Seinna felt the air leave her lungs. "Jaden," she repeated, her voice barely a whisper, as if saying the name aloud would summon a ghost from the past.
"I didn't mean for this to happen," he said, stepping closer. "But once I met you, I couldn't walk away. Not anymore."
She backed away, her eyes locked onto his. "You were the last person my brother contacted before he disappeared. You think I didn't find that out?"
Jaden's jaw clenched. "I didn't hurt him."
"But you know who did."
A long pause.
He looked away. "I was there... that night. He found something he wasn't supposed to. About the school, about the foundation behind it. They've been laundering money, experimenting on students—your brother was close to exposing it. So they made him disappear."
Seinna legs weakened, but she held herself up. "And you helped them?"
"I tried to stop it! I warned him to back off, but he didn't listen." His voice cracked. "I joined them because I wanted to protect My family. They were used against me...
"You used me," she said bitterly.
He stepped forward. "I loved you."
Seinna shook her head, her voice cold now. "No. You don't get to say that. Not after everything."
Lightning flashed outside the window, illuminating the shadows that had always lurked in their story.
"So what now?" Jaden asked, his voice low.
Seinna eyes narrowed. "Now, I finish what my brother started. With or without you."
And for the first time, Jaden looked scared—not of the people he worked for, but of the girl standing in front of him. The girl who was done being played.
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Let me know when you're ready for *Chapter Eleven: The Beginning of the End* 👀🔥