THE FRAME
The tension that had been building finally erupted.
Austen's plan was in motion, calculated to perfection. He had waited for the right night—one where Leon would be out, Elliana vulnerable, and the police already watching.
Leon's phone buzzed with a warning from an informant:
Informant: They're waiting. It's a setup.
His jaw clenched. "Damn it."
Meanwhile, Elliana sat in her room, scrolling through social media, oblivious to the trap about to snap shut. Her phone buzzed with an unknown number:
Unknown: He's about to be caught. Stay away.
Elliana's heart raced. Leon? She typed quickly.
Elliana: What's happening?
No reply.
Outside, Leon navigated the streets, careful, alert. Every corner, every shadow felt like a threat. He knew Austen had orchestrated it perfectly—police patrols, staged witnesses, and even someone feeding false information about a dangerous street race.
As Leon approached an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city—a place he'd used before for private racing—he saw the signs too late.
Flashing red and blue lights. Cars blocking his exit. Officers stepping out, weapons drawn.
Elliana's phone buzzed again. A call from Leon.
Leon (voice strained): Ellie… stay home. Don't come out.
Her chest tightened. "Leon! I—"
He hung up.
By the time she processed it, Leon was surrounded, the police closing in. She knew her father's name would be tied to the scene, and her heart dropped at the thought of him seeing Leon like this.
Leon's mind raced. How did Austen pull this off so fast? He tried to reason with the officers, but the evidence—staged, carefully planted—was damning.
Back at home, Elliana's instincts screamed at her. She couldn't just sit. She grabbed her jacket, phone in hand.
"Dad… I need to see him!" she called.
Her father's eyes darkened. "Ellie, it's dangerous."
"I don't care!" she shouted. "It's Leon! He needs me!"
With a heavy sigh, he grabbed the keys. "I'll go. But you stay in the car."
Elliana's hands trembled as they drove toward the warehouse. The reality hit her: Austen had succeeded in framing Leon, and Leon—her heart, her trust—was about to pay the price.
When they arrived, the flashing lights painted the walls red and blue. Leon was there, tense but defiant, refusing to give them the satisfaction of fear.
Elliana's heart broke. "Leon!" she screamed, running toward him.
Her father stepped in front, hand raised. "Ellie, stop!"
But Leon's eyes met hers, and in that instant, all the chaos faded. He was fighting not just for himself… but for them.
And Elliana realized something terrifying: the line between love and danger had never been thinner.
Because tonight, one choice—her choice—could change everything.