Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 101 - Chapitre 110

Chapter 101 – Lines We Can’t CrossRyder’s POVI couldn’t get the image of Ollie’s face out of my head, the way his eyes looked empty that day, how his voice trembled when he told me to leave him alone. I’d tried to give him space, really tried, but something in me refused to sit still. The silence between us had stretched for days, and every hour felt wrong. I told myself I was just worried, that I only wanted to make sure he was safe, but deep down, I knew it was more than that.I started asking around quietly, hoping someone might know where he’d gone. Most people shrugged, others made jokes about him skipping school again, but then one of the guys from class mentioned seeing him near the old apartments at the edge of town. “He looked sick, man,” he said. “Like, pale. Barely standing.”That was all I needed to hear.By the time I reached the building, the sun had already dipped low, leaving everything washed in gray. The place looked abandoned, peeling paint, cracked windows, the f

Chapter 103 – The Knock(Ryder’s POV)The knock came again, louder this time—three heavy thuds that shook the front door. Ollie flinched like he’d been hit. His face went pale, his breathing uneven, and I could see the panic in his eyes before he even spoke.“She’s here,” he whispered.The words made my stomach twist. I didn’t waste time thinking. I grabbed his arm gently but firmly. “Come on.”He hesitated, frozen, like his body couldn’t decide whether to move or collapse. “Ryder, she’ll—”“I don’t care,” I said quietly. “We’re not opening that door.”The knock came again, followed by her voice—rough, slurred, angry. “Ryder! I know he’s in there!”Ollie’s hands started shaking. I reached for them without thinking, pressing his trembling fingers between mine. “Hey, look at me,” I said. His eyes flicked up, glassy and scared. “You’re safe here. I promise.”He shook his head. “You don’t know what she’s like.”“I don’t need to,” I said. “You’re not going down there.”For a moment, neithe

Chapter 105: Morning NextRyder’s povThe next morning, I woke before the alarm.The sky outside was still pale gray, the kind of color that makes the whole world look quiet. I sat on the edge of the bed for a while, running a hand through my hair and trying to push away the weight that had settled in my chest since last night.Ollie had texted when he got home. Just one word—yeah.That was all.I stared at that message for too long last night. I didn’t even know why it bothered me so much. Maybe because it wasn’t enough. Because every time I looked at him, I could tell he was carrying something heavy, and it pissed me off that he thought he had to do it alone.I made coffee, let it sit too long and turn bitter, then grabbed my jacket and headed out. The air outside bit at my skin, sharp and cold, but it helped clear my head.I didn’t see him at work that day, and even though I tried not to think about it, I caught myself checking the entrance more than once. He usually came by around

Chapter 107 — The Morning AfterRyder's POV I woke before dawn, staring at the faint outline of his face in the dim light spilling through my window. For a while, I didn’t move. My head rested against the headboard, my breath shallow, my thoughts restless. He was curled beneath the blanket, one arm tucked beneath his cheek, strands of hair scattered across my pillow. Ollie looked peaceful, almost fragile, and something about that sight unsettled me more than anything else ever could.My body ached to reach out, to brush the hair away from his face, to feel that he was really there. But I didn’t. I just sat there, still and quiet, my fingers curling into my palms. It wasn’t right. He needed rest, not me hovering like some fool who didn’t know what to do with his feelings.The room was silent except for the soft rhythm of his breathing. I looked around at the scattered things from last night, the half-empty glass of water on the desk, the crumpled blanket I had used while keeping watch

Chapter 109 — The Weight of My PastRyder’s POVThe night didn’t end. It just bled into morning.By the time I got him to safety, the sky was already turning gray, and my pulse hadn’t slowed once. The windows were shattered, the floor littered with glass, the echo of those voices still clinging to the air. He sat on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, pale and shaking, while I paced like a caged animal, calling everyone I knew who might still owe me a favor.But most of those lines were dead.The few that weren’t ended with tight voices, silence, or someone hanging up the moment they heard mine. The message was clear, whatever’s coming isn’t small, and no one wants to stand in its way.By sunrise, I’d made up my mind. I couldn’t keep sitting there, waiting for another attack. I had to find out who was behind this, and fast.I glanced at him. He’d fallen asleep sitting upright, his head resting against the arm of the couch, the blanket slipping from his shoulders. Even in sleep, he looked