a happy one for Leo. His school had planned a museum field trip… something he’d been talking about for weeks.But I let my instincts get the better part of me. I could no longer trust the school to keep him safe. Not







