Episode 34: "The Edge of Betrayal"

The night seemed darker now, the stars swallowed by a sky that no longer felt endless. Ava's breath was shallow, her heartbeat an uneven rhythm against her ribs. The world around her blurred at the edges, shrinking until all that remained was the man standing before her.

Noah.

His name had always been a refuge, a promise of safety. But now, it was a question.

A riddle wrapped in silence.

Jasper shifted beside her, his presence steady, but she barely registered it. The weight of Noah's words, the unspoken history behind them, pressed against her lungs.

Noah stepped closer. "Ava, you have to trust me."

She searched his eyes, looking for something—anything—to hold onto. But trust? Could she still give him that?

Jasper's voice was razor-sharp. "You don't get to ask for trust without giving the truth first."

Noah didn't flinch. "Fine." He inhaled deeply, his shoulders rising with the effort. "The man in that picture… he's dead. And yes, I was there that night."

Ava's fingers curled into fists. "And?"

"And I know exactly what Liam wants you to believe," Noah said, his voice dangerously even. "But what he didn't tell you is that I wasn't the one who pulled the trigger."

Silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating.

Ava wanted to breathe, to think clearly, but the weight of Noah's confession coiled around her throat.

Jasper's expression darkened. "If you weren't the one who killed him, then who did?"

Noah hesitated.

Too long.

Ava's chest tightened. "Noah."

His lips parted, but before he could speak, the sharp crack of footsteps shattered the night.

Ava turned, every muscle in her body locking into place.

A figure stepped out from the shadows.

Tall. Composed.

And unmistakably familiar.

Liam.

His presence was electric, a storm waiting to break. He tilted his head, a slow, knowing smile tugging at his lips. "I was wondering when you'd get to this part, Noah."

Ava's pulse spiked.

Jasper moved in front of her instinctively. "You shouldn't be here."

Liam ignored him, his eyes locked on Ava. "I gave you the truth, Ava. Now, are you ready to hear the rest?"

Noah's voice was steel. "She doesn't need your version of it."

Liam's smile widened, amusement flickering in his gaze. "That's not your decision to make, is it?"

Ava's breath caught.

Because deep down, she knew—

It was never going to be that simple.