AUTHOR'S POV

Hunter's penthouse,
06:57 pm

"You betrayer". Dash slammed Nick against the wall. " YOU REMOVE THE PENTHOUSE FROM SECURITY MOOD THAT NIGHT. YOU ALLOWED SOMEONE IN TO BLACKMAIL ZOE". Dash tightened his grip around Nick's throat his fingers dig in his skin.

" Who was it? ". Dash asked clenching his fist more. Nick's face turned red, he tried to push Dash away but all his attempts got failed miserably.

" A-Alaric". Nick somehow uttered and pushed Dash as his grip loosen after hearing the name.

" I knew it". Dash clenched his jaw looking at Nick who was coughing, trying to catch his breath.

" He knew where Grace is. He said he'll hand her to me in exchange for a meeting with Zoe". Nick explained.

" And you trusted him?". Dash questioned. " What if he had done something to Zoe?". Nick's head bowed out to shame knowing he believed him the most. " She's innocent. I doubted her. I even though she's an agent or something. F*ck my life". Dash mumbled to himself. " I swear, I would have peeled the person by now if it wasn't you". He seethed running his fingers through his hair.

" I was outside all the time for her-".

Dash's dark chuckle paused Nick's words. " It's King we are talking about, Nick. Madness runs in their blood. Hunter won't think twice before ripping your heart out".

" You are gonna tell him?". Nick asked lowly.

" I'm not gonna say a word ". Dash replied.

"You're going to make me tell him, aren't you?". Nick asked as he is aware of Dash's style.

Dash nodded at him. "Loud and clear with every little detail". He answered and turned walking towards the door.

" What about Zoe then?". Nick's voice stopped Dash's feet. " Do you think the King we are talking about will leave her after the mistake she made?". Nick mocked making Dash turn to face him. " No Dash... You and I both know it'll end in blood". Nick added standing in front of Dash whose mind went numb only at the mere thought of his Zoe getting hurt. " You called me betrayer, right? Now see yourself betraying someone who calls you his brother, for your love. Obsession makes us do the things we never assumed. Yours is Zoe. Mine is power. I started counting my breaths after making that foolish mistake but you still have a chance".

Dash listen to the every word that Nick spoke. And he knows not a single was wrong. " Cost?". Dash spoke after a brief silence.

" You don't know I met Alaric. I don't know Zoe ever met him either".

Caden's apartment,
07:09 pm

Caden was lying on the couch of his silent apartment, turning the television channels absentmindedly. Elijah was also there doing absolutely nothing but being a couch potato.

Scott walked inside with his laptop and sat next to Caden placing his laptop on the table in front of him and started pressing some buttons on the keyboard.

"Cad?". Scott called without even looking at him ignoring Elijah's glaring. " Gulp this ". Scott said handing Caden a tiny black device.

" Is it edible?". Caden asked looking down at the little device in between his index finger and thumb.

" Sorry but we are humans, unlike you. We eat food-". Elijah got cut off by Caden's voice.

" Next?". Caden sat up dropping Elijah's jaw.

" Did you just eat that?". Elijah asked only to get ignored again.

" Turn on your Bluetooth device". Scott said and Caden immediately obliged.

" Excuse me. Am I visible, Hello, have you hypnotized him or something ". Elijah interrupted again.

" Don't ask me how and why just know that Elly has my card. I tracked her location when she used it. She's in the Galaxy Hotel right now. I'll explain other things through Bluetooth about the device you just ate. Go now". Scott said forwarding a piece of paper which has the Hotel's address written on it.

Elijah snatched the paper before Caden could. " I knew he's been doing something in his cave".

" Galaxy Hotel. It's not that far ". Caden grabbed his car keys and left the apartment hurriedly but happily.

" You helped her escape, didn't you?". Elijah asked Scott who diverted his eyes. Elijah scoffs at his own thought before saying it. " Don't tell me are in love with her too. I can't believe it. You? love? You really got time to think about us humans beside computers". Elijah made fun of Scott, rolling on the couch and grabbing his stomach. Scott rolled his eyes in response.

" Scott, I love you". Scott heard Caden's enthusiastic voice through Bluetooth.

Scott Cleared his throat not replying to Caden's words. " So, the plan is...".

Galaxy Hotel,
07:13 pm

Hunter gazed down at the mess before lifting his eyes but before he could see Grace's face she turned around. Hunter squeezed his eyes a little. She seemed knowingly unknown to him because of her short hair.

Sweat formed on her temple. Panicked, she without apologizing to the waiter ran away from there.

Hunter's eyes never left her until she disappeared behind the staircase wall.

Grace claimed stairs until she reached the 2nd floor, luckily an elevator stopped on the same floor. She got inside and pressed the button. She was out of breath.

She desperately waited for the elevator door to open. As soon as she reached up, she rushed towards her room. The key wasn't getting inside the keyhole due to her shaking hands. After a few attempts, she successfully unlocked the door and dashed inside closing the door to slam behind her.

She grabbed her suitcase and started throwing her belongings in it. Her heart was thumping in her chest as if it'll explode at any second.

She chained up the suitcase. Taking a long breath she peeked out of her room. Clear!

As soon as she stepped out to go towards the elevator, a muscular arm from nowhere encircled her waist and a palm got pressed on her mouth tightly from behind, which stopped her from screaming and pulled her inside the room again.

She somehow managed to release herself from the tight grip and turned to face the person. "CADEN ?". Her jaw dropped to the floor.

" Got you". He exclaimed. " New haircut? It suits you by the way". He rubbishy talked.

" Leave". She gritted, showing him the door as he still had the guts to smile or joke around.

" Elly, listen to-". He tried to grab her wrist but she stepped backward.

"It's Grace. You liar". She cut him off.

He sighed. " Elly, please listen, it's not like what you're thinking it is. I have a plan -".

" Save your breaths, Caden. I don't want to hear your lies anymore ". She snapped.

" I'll explain everything to you but first, we have to escape from here before he could find you". He pleaded.

"I don't need your help. I can do it by myself". With that, she turned towards the door grabbing her suitcase's handle.

"You think he's alone here". Her feet stopped. He chuckled and continued. " His men have surrounded this whole place". He came toward her and grab her suitcase's handle. " Just trust me one last time. Please." He insisted and took her hand in his.

She looked down at their joined palms. " One last time". She said lowly nodding her head and letting him drag herself.

By taking the stairs he took her upstairs to the rooftop. As they reached the end of the terrace he picked up her suitcase and threw it out the terrace.

" WHAT THE HELL. WHY DID YOU-". She looked down only to see her bag on the other rooftop which was around eight feet down and some feet distanced from the one they were standing on.

She gasped when Caden suddenly climbed the terrace wall. " Have you gone mad?". She freaked out looking up at him as that hotel had 80+ floors and he was dedass standing on the wall without any support.

" Give me your hand". He said forwarding his. She shook her head rapidly and brought her hands closer to her chest. " Trust me ". He encouraged.

She swelled and slowly forwarded her shaky hand towards him which he caught tightly making her climb the wall as well.

" Close your eyes and just jump as long as you can, okay ". He said calmly.

Listening to him she closed her eyes shut. Her grip around their intertwine fingers also tightens. The only thought she had in her mind is the little soul growing inside of her. And she didn't want to hurt it.

"One. Two. Three".

With that, they jumped. They jumped from the 80+ floored hotel terrace to the next one.

Caden stood up within a second while she was still processing with her eyes closed. She felt like she was still in the air while unknowingly palming her stomach.

" Madam our flight has landed. Let's go". His cheerful voice made her open her eyes to meet his dark orbs.

She broke the eye contact immediately and grabbed the handle of her suitcase. " I'm not experienced like you in this field". She rolled her eyes hiding the pain in them.

" Let me teach you some then ". He winked dragging her towards the door of the terrace. He twisted the knob but it was unluckily locked.

He searched for something in his pocket then turned his gaze towards Grace. He took off her cap and wore it, he pulled a pin from her hair and show it to her. " Look carefully". He said leaning closer towards the door. He twirled the pin inside of the keyhole and the door opened so easily.

" Wow". She wondered. He wiggled his eyebrows playfully making her realise she said that out loud. Ignoring she walked inside the door.

Soon an elevator arrived, getting inside Caden punched the G button. Grace rested her head back on the hard metal of the elevator wall and closed her eyes.

Caden glanced at her and took a step towards her. " Elly- I'm -".

" Don't". She spoke making him stop on his track.

They descent down silently and walked out of the hotel. Grace glanced towards the entrance of the Galaxy Hotel where she was living a while ago. Caden was right, it was surrounded by all Hunter's men.

Getting inside the parking lot Caden unlocked the car using its remote. Before he could open the door for Grace, she sat by herself on the passenger's seat. Caden opened the tank of his car and put her suitcase before coming if front to drive. 

As soon as the car started moving forward she signed heavily resting her head on the headrest. She wasn't feeling well, her heartbeat was racing, and she was hardly holding her eyelids up. " Could you please open the windows?". She asked in a breathy voice fanning herself.

" Aren't you taking your medicines?". Caden asked looking at her strengthless condition and opening the windows.

She didn't reply and turned her head to look outside the window. Her vision wasn't clear but she recognized the man looking at her from behind in the reflection of the taxi mirror. " Ki-King ". She mumbled. Her head snapped back towards him.

Hunter raised his hand and saluted her with two-finger while a wide psychotic smirk was playing on his face.

His smirk said it all. She's not free yet. She made a mistake again. She trusted again. She trusted Caden.

• The worst part about betrayal is...it never comes from enemies.

Chapter published on: 26  July 2022

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