All Chapters of CRAVING THE BAD BOY: Chapter 271 - Chapter 280

Nick and Ariana stared at the silver key resting inside the hidden compartment. Neither of them moved. The words engraved on it echoed in their minds. ONLY TOGETHER SURVIVE. Nick looked at Ariana through the transparent wall between them. "I told you.""There had to be another way."Ariana nodded slowly. "My father never wanted one of us to die."She carefully picked up one end of the silver key. At the same moment, Nick reached for the other end from his side of the glass. The instant both of them touched it, the key began to glow. A soft golden light spread through the chamber. The electronic voice spoke again. "Joint authorization confirmed.""True access granted."The transparent wall between them slowly disappeared. Nick wasted no time. He crossed the space in seconds and pulled Ariana into his arms. She hugged him tightly. For several long moments, neither of them spoke. They simply held each other. "I thought we were out of time," Ariana whispered.Nick kissed her forehead. "We

Ariana's heart nearly stopped. She stared at the woman standing in front of her. The woman's hand was still wrapped tightly around her wrist. The flash drive lay on the floor between them. "You..." Ariana whispered."I saw you die."The woman smiled, but there was no warmth in her eyes. "You saw what Richard wanted you to see."Nick quickly stood and rushed toward Ariana. "Get away from her!"Before he could reach them, Richard stepped in front of him and blocked his path. "I think it's time for a few introductions."The woman slowly released Ariana's wrist and bent down to pick up the flash drive. She held it up with a satisfied smile. "So this is Samuel's final weapon."Ariana stared at her in disbelief. "I know you.""You worked with my father."The woman nodded. "I did.""My name is Isabella."David had spoken about her years ago, but everyone believed she had died in an explosion during the final days of Project Genesis. Nick looked at Richard. "You lied to everyone."Richard smi

The Heart Chamber was swallowed by darkness. Only a few small lights glowed along the walls. Nick quickly moved in front of Ariana again. She still held the flash drive tightly in one hand while supporting the wounded Isabella with the other.No one spoke. Everyone stared at the man who had just stepped through the hidden door. He looked almost exactly like David. The same height. The same gray hair. The same calm eyes. Even the way he stood was nearly identical. Richard's face slowly lost all color. "No...""It can't be."The old man smiled faintly. "It has been a very long time, Richard."Ariana looked from the stranger to the screen showing David's face. Her mind was racing. "Who are you?"The man looked at her with gentle eyes. "My name is Daniel Carter."Nick frowned. "Carter?"The old man nodded. "Samuel's older brother."Ariana's breath caught. "My father had a brother?"Daniel smiled sadly. "He rarely spoke about me.""He wanted everyone to believe I was dead."Outside the cha

The countdown continued to flash across every screen. No one moved for a long second. The room shook as dust drifted from the ceiling. The sound of alarms echoed through every corner of the underground facility. Nick looked at Ariana, and in that single moment, they both understood something important.Fear would not save them. Only trust would. Ariana took a slow breath and looked around the control room again. Samuel Carter had always believed that every problem had an answer. He never built Genesis to destroy lives. He built it to protect them. "There has to be another way," she said quietly.Nick nodded. "There is. We just haven't found it yet."Daniel stepped closer to the damaged control console. His tired eyes moved across the broken screen. Most of the controls no longer worked, but a small section continued to blink with a soft blue light. "I think Samuel left us one last choice," he said.Ariana hurried over. "What is it?"Daniel pointed to the message on the screen. PRIMARY

Three weeks passed peacefully. The Carter estate slowly became a home again instead of a place filled with painful memories. Workers repaired the old buildings, gardeners filled the empty flower beds, and every room that had once held secrets was now full of laughter.Ariana stood inside her father's study. Most of the shelves had already been cleaned, but she still could not bring herself to change the room too much. The scent of old books and polished wood reminded her of Samuel every time she stepped inside. Nick walked in carrying two cups of coffee. "I thought you might need this."She accepted the cup with a grateful smile. "Thank you."He looked around the room. "You've been in here every day.""I know.""I keep thinking I'll find something that explains everything."Nick gently rested a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe there isn't anything left to explain."She smiled faintly. "I used to think that too."Just then, Claire knocked on the open door. "I hope I'm not interrupting."Ni