Chapter 10: The first cut

The plan wasn't simple.

It wasn't safe.

But neither was I.

Michael had given me two choices—walk away and survive, or stay and burn it all down with him.

And I had already made my choice.

There was no walking away from this.

Not anymore.

The first step was to convince Damien that I was still his.

That meant playing the part.

So the next night, I went back to Eden, back to Damien's world, and I let him think he still had control over me.

I laughed at his jokes. I followed his orders. I let him believe I was still the girl he had taken in years ago—desperate and obedient.

But inside, I was sharpening my knife.

Waiting for the moment to strike.

Selene found me at the bar, her presence a quiet weight beside me. She didn't speak at first, just watched as I nursed the drink Damien had sent over. Whiskey. Neat. He always liked to test me with it, watching to see if I'd flinch at the burn.

I didn't.

Selene sighed, finally breaking the silence. "You're doing the right thing."

I turned my head slightly, meeting her gaze. There was something close to pity in her eyes.

I forced a smirk. "Funny, I didn't realize I needed your approval."

She exhaled, swirling the ice in her glass. "I just hope you know what you're doing."

I didn't.

Not really.

But that didn't matter anymore.

Because the moment I made that call to Michael, I had set something in motion that couldn't be undone.

Selene must have seen something in my expression because she shook her head. "Just… be careful, Winnie."

I didn't answer.

Because careful wasn't an option anymore.

Damien called me into his office that night.

I had expected it.

He was sitting behind his desk, cigarette in hand, watching me with those dark, calculating eyes.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then, finally, he leaned back, taking a slow drag. "I need you to do something for me."

I nodded. "Anything."

His lips curled into a smirk, pleased with my answer. "Michael is hiding something. I need you to find out what."

I swallowed. "How?"

Damien leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. "You're already close to him. Get closer."

My chest tightened, but I kept my face blank. "And then what?"

His smirk widened, dark amusement glinting in his eyes. "Then, when the time is right, you'll cut his throat."

Damien wasn't just testing me anymore.

He wanted blood.

Michael's blood.

I forced myself to nod. "Okay."

Damien exhaled slowly, studying me.

Then he smiled, satisfied. "Good girl."

I walked out of his office, my hands shaking.

Not because I was scared.

But because I had just been given my first real chance to kill Damien.

Michael was waiting for me an hour later.

We sat in his car, parked in the shadows behind Eden.

Neither of us spoke right away.

Finally, I exhaled. "Damien wants me to kill you."

Michael smirked, like it was nothing more than a joke. "That's not exactly a surprise."

I ran a hand through my hair, the weight of it settling over me. "He's going to expect proof."

Michael nodded, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. "Then we'll give him some."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

Michael turned to face me fully. "You're going to betray me, Winnie. Just like he wants."

A chill ran through me.

Because I knew what that meant.

I clenched my hands in my lap. "You want him to think I killed you."

Michael nodded.

It was a smart move. If Damien believed I had followed his orders, he'd stop watching me so closely. He'd stop expecting betrayal.

But it also meant putting Michael in real danger.

And I wasn't sure I could live with that.

I let out a slow breath. "How?"

Michael studied me for a moment before speaking. "We stage it. Blood, a body, enough evidence to make it convincing. But it has to be real enough that Damien doesn't question it."

Real enough.

I swallowed. "And then what?"

Michael's eyes darkened. "Then you stay close to him. Closer than ever. And when the time comes…" He let the words hang between us.

I finished them for him. "We end this."

He nodded once. "For good."

A slow, creeping certainty settled over me.

This was the point of no return.

If we did this, there was no going back.

Damien wouldn't just be my enemy. He would be hunting me, just like he hunted everyone who crossed him.

And yet, despite the fear curling in my gut, I knew there was no other choice.

Because if I didn't take him down, he would never stop.

Not until I was dead.

Michael must have seen the decision in my face, because his expression softened. "You don't have to do this, Winnie."

I held his gaze, steady and unflinching. "Yes, I do."

A muscle tightened in his jaw, but he didn't argue.

Instead, he reached for something in the glove compartment, pulling out a small vial.

I frowned. "What is that?"

Michael turned it between his fingers. "Your way out."

I hesitated before taking it. The liquid inside was dark, nearly black in the dim light of the car.

"A sedative," Michael explained. "Strong enough to slow your heart, make you look dead. It won't last long, but long enough to fool Damien."

I stared at the vial, my pulse hammering. "And when I wake up?"

Michael's smirk was sharp. "That's when the real fun begins."

I exhaled slowly, fingers tightening around the glass.

This was happening.

There was no turning back.

I met Michael's gaze one last time.

"Let's do it."