Page 52 of Secrets Of Blackwood

“Did you really think it would be that easy?” The voice on the other end is cold, mocking—Victoria.

A chill runs through me as the line goes dead, the threat clear and present.

“Damien… Alexander…” I breathe out, my gaze meeting theirs. “It’s not over yet.”

And as we huddle together, a silent pact forms between us—we’re in this until the very end. The chapter closes, leaving hearts racing and minds reeling, the story’s climax just within reach.

15 - 15

The door swings open with a groan of weathered hinges, and the stench of deception floods my senses. I’m first to step into Victoria’s dimly lit sanctuary, the low hum of her malice palpable in the air. Damien’s hand presses against the small of my back—a silent promise of unwavering support.

“Victoria,” I spit out her name like the poison she is, my pulse racing in my ears.

She sits there, an empress of shadows, her cold blue eyes reflecting no light, no warmth. “Lily, darling, you finally grew a spine,” she purrs, her voice a razor wrapped in silk.

Damien tenses beside me, a storm cloud ready to burst. “This game you’re playing ends now,” he says, his tone dark as the abyss that once held his heart captive.

“Damien,” she taunts, standing to her full height, a viper coiling to strike. “You always were too emotional for your own good.”

Alexander’s presence looms behind us, his energy a pulsating force. “Emotions have nothing to do with it,” he interjects, his words sharp and clear as crystal. “We know what you’ve done, Victoria.”

She laughs, a sound void of humor or joy. “And what will you do with that knowledge? Expose me? You think anyone would believe the word of a brooding brute, a naive girl, and a charmer with too many secrets?”

“Belief isn’t necessary when you have proof,” Alexander retorts, stepping forward to join us. He tosses a flash drive onto the table before her, the evidence of her transgressions encased in plastic and metal.

Her gaze flickers to the drive, then back to us, her mask cracking. “You think you’ve won?” Her voice is a whip, lashing out in desperation.

“Winning isn’t the point,” I say, feeling a surge of strength within me. “It’s about stopping you from hurting anyone else.”

“Sweet Lily,” Victoria sneers, advancing with deliberate steps. “So innocent, so foolish.”

The space between us evaporates as she lunges, her fingers clawing towards my throat. But Damien is faster, his body a shield between me and danger. Their struggle is a dance of fury, each move met with equal force.

“Enough!” Alexander’s command slices through the chaos. He grasps Victoria’s arm, twisting it behind her back. She cries out, the sound slicing through the tension.

“Let go of me!” Victoria’s snarl is feral, but we stand firm, an unbreakable chain of resolve.

“Never again will you manipulate or harm,” Damien growls, holding her gaze with his steely resolve.

“Never again,” I echo, my voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through me.

“Never again,” Alexander affirms, the finality in his tone a vow etched in stone.

As Victoria struggles against our combined might, the unity between Damien, Alexander, and me is a beacon in the darkness of her lies. We are the harbingers of her downfall, and this confrontation is just the beginning of her reckoning.

“Give it up, Victoria,” I demand, my words wrapping around the room like a binding spell. “It’s over.”

But as we stand united, prepared to drag her sins into the light, a glint of something sinister flashes in her eyes—a secret yet to be unveiled. The chapter closes with our hearts thundering, the imminent threat of her next move looming over us like a gathering storm.

15

Chapter Fifteen

The room’s shadows play upon the walls like specters from my past, flickering in the dim light that barely chases away the darkness. I stand alone in the center of this cold chamber, the air thick with the musty scent of old wood and secrets. My heart pounds, a drumbeat of guilt and remorse, resonating through the silence.

I clench my fists at my sides, the knuckles white as bone beneath the skin. The leather of my jacket creaks with the tension in my body, every fiber of me screaming for redemption. It’s a battle cry against the monster I’ve seen in myself, the one I’m desperate to vanquish.

With a deep breath that does little to steady my nerves, I stride towards the mirror mounted on the wall. The sound of my boots echoes, a solitary rhythm against the wooden floorboards. Each step is heavy with determination, carrying the weight of a thousand regrets.

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