Chapter 11: Unfinished Business

The silence between them stretched unbearably long.

Roy stood in the doorway, his eyes locked onto Sheila's, searching for answers. Zuriel, standing just a few feet away, watched with an amused smirk, as if he enjoyed the tension in the air.

Sheila's mind raced.

She had spent so much time rebuilding herself, creating a new life with Roy. And now, in just a few moments, that carefully built world was at risk of crumbling.

Roy crossed his arms. "I'm waiting."

Sheila swallowed hard. "Roy, this is Zuriel."

"I got that," Roy said, his voice cold. "What I don't understand is why he's standing outside our home in the middle of the night, talking to my wife like he knows her better than I do."

Zuriel chuckled. "Well, that's because I do."

Sheila's breath hitched. "Zuriel—"

But it was too late.

Roy's entire body tensed. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Zuriel tilted his head. "She never told you about me, did she?"

Roy's gaze snapped back to Sheila. "Sheila?"

She felt trapped, her heart pounding so hard it hurt.

This wasn't how she wanted Roy to find out.

But there was no escaping now.

---

A Secret Revealed

She took a deep breath. "Zuriel was someone I… trusted a long time ago."

Roy's face remained unreadable, but Sheila could see the tightness in his jaw, the slight clench of his fists.

"And?" he pressed.

Sheila hesitated.

She could feel Zuriel watching her, waiting to see if she would tell the whole truth.

"We were close," she admitted. "For a time."

Zuriel smirked. "That's putting it lightly."

Roy's eyes darkened. "Sheila."

She closed her eyes briefly. There was no way around it.

"I loved him, Roy," she whispered. "A long time ago."

Roy took a small step back as if she had physically struck him.

For the first time since she had met him, Roy looked… lost.

"You loved him," he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper.

Sheila's throat tightened. "It was before you, Roy. Before I knew what real love was."

Zuriel's smirk faded slightly, his expression turning more serious.

Roy exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "And you never thought to tell me?"

Sheila stepped toward him. "Roy, it wasn't important—"

"Not important?" His voice rose, hurt flashing in his eyes. "Sheila, I have stood by you through everything. I have fought for you, defended you, loved you—"

Sheila's eyes burned with unshed tears. "And I love you, Roy. Only you."

Roy shook his head, as if trying to make sense of everything. "Then why is he here?"

That question hung in the air like a heavy weight.

Sheila turned back to Zuriel, her expression hardening. "Why are you here?"

Zuriel sighed. "Because Betheul isn't done with you."

---

A Trap Set in Motion

Sheila's entire body went cold.

Roy straightened. "Explain."

Zuriel folded his arms. "Betheul sent me."

Sheila took a step back, her pulse quickening. "You're working for him?"

Zuriel shook his head. "Not exactly. I owed him a favor, and he's calling it in. But I didn't come here to hurt you, Sheila. I came to warn you."

Sheila didn't know what to believe.

Zuriel had once been her safe place. But he had also betrayed her trust before.

Now, she didn't know which version of him stood before her.

Roy was the first to speak. "Warn us about what?"

Zuriel's expression darkened. "You think Betheul's goal is to blackmail Sheila? No. That's just a distraction. His real plan is much worse."

Sheila's breath hitched. "What do you mean?"

Zuriel exhaled, his voice grim. "He's planning to destroy everything you love."

Roy's fists clenched. "Be specific."

Zuriel nodded. "I don't know all the details, but I know this—Betheul has people watching you. He's digging into Roy's business, his family, looking for weak spots. And Sheila—" he hesitated.

Sheila's chest tightened. "What?"

Zuriel met her gaze. "He's planning to make you the villain."

Sheila frowned. "How?"

Zuriel's lips pressed into a thin line. "He has evidence. Old recordings, pictures, messages. Everything from your past. He's going to leak it, twist the story, and make you look like the mastermind behind all of it."

Sheila's stomach dropped.

She had spent years trying to escape her past.

Now, Betheul was planning to drag her back into it.

Roy's voice was low, controlled. "When is this happening?"

Zuriel hesitated. "Soon."

Sheila clenched her fists. "Why are you telling us this? If you really owe Betheul, why betray him?"

Zuriel's eyes softened as he looked at her. "Because despite everything… I don't want to see you destroyed."

Sheila's throat tightened.

She wanted to hate him.

But a part of her still remembered the man she once loved.

Roy, however, was not convinced. "How do we know you're not setting us up?"

Zuriel met his gaze. "You don't."

Silence.

Sheila felt the weight of the moment pressing down on her.

She had a choice to make.

Trust Zuriel and prepare for Betheul's next move.

Or ignore him and risk losing everything.

She looked at Roy, searching his face for an answer.

His jaw was still tight, his emotions hidden behind a mask of control.

But then, slowly, he nodded.

"We'll listen," Roy said. "But if you betray us—"

Zuriel smirked. "You'll kill me. Yeah, yeah. Noted."

Sheila took a deep breath, forcing herself to focus.

If Betheul wanted a war, then she would be ready.

Because this time, she wasn't running.

She was fighting back.