CHAPTER 49

The Last Betrayal

I stare at Julian, the weight of his ultimatum pressing down on me like a vice. His expression remains composed, but I see the flicker of confidence in his eyes—he thinks he's already won. That I'll give in, just like he planned.

He's wrong.

I take a slow step forward, watching his smirk deepen. My voice is steady when I speak. "I choose neither."

Julian's smirk falters for a fraction of a second before he regains his mask. "Excuse me?"

I cross my arms, the tension in my chest turning into something sharper—determination. "I don't trust you. Not with my past, not with my memories, and sure as hell not with my future." I tilt my head, studying him. "You expect me to believe you're just handing me the truth out of the goodness of your heart?"

Julian chuckles, slow and measured. "Nathan, I don't believe in goodness." His voice drops to something almost affectionate. "But I do believe in leverage."

I hold my ground. "That's exactly why I won't play your game."

The shift in the air is subtle, but I feel it. The moment Julian realizes he miscalculated.

He expected me to chase the truth like a starving man reaching for scraps. He didn't expect me to walk away from it.

For the first time, his control slips—just a little. His fingers twitch, his jaw tightening before he smooths it over with a smile. "You're bluffing."

I shake my head. "No. I'm done letting you pull the strings."

Julian exhales through his nose, amusement flickering in his eyes. "So stubborn." He steps closer, voice turning almost gentle. "Are you sure, Nathan? Because once you turn your back on this, there's no undoing it."

The worst part? He's right.

If I refuse now, I may never get the answers I've been searching for. I may never know who I was before, who I was protecting, or why I did this to myself.

But trusting Julian? That's the real trap.

I force my shoulders to relax, letting my stance mirror confidence I'm still trying to convince myself I have. "I'd rather live in the dark than let you be the one to turn on the light."

For a second, there's silence. Then Julian laughs. It's not the controlled, knowing chuckle he usually gives—it's something lower, something edged with real irritation.

"Impressive," he admits, shaking his head. "You're either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid."

I arch a brow. "Why not both?"

Julian's amusement vanishes in an instant, his face hardening. "Unfortunately for you, your past isn't just about you. And whether you like it or not, there are other players in this game."

The door behind me swings open before I can react.

Footsteps. A presence I haven't felt in what seems like a lifetime.

I turn just as Riley steps inside.

Everything in me goes still.

She looks the same—yet different. Her dark eyes lock onto mine, searching, unreadable. There's a hesitation in the way she holds herself, as if torn between two opposing forces.

I take a step toward her. "Riley."

She flinches at the sound of her name, as if it hurts coming from me.

Julian hums behind me. "Ah, now this is interesting."

I ignore him, my focus entirely on Riley. She was the only constant in my past before everything shattered. The only thing that ever felt real.

And now?

Now, she looks like she's trying to decide whether to embrace me or put a bullet in my chest.

"You're alive," I say, my voice rougher than I mean it to be. "You disappeared. I looked for you."

She swallows hard, and for a brief moment, I see something crack in her expression. Guilt.

"I didn't have a choice," she whispers.

The words hit harder than I expect. I shake my head. "That's not good enough."

Riley closes her eyes for a second before forcing herself to meet my gaze again. "I was protecting you, Nathan."

A hollow laugh escapes me. "Funny, Julian just told me I was the one protecting someone else. Was that you?"

Her expression shifts, her hesitation deepening. But she doesn't deny it.

My pulse pounds in my ears. I don't know what's worse—the fact that she might be the one I erased everything for, or the fact that she knew and still let me chase ghosts.

Julian claps his hands together, delighted. "Oh, this is delicious." He tilts his head at Riley. "Go on. Tell him."

Riley stiffens.

I take another step forward, my voice lower this time. "Tell me what?"

Riley's lips part, but no words come out.

And that's when I realize—

She's afraid.

Not just of Julian. Not just of me.

Of the truth.

Julian grins, eyes gleaming. "You really don't remember, do you?" He tuts, shaking his head. "Oh, Nathan… you were the one who betrayed her first."

The room tilts.

"No," I breathe, but my own voice betrays the uncertainty clawing at my chest.

Julian spreads his arms. "Oh yes. And that, my dear friend, is the real reason you chose to forget."

I look back at Riley, searching her face for denial. For anything that contradicts his words.

But she doesn't deny it.

She just looks at me with something worse than guilt.

Regret.

My hands curl into fists. "What did I do?"

Riley takes a sharp breath, and for the first time since she walked into the room, she looks truly broken.

"You gave me up," she whispers. "You chose them over me."

The words cut through me like a blade.

My mind spins, flashes of half-formed memories surfacing—but none of them clear. None of them enough.

"I wouldn't," I whisper, shaking my head. "I wouldn't do that."

Julian leans in slightly, voice dripping with satisfaction. "But you did. And when the truth became too much, you begged me to make it all go away."

Everything inside me screams to reject it.

To call him a liar. To fight it.

But Riley's silence is the only answer I need.

The room is suffocating. The walls too close.

I stumble back a step, my breathing uneven. "No."

Julian steps forward, tilting his head. "And that, my dear Nathan, is the last betrayal."

I feel sick. My heartbeat pounds against my skull.

Julian watches me unravel, his voice dropping to a near whisper.

"And now, my endgame begins."

The lights above flicker, and before I can react, the room is filled with armed figures storming in.

It was never about offering me a choice.

It was about making sure I had nowhere left to run.