Under The Mask Of My Enemy のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 21 - チャプター 30

Chapter 21: Thorne's POVThe deafening sound of the gunshot reverberated in my skull, a shockwave running across my body. I just kept staring at the body that was lying on the floor-the lifeless body of the man Garrett had just executed. I should be used to this by now. I should understand it and accept it. But there was something about the act of watching that cold and efficient death-it broke something inside of me. A shudder ran down my spine, and all at once, my body felt too heavy to carry.I couldn't breathe. My chest tightened up in pain, and the walls around me seemed to close in, pressing against my lungs, suffocating me. The smell of blood mixed with the sharp tang of alcohol filled the room, yet it did little to dissipate the fog in my mind. My hands shook, my fingers tingling with an insistent need to do something, anything, to staunch this suffocating panic. My vision blurred, and everything around me was out of focus. The figures of Garrett's men moved in and out of a f

Chapter 23: Thorne's POVThe first thing I became aware of was the faint sound of waves crashing and salted air as sea breeze wafted into a bedroom through an open window. Blinding, I fought off bright light that filtered through in from somewhere. The bed creaked with it, accommodating my shifting position underneath; so unlike normal, comfortable-smelling sheets felt silky on my skin. Thumbing in, I sat up really gingerly-my racing heartbeat was thudding strongly enough for me to hear, for sure.My gaze darted around the room. The walls were painted a soothing cream, and the decor was understated but elegant. The windows were wide, offering a breathtaking view of the ocean in the distance. But none of it was familiar.The last thing I remembered was Garrett—his face tight with concern, his voice calling my name as I lost consciousness. And before that, the chaos I'd created in the basement, the knife in my hand and the…I flexed my fists and shook off the memory.A soft knock at the

Chapter 25: Thorne's POVBut in this quiet villa, there was something that almost salvaged my soul, far from nightmares and chaos. My insomnia, which once got me pacing through long nights, had faded, as had the relentless anxiety that seemed to dog my steps. I could breathe once more, think with clarity, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, I was able to rest fearlessly.Yet, there was a hollowness in everything. My memories still sat tight, out of reach. I knew they held answers—truths about who I was, what I had done, and why I was here—but for now, I didn't push. This peace, so rare, was too precious to shatter with more questions.Still, the days stretched long and empty. Garrett was gone much of the time, wrapped up in the dark dealings of his world, a world I had no desire to return to. The violence, the manipulation-it repelled me now. I couldn't square it with the man who came into focus during those quieter moments-the one bringing tea and not straying when

Chapter 27: Thorne's POVThe night air was so thick with unsaid words and tension that it could wrap itself around the room and just not let go. I sat on the edge of the bed and stared out the window at the weak moonlight filtering through the curtains. The coldness of the day still lingered, and the sharp edge of Garrett's silence cut deeper than the words could ever cut.The creaking of the door opening startled me, and my head jerked up. There he was-Garrett. He stood in the doorway, his shoulders tense, his gaze heavy with something I couldn't quite name. He didn't move, and for a moment, I wondered if he'd simply turn and walk away again.But then he stepped inside, his movements deliberate, the door clicking softly shut behind him.Garrett," I said, my voice slicing through the silence that had stretched between us all day to unbearable lengths.He didn't say anything for a minute. Instead, he crossed the room in a few long strides, stopping directly in front of me. His hands re

Chapter 29: Garrett's PovIt was a long and exhausting morning; my head was still blurry from last night, for which it wasn't the least prepared to hear from Thorne what he actually had to say.The soft shuffle of footsteps hit behind my back, and without even looking further, I already knew him since his presence in my life-an anchor, welcome or not-loomed well amidst the world around me. But there was a difference in the air, surrounding him today. The feeling inside him was monumental, weighty, something that spoke of a titanic shift. I instinctively could feel the rising tension inside my body as I knew he needed to say.When he finally spoke, his voice was low, uncertain, almost like testing the waters. "Garrett," he said, his words drawing me in completely, "I remember… some things.I froze, the fork I had been holding midway to the plate of eggs in my hand. My heartbeat faltered for a moment. A memory. His memory. It was a long time since he started recovering it, but now… now