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The tension on the second floor of the Neon Underground was suffocating. The air was thick with the scent of ozone and the metallic tang of blood. Below them, the bass of the club still thudded, but up here, the world had gone deathly silent.
The Truth in the Shadows
Elisabeth scrambled on the floor, her fingers finally locking around the silver syringe. But as she looked up, she saw a shadow loom over her. Felix stood there, his expensive leather boots inches from her face. His eyes were no longer just cold—they were burning with a terrifying, uncontrollable rage.
"I have to break my own rule," Felix whispered, his voice vibrating with fury.
CRACK.
Before anyone could blink, Felix's hand moved in a blur. He slapped Elisabeth so hard her head snapped back, the sound echoing like a gunshot in the hall. Everyone flinched. Even Raina closed her eyes, unable to look at the raw violence of the moment.
"I warned you," Felix hissed, his gaze piercing Elisabeth's soul. "I warned you back at the college trip when you set the fire in the tents. You didn't change then, and you haven't changed now."
Gabriella's heart stopped. The drug was making her head spin, but the words hit her like a bucket of ice water. The fire... it wasn't an accident. Elisabeth was the one who tried to burn her alive.
Felix ignored the gasping crowd and turned to Gabriella. She was leaning against the cold marble wall, her emerald silk dress wrinkled and stained, her breath coming in shallow gasps as the toxin raced through her veins.
He reached out, his touch surprisingly gentle as he helped her stand. "Can you walk?" he asked, his voice softening just for her. "Or should I carry you?"
"I can... I can stand," Gabriella whispered, though her legs felt like water.
"Gabriella!"
The heavy doors at the end of the hall burst open. Jake rushed in, his face a mask of panic and concern. He looked like he had run a marathon, his shirt untucked and his hair messy. He ignored Raina and Elisabeth, sprinting straight to Gabriella.
"What happened to you?" he screamed, reaching out for her.
Gabriella didn't take his hand. She pulled back, a look of pure disgust crossing her face.
Jake's concern instantly turned to a poisonous fury. He lunged at Felix, grabbing him by the collar of his black blazer. "What did you do to her? Tell me!"
Gabriella let out a scoff filled with physical and emotional pain. With the last of her strength, she slapped Jake's hand away from Felix.
"Are you blind?" she gasped, her voice trembling. "Can't you see who did this to me? Or do you still believe your 'innocent' friend Raina so blindly?"
Jake looked at Raina, who was standing like a statue in her blood-red dress, but he quickly turned back to Gabriella. "Are you really taking a stand for him? Protecting him and blaming Raina? isn't he worth it, Gabriella! "He scoffed, "You have no idea who Felix really is!"
Felix narrowed his eyes, his body tensing, but he didn't speak. He let Gabriella find her own voice.
"He isn't like you, Jake," Gabriella said, her eyes welling with tears. "He isn't the one who stabs people in the back."
"Gabriella!" Jake roared, his face turning a deep shade of red. He stepped back, a cold, hard mask settling over his features. "Why am I even worrying about you? You never loved me in the first place. All the time.. it was all a lie, wasn't it?"
The drug should have made her collapse, but the sheer pain of his words gave Gabriella a sudden, explosive surge of adrenaline. She lunged forward, grabbing Jake by his collar, her knuckles white as she pulled his face close to hers.
Jake froze, his eyes widening in total disbelief. Raina watched from the corner, her lips curling into a tiny, satisfied smirk as she saw the two people tearing each other apart.
"I truly loved you," Gabriella whispered, a single, hot tear rolling down her cheek. "I loved you with my whole heart, Jake."
Her voice cracked, her grip tightening on his shirt as her body began to shake. "It was you... you were the one who couldn't understand my true love. You were the one who threw it all away for a lie."
Jake's hard expression crumbled. His eyes softened, a flash of deep, agonizing regret passing through them as he looked at the broken girl in front of him.
As Jake reached out to touch her face.
Gabriella finally let go of Jake's collar, her hands trembling. She let out a sharp, bitter scoff that sounded more like a sob. Behind her, Felix stood perfectly still, his eyes fixed on her, listening to every word as if she were the only person in the world.
"If you really knew me," Gabriella whispered, wiping the hot tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand, "you wouldn't even dare to ask me that question."
She stepped closer, forcing Jake to look into her red, tear-filled eyes. "You are the one who broke me, Jake. Not once, not twice... but three times. And every single time I was stupid enough to believe you, you shattered me again."
Jake's cold, arrogant mask finally cracked. His eyes began to shimmer with moisture, his breath hitching in his chest. For the first time, the "golden boy" looked completely defeated.
"First, you broke me when you played with my heart just for Raina plan," Gabriella said, her voice trembling like a leaf in a storm. "Next... you broke me when you set fire to our school auditorium."
Jake's eyes widened in pure horror. He opened his mouth to deny it, but Gabriella was faster. From the hidden pocket of her emerald silk dress, she pulled out a unique golden lighter. The metal glinted under the strobe lights—a signature piece everyone knew belonged to him.
"How could you do that to someone you claimed to love?" she screamed, grabbing his collar again. "You acted like a lover boy in front of me, but behind my back, you were stabbing me! Do you have any idea how many students were injured because of your 'game'?"
She shoved him back, her eyes burning with a terrifying, red fury. "I will never forgive you for that, Jake. Never."
Jake stood stunned, the pain in his eyes so deep it looked like he was drowning. But Gabriella wasn't finished.
"And the third time," she hissed, her voice dropping to a deadly low, "was when you destroyed every piece of evidence I collected against Raina. You even stole Kevin's bracelet—the only thing left of my dead friend."
She took a step back, her chest heaving. "If you are willing to go this far to protect a murderer like Raina, then imagine how far I will go to get justice for Kevin. We are done, Jake. There is nothing left of us but ashes."
Raina stood in the background, her blood-red dress looking like a splash of gore against the wall. She didn't flinch. She didn't blink. She remained as cold and heartless as a statue.
Gabriella turned to walk away, her strength finally failing as the drug and the heartbreak combined to pull her down. Her knees buckled, and she began to fall toward the cold marble floor.
But she never hit the ground.
Felix caught her in one smooth motion, his arms wrapping around her like a shield. He leaned down, his lips brushing her ear as he whispered, "Stop spilling your tears for an unworthy person. He doesn't deserve even one."
Gabriella looked up at Felix, her vision blurring. He didn't wait for her to answer. He lifted her effortlessly into his arms, cradling her against his chest as if she were the most precious thing he had ever held.
As Felix began to carry her toward the exit, Jake reached out a trembling hand. "Gabriella, wait..."
As Felix turned to carry Gabriella away, a shadow lunged from the corner. It was Elisabeth, her face twisted in a mask of pure jealousy and rage. She swung a heavy wooden stick, aiming straight for Felix's head. Jake's eyes widened in horror, and Gabriella gasped, but they were too slow.
WHACK!
Elisabeth didn't hit her target. Instead, she crumpled to the floor as Dona appeared behind her, swinging another stick with perfect aim.
"How dare you!" Dona hissed, her eyes blazing with loyalty.
Raina, watching from the sidelines, let out a disgusted scoff. "Useless," she muttered, turning on her heel in her blood-red dress. She tried to make a call, her fingers flying over her phone, but no one picked up. A small, triumphant smile touched Gabriella's lips for a split second before her exhaustion took over again.
"Nice hit," Felix murmured to Dona. She smiled back, and together, the trio hurried out of the chaotic club.
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The Parking Lot Alliance
When they reached the concrete parking area, the cool night air felt like a blessing. Ajax came running toward them, his hair disheveled and his coat torn. He rushed to Dona first, checking her for injuries.
"Are you okay?" he breathed. Dona nodded, then pointed to the pair behind them. Ajax's eyes widened as he saw Felix carrying Gabriella. "Gabriella! You... what happened?"
"I'm alright," Gabriella whispered, her voice weak. "Why did you come? You knew it was dangerous."
Dona stepped forward, her face softening. "How can we leave our friend alone in danger?"
"Exactly," Ajax added, his voice firm. "We face this together." He then looked at Felix with a suspicious glint. "Wait... aren't you Raina's fiancé?"
"Not anymore," Felix replied shortly.
Dona quickly cut in, "He's the one who rescued her, Ajax." Ajax softened, extending a hand. "I'm Ajax, Gabriella's friend. And this is Dona, her best friend." Gabriella nodded tiredly, confirming the bond.
Suddenly, Gabriella's eyes caught the blood on Ajax's knuckles. "Why are you bleeding? What happened?" she asked, her voice laced with concern. Dona rushed to his side, her eyes searching his face.Ajax replied " small fight."
Ajax smirked, enjoying Dona's attention. "I'm the one who fought them off."
Felix understood immediately. "So they didn't put the drugs in Gabriella's car?"
"Nope," Ajax grinned playfully. "I placed that bag exactly where it belongs."
"Raina... her mother framed my dad, and now this," Gabriella whispered, her eyes turning cold with the thought of revenge.
"Don't worry," Ajax said. "She's in for a surprise."
Dona whispered to the group, "But wait... is Raina's mother running a drug ring under her elite business?"
Felix, still holding Gabriella as they reached her car, didn't hesitate. "No. She isn't running anything illegal like that."
Gabriella looked up at him, her brow furrowing. "How could you possibly know that?"
"I run a business too," Felix lied smoothly, his voice a calm velvet. "I make it my job to know who the competition is."
Ajax tugged on Dona's shoulder, whispering so the others couldn't hear, "Is he really on our side? He was her fiancé. I'm confused." Dona looked at Felix, then at Gabriella. "I saw him help her... but the connection to Raina is still weird."
Felix reached Gabriella's car and carefully placed her in the passenger seat. Ajax and Dona stood back. Ajax looked at Gabriella, his eyes asking a silent question: Is it safe for us to leave you with him?
Gabriella signaled back with a tiny nod. Don't worry. He isn't a stranger.
"Bye, Gabriella," Ajax said. "We'll check on you later."
As Ajax and Dona walked away, a heavy silence fell between Felix and Gabriella. He leaned over her to pull the seatbelt across, his face inches from hers. His scent—a mix of expensive sandalwood and the night air—filled her senses.
Gabriella reached out and grabbed his hand, her fingers trembling slightly. "Why?" she asked, her voice trembling with emotion. "Why are you still rescuing me, even after I rejected you?"
Felix leaned closer, his deep voice vibrating in the small space of the car. He whispered directly into her ear, his breath hot against her skin.
"I'm not a man who leaves a girl in danger," he murmured. "Even if she rejects me... I'm not letting you go."
Gabriella's face softened, her heart racing against her ribs. But as Felix started the engine....
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To be Continued......
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