Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 31 - Chapitre 39

The city slept under a drizzle that painted the streets in silver streaks. But in a forgotten corner of the docks, where the streetlights had long since died, something moved.The sound was faint at first the shuffle of boots against wet concrete. Then came the cough, low and guttural, like it hurt just to breathe.Sebastian stepped into the faint glow of a flickering sign.His shirt was soaked through, the right sleeve torn where Beauty’s bullet had ripped into his arm. His face was pale, but his eyes burned with something colder than rage.She had saved him from Jack and humiliated him in the same breath. That would not stand.By the time Sebastian staggered into the safehouse he kept for “special occasions,” his hands were shaking from blood loss. He stripped off his ruined shirt, revealing the bullet wound deep, but not fatal.On the table sat a burner phone.He picked it up and dialed.“She tried to kill me,” he said when the voice on the other end answered.The man’s laugh was

The rain was relentless that night, drumming against the corrugated roof of Warehouse 19. Every drop echoed in the vast, empty space, masking the faint sounds of movement in the shadows. Jack stepped inside, his boots leaving wet prints on the dusty floor. He wore black from head to toe, the hood of his jacket pulled low. His eyes scanned the space, noting exits, blind corners, and vantage points. He wasn’t alone. From a platform above, Marcus watched him through the scope of a rifle. His finger rested loosely on the trigger, his breathing calm. He had strict orders from Beauty wait for my signal. But Marcus had never been good at following orders. In another part of the warehouse, Kendall crouched behind a stack of crates, her heart pounding. She had followed Jack against his instructions, slipping into the building just minutes after him. She couldn’t sit back and watch him walk into a trap. Her phone was set to silent, the flashlight off. She moved in slow, careful steps

The lake shimmered under the moonlight, a wide sheet of silver framed by dark trees. It was supposed to be a peaceful escape, the kind of place where lovers came to breathe. But tonight, the air was electric with the tension between Jack and Kendall.They had come here after a heated argument, the drive filled with silence so thick it felt suffocating.Kendall stood on the dock, her arms wrapped around herself, staring at the reflection of the moon. She could feel Jack’s gaze on her back but refused to turn.“You’re quiet,” he said finally, his voice low.“I’m thinking,” she replied, still not looking at him.“About what?”“About whether I can keep doing this,” she said, her tone sharper than she intended.Jack’s jaw tightened. “Doing what?”“This” she spun to face him, her hair catching the light. “Living in constant fear. Wondering when Beauty will pop up next, what stunt she’ll pull, what part of my life she’ll try to destroy. I’m tired, Jack. I’m so tired.”He stepped closer, his

Kendall pressed herself against the side of a shipping container, heart pounding so loudly she was sure it would give her away. From her position, she could see Jack on his knees under the flickering warehouse light, Beauty circling him like a predator savoring the moment before the kill.Adrian leaned lazily against a stack of crates, arms folded, watching Jack with smug satisfaction. “You’ve gotten slower,” he taunted. “I almost miss the old you the one who could clear a room before anyone knew what happened.”Jack’s eyes stayed locked on Beauty. “If you’ve dragged Kendall into this, Adrian, I swear”Beauty’s laughter cut him off, sharp and cold. “Oh, she’s already in it, Jack. She just doesn’t know how deep yet.”Kendall’s phone buzzed again. “Now or never. Step inside and I’ll tell you who Jack really is.” Her throat tightened. Every instinct screamed at her to run, but her feet refused to move. She needed to know.Inside the warehouse, Beauty tilted her head, studying Jack with m

Kendall noticed it first in the smallest ways.Bianca was suddenly… present. Not in the obvious, in-your-face kind of way her stepsister was known for, but in these careful, measured appearances always when Jack was around.At first, Kendall thought nothing of it. Maybe Bianca was just being polite. Maybe she’d finally grown out of that phase of rolling her eyes every time Kendall mentioned her husband. But the change was so smooth, so deliberate, that it started to gnaw at her.It began the next morning. Jack was seated at the kitchen counter, scrolling through emails, when Bianca breezed in wearing a casual tank top and jeans that still managed to look like a photoshoot.“Good morning,” she said cheerfully, like they were old friends. “I made fresh coffee.”Jack glanced up, mildly surprised. “Morning.”Kendall, who was rinsing fruit at the sink, turned her head. “You? Make coffee?”Bianca laughed. “Well, I can try, can’t I? Jack works so hard figured I’d help him start the day righ