Semua Bab Shattered promises: Bab 21 - Bab 30

The air felt electric — thick with tension and static from the storm raging outside.Alina’s breath came shallow as she stared at the intruder.Raindrops slid down the window behind him, streaking the pale light across his face — familiar, sharp, deliberate.Not a ghost.Not a memory.A warning given flesh.“Step away from the cabinet,” she said, voice steady despite the tremor running through her hands.The man tilted his head slightly, studying her. “Still brave,” he murmured. “Still pretending the truth doesn’t have teeth.”“Truth?” she snapped. “You wouldn’t know the meaning of it.”He smiled — a thin, practiced curve of the lips that didn’t reach his eyes. “I know enough. Enough to burn down the world you built from lies.”Before she could react, he reached into his coat. Alina’s muscles tensed — but instead of a weapon, he pulled out a small flash drive, dangling it between two fingers.“I already have what I came for,” he said. “You’ve been busy rebuilding — too busy to notice

The black SUV cut through the rainy streets of Manhattan like a knife through silk, its tires splashing through puddles while Alina’s mind replayed every second of the confrontation. Flames, smoke, gunfire — the chaos still roared in her chest. But beneath the adrenaline was a familiar undercurrent: determination. Fear had no place here. Julian sat beside her, one hand pressed lightly against the seatbelt, the other subtly close to hers. She noticed, almost without meaning to, how his presence was both anchor and spark — grounding her, yet igniting something she hadn’t dared to name in years. “Where to?” she asked, voice calm despite the racing of her heart. Julian’s eyes flicked to hers, sharp and calculating. “Safehouse. Outskirts. We can’t risk going anywhere the city cameras can track us. They’ll assume we’re heading to our usual spots.” Alina nodded, already thinking ahead. “We need intel. We need to know exactly who’s on the inside, who’s helping Eli. And we need to prote

The photo wouldn’t stop burning itself into her mind.Lara’s terrified eyes, the blood on her lip, the dark room behind her—it wasn’t a threat. It was a countdown.Alina’s breath came shallow and fast. Her hands trembled as she picked up the flash drive from the floor, holding it like it was something alive.Nathan stirred behind her, wincing as he pushed himself upright.“What happened?” His voice was low, rough, the exhaustion still coating every word.Alina turned the phone toward him. “They have Lara.”He froze. The silence stretched until it became unbearable.“Where did that come from?”“Unknown number.” She scrolled through the message. “They said to return this—” she lifted the drive, “—or they’ll kill her.”Nathan’s jaw clenched. “Then they know where we are.”The words struck like a hammer.Alina’s pulse spiked. “You said no one could track us.”“They shouldn’t have been able to,” he muttered, pacing. “Unless…”He stopped abruptly, staring at the small motel lamp in the corn

Alina crouched in the darkness outside the warehouse, heart pounding so violently she was certain Nathan could hear it even from inside. The rain had stopped, leaving the docks slick and reflective, the water shimmering under the moonlight. Every shadow seemed alive, every creak and drip magnified into something threatening.She pressed the flash drive against her chest, the weight of it grounding her in the moment. Nathan was inside. Alive, but changed. Lucas had done something to him — something that twisted his voice, made it sharper, colder. Alina didn’t know what had been done, only that she had to act.“Lara,” she whispered, glancing at her friend crouched beside her. “Stay hidden. Don’t make a sound. Understand?”Lara’s eyes were wide, panic flickering across her bruised face. “You’re… you’re going in there alone?”Alina shook her head. “No. I’m going in, and we’re getting him out. But if they spot you—stay back. You have the drive. Protect it at all costs.”Lara swallowed, nod

Alina’s chest heaved, the flash drive burning a hole in her pocket as her mind tried to process the impossible.The figure in front of them — someone Nathan and she thought was long dead — was real. Breathing. Smiling. And terrifyingly calm.Nathan stepped forward, every movement controlled, every muscle taut with tension. “It… it can’t be,” he muttered under his breath. His eyes, usually steady and commanding, flickered with fear, anger, and a strange, deep sadness that made Alina’s stomach knot.The figure tilted their head. “Oh, but it can. And it is. Surprised to see me, Nathan?”Nathan’s jaw tightened. “You… you were gone. You died.”“Died? That’s such a messy word. Let’s just say… I was very busy surviving. And now… I have plans.”Alina felt Lara’s hand grip her arm tightly. “Plans?” she whispered. “What does that mean?”The figure laughed, a cold, hollow sound. “It means, my dear Alina, that nothing you’ve fought for so far matters anymore. Not the drive. Not the city. Not even