Semua Bab CRAVING THE BAD BOY: Bab 131 - Bab 140

Ariana POVThe moment Sean said there was another way in, the room changed again. It was not a physical change I could point at, but something in the air shifted, like the control I thought I had was slipping out of my hands. My chest tightened as I stared at him, trying to understand how he could say something like that so calmly."What do you mean another way in?" I asked slowly.Sean did not rush his answer. He stood there like he had all the time in the world, even though everything around us felt like it was about to collapse. That calmness made it harder to trust him."It means exactly what I said," he replied. "Your father did not design a single lock. He designed a system that adapts."Nick stepped forward immediately, his voice sharp. "You’re changing the rules after bringing us here," he said. "That’s not how this works.""It is when the system is still alive," Sean replied.That sentence made my stomach turn slightly. The idea that something my father created was still acti

Ariana POVThe door opened wider, and the sound of footsteps filled the room before I could even react properly. My heart was already racing from everything happening around the structure, but now it felt like it was about to break out of my chest. I turned toward the entrance, my body tense, my mind trying to catch up with what was coming next.Three men stepped inside. They moved with purpose, not rushing, but not hesitating either. That alone told me they knew exactly where they were and what they were walking into. My chest tightened as I took a small step back, instinct pulling me closer to Nick without me thinking about it."So this is where it ends up," one of them said.His voice was calm, almost too calm, and it made something in my stomach twist. Mark shifted immediately, placing himself slightly in front of us. "You’re not supposed to be here," he said.The man gave a small smile. "Neither are you," he replied.The hum from the structure grew louder again, almost like it wa

Ariana POVThe moment the structure split open, the light inside it dimmed instead of growing brighter. That was the first thing that felt wrong. I expected something louder, something bigger, but instead everything went quiet in a way that made my chest tighten even more.No one moved at first.We all just stood there, staring at the opening like it might close again if we got too close. My hand slowly dropped to my side, but I could still feel the echo of the contact, like the structure had left something behind in me."What did you just do?" Mark asked.His voice was calm, but there was tension under it. "I don’t know," I replied honestly. "It just… responded."Sean stepped closer, his eyes fixed on what had opened. "You didn’t just trigger it this time," he said. "You completed a stage."That word made my stomach turn. Stage. Like this was only part of something bigger. Nick moved closer to me again, his presence grounding in a way I didn’t realize I needed until that moment. "Are

Ariana POVThe voice was soft, but it cut through the silence like nothing else could. It wasn’t just familiar. It was unmistakable. My entire body went still as the sound echoed again, clearer this time, like it was coming from somewhere both near and far at once."Ariana...can you hear me?"My breath caught in my throat. I didn’t move. I didn’t speak. For a second, I couldn’t even think properly."That’s…" I started, but the words didn’t come out fully.Nick’s hand tightened slightly around mine. "You know that voice," he said quietly.I nodded slowly, my chest rising and falling too fast. "It’s him," I whispered.The device in my hand vibrated again, softer this time, like it was waiting for a response. The light beneath my fingers pulsed gently, steady and controlled, completely different from the chaotic energy before."Ariana," the voice said again. "If you’re hearing this, then you made it further than I expected."My eyes burned slightly as I stared at the device. I didn’t rea

Ariana POVThe darkness did not feel normal.It wasn’t just the lights going out. It felt deeper than that, like something had swallowed the entire room at once. For a second, I could not see anything at all, not even the shape of my own hand. My heart started racing instantly, faster than before, because this silence felt different from every other pause we had faced."Nick?" I said quickly."I’m here," he answered immediately.His voice cut through the dark, steady and close, and I felt a small wave of relief. A second later, his hand found mine again, warm and firm, like he wasn’t going to let go no matter what happened next."What just happened?" Mark’s voice came from somewhere ahead."No idea," Laura replied, her tone tighter than before. "But this is not a normal shutdown."The device in my hand was no longer glowing. That scared me more than anything else. Just seconds ago, it had been alive, pulsing, responding to everything. Now it felt completely still, like it had gone sil