All Chapters of ONE NIGHT TO BURN : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The air between us was electricanger, desire, regrettoo much all at once. I reached for her without thinking, my hand touching her cheek. She froze. “Don’t,” she whispered. “Not like this.” But I couldn’t stop. The months apart, the deception, the silence it all collided in one reckless moment. My mouth met hers. It wasn’t gentle. It was fire and rage, pain and memory. She pushed against me once, then gave in, her lips shaking against mine. It was wrong. It was right. It was everything we’d lost and everything we still couldn’t let go. When she finally pulled back, she was breathless. “This isn’t forgiveness.” “I know.” “It’s anger.” “I know that too.” “Then why” “Because I’d rather hate you beside me than love you from afar,” I said hoarsely. Her lips parted in shock, and I almost regretted saying it. Almost. She stepped back, her hand shaking. “You think you can just break me and then kiss me like that?” “You already broke,” I said softly. “I just watch

He was quiet for a moment. Then he said softly, “You sound like me.” “Maybe that’s the problem.” “Or maybe it’s what makes us the same.” His voice was softer now, almost tender. “You’re stronger than you think, Ava. He may have built your cage, but you’re the one who found the key.” I swallowed hard, not trusting my voice. “I just wish you could see yourself the way I see you,” he said. I turned away, my heart hurting. “Don’t say things like that.” “Why not?” “Because it makes it harder to hate you.” He smiled, a sad, broken smile. “Then maybe you shouldn’t try so hard.” Before I could reply, his phone rang. He answered it, his tone going grim almost instantly. “What?” he barked. “When? Where?” He listened for a few seconds, his eyes narrowing. “Keep him there. I’m on my way.” He finished the call and looked at me. “Charles made his first move. One of his men was spotted near the police station, paying a witness.” I frowned. “A witness for what?” “For my

Ava turned to Isabella, anger flashing in her eyes. “You’re using us.” “Of course I am,” Isabella said without doubt. “But that doesn’t mean you won’t win.” Ava’s voice shook. “Why help us?” Isabella’s smile faded. “Because Charles took something from me too.” “What?” “My sister,” Isabella said simply. “She worked for him. She died in that car your father was in.” The room went quiet. I looked at her. “You were his ally.” “I was his weapon,” she said angrily. “Until I realized he never planned to let me live long enough to use me again.” Ava’s face eased slightly. “So this is revenge.” Isabella met her eyes steadily. “It’s justice.” For a moment, no one spoke. Then Ava said, “If I do this I testify he'll come for me.” “He already has,” Isabella answered. “But this time, you’ll have the law behind you. And me.” I turned sharply. “And what’s your price?” Her lips curved faintly. “I want Charles alive when he falls. I want to watch him lose everything.” T

“Don’t move,” she cried, holding me down. “You’re bleeding too much.” “I’m fine,” I lied, even though my vision blurred. “We can’t let him vanish again.” Her eyes filled with hopeless rage. “Nathaniel, stop pretending you’re invincible!” I grabbed her wrist weakly. “He’s not going to stop until one of us is dead.” Her tears fell faster. “Then let it be me, not you.” I froze. Her words hit me harder than the bullet. For a moment, there was no courthouse, no blood, no chaos, just her face and the crushing fear behind her eyes. I reached for her cheek, my fingers shaking. “You think I could live if that happened?” She closed her eyes, leaning into my touch. “Then stop running toward death.” A rescuer pushed through the crowd, but I waved them off. “Help the others,” I said hoarsely. “I’ll be fine.” The doctor paused, then moved away. Ava looked at me in disbelief. “You’ll be fine? Nathaniel, you were shot!” I forced a faint smile. “It’s just a scratch.” “Liar.

“Back!” he shouted, kicking through a smaller hole. We crawled through the smoke, panting, half-blind. My body ached. My lungs screamed. But I refused to stop. When we finally burst onto the deck, the wind hit us hard. I fell against the wall, coughing. Nathaniel stood beside me, his face streaked with soot. “He won’t stop,” I whispered. “He’ll never stop.” Nathaniel’s jaw tightened. “Then neither will we.” Before I could reply, my phone buzzed again somehow still intact. A message from Charles. You should’ve stayed quiet. Now the game starts for real. I stared at the screen, shaking. Nathaniel looked over my shoulder, reading the words. His face turned to steel. “He wants war.” I nodded slowly. “Then he’ll get one.” The city burned beneath us. Sirens wailed. Somewhere below, cameras were already recording the chaos. But none of it mattered. Because in that moment, I realized something far more dangerous than the blast itself Charles hadn’t just come for