Chapter 16 Just Mercy Summary Novels & Stories

“Pull the trigger. End it. You have a choice too.” “So you're that hungry for death?” “I deserve it.” A bitter laugh escaped me. “You think that’s justice?” “No.” His voice didn’t shake.“I think It’s mercy.” I pressed harder. “And you think I’m here to give you mercy?” “I just think you’ve been waiting for this,” he said. “So just do it and put me out of my misery” My jaw clenched and the weight of the gun made my hand tremble. I could end him with just one pull. In a matter of seconds, his blood could be on the floor and balance be restored. But something in his eyes stopped me.

If there was any justice in the world, what was about to happen to me was the greatest injustice. I didn’t want to die! “PLEASE!” “Shut up, bitch!” The stinky one screeched, his accent as heavy as the smell of smoke on his breath. They dragged me out of the ruin like I was nothing. Strung me up between them like the catch of the day, cuffing me until my blood supply to my hands was cut off. My legs were duck taped together until every movement rubbed my skin raw. I continued to scream until my throat was dry, keeping the hope in my heart that whoever the shadow I’d seen was, he would return and do the right thing.

Justice, long overdue, had finally been served. Chaos and Florence, sitting in the front row, exchanged a knowing glance. They had fought long and hard for this moment, and now, it was finally here. The weight of their ordeal, the sleepless nights, the countless hours of work, had all been worth it. As they left the courtroom, they were greeted by a crowd of supporters, their faces filled with admiration and gratitude. They had become symbols of hope, beacons of light in the darkness. They had faced adversity, overcome obstacles, and emerged victorious. The road to justice had been long and arduous, but they had persevered.

"Why would you show me mercy after everything?" "Because someone showed me mercy once." I thought of Kael, who could have forced the mate bond but let me choose. Of Rowan, who protected me without demanding anything. Of Nyx, who trusted me before I deserved it. "Because mercy is how we break cycles. And Vivienne? I'm done letting our family's poison determine who I become." I turned to Kael. "Life imprisonment. Sealed cell. No contact with the outside world. But alive. That's my judgment."

I promise that I'm a changed man and I will never hurt anyone again. Tanya scoffed, "mercy? Did you say mercy? What about when I begged you to let me go? When I begged you to not force me into such a horrible life, did you listen to my pleas? did you have mercy on me? No, you didn't, you were only concerned about your selfish needs, forgetting that a time will come for you to reap what you sow.

But my mind is clear, crystallized by the cold certainty of what I've discovered. Street lamps flicker out one by one as the sky brightens from indigo to pale blue. Early commuters emerge like cautious animals, clutching coffee cups, faces turned down against the morning chill. From this height, they seem small, insignificant—yet each has a life untouched by the systematic destruction I've been facing. Each moves through the world innocent of the knowledge that someone they trusted could methodically dismantle everything they'd built. I press my forehead against the cool glass, allowing myself this moment of weakness before the day demands strength. The hours of investigation have left me ho

They didn't deserve mercy at all, they had cost me everything I loved just for their selfish gains. The procession started as the register introduced the case, looking at the bastards I couldn't help but smile. They looked so helpless and pitiful, I had been avenged for my family’s death. The judge sentenced them to life imprisonment with hard labor for all their atrocity. Tristan tried begging for mercy but all his pleas turned deaf heard. Walking out of the courtroom, I met paparazzi outside waiting for me. Not wanting to say anything about my family, I ignored their questions before walking away. I was finally at peace after a long period.

“There are good humans and some bad ones like those we were exposed to at Mercile. The bad ones are a minority. Am I making myself clear? Good humans freed us and fought to give us rights and privileges. We are equal in all ways because of them. They are not the ones who enslaved and tortured us. They didn’t know what was being done to us but when they found out, they have done everything possible to help us get where we are today. Every one of you sits here because of those good humans.” A male stood. “Are we supposed to trust them now? It is hard, Justice.” Justice relaxed, his features smoothing. “I understand your hesitancy but we must

It’s so wrong. But Mom’s face won’t leave my head. The way she smiled at me last week even though she could barely keep her eyes open. And Mara’s angry texts. And Jonah’s drawings of monsters. And Miles on parole, one mistake away from going back to prison, calling me every week asking for money because he can’t hold down a job, can’t sleep, can’t function. And me. Sitting on a bathroom floor at dawn with eighty thousand dollars between my mother’s life and her death.

As my eyes flicker to Levi, I see the silent rage in his own that mirrors the one inside of me, but in this moment, our hands are tied. The realization that Mercy is now irrevocably entwined in our world, in a way I never meant for her to be, weighs heavily on me. As the room empties, leaving me to my thoughts and the corpse Diego and Javier move to pick up from the floor of my home, I’m confronted with the reality of my choices. Mercy, the one person I want to protect, is now marked by the very life she’s been my escape from.