CHAPTER 15

 No More Chains

The city stretched before Evelyn like a never-ending labyrinth of shadows and neon lights. The cold night air bit at her skin as she stepped out of the warehouse, leaving Adrian behind in the wreckage of their past. Her hands were steady, but her heart hammered against her ribs.

She had won.

But it didn't feel like victory—not yet. Not until she made sure he had no way of coming back.

Her car was parked a block away, hidden in the shadows of an alley. She pulled her phone from her pocket, her fingers hovering over the screen. One call, and this would all be over. The thought sent a shiver through her—not of fear, but finality.

She dialed.

A low, gruff voice answered after the first ring. "It's done?"

Evelyn's voice was cold, firm. "Not yet. But it will be."

Silence. Then, "Do you need backup?"

She hesitated. "No. This is something I have to finish myself."

Another pause. Then, "Understood."

The call ended.

She took a steadying breath and climbed into the car. The city's pulse was steady, oblivious to the storm still brewing beneath its surface. But Evelyn knew better. Adrian was a wounded animal, and wounded animals were the most dangerous.

She couldn't afford to leave any loose ends.

And Adrian was the biggest loose end of all.

The Aftermath

Adrian sat motionless on the warehouse floor, his mind racing despite his outward calm. The metallic tang of blood filled his mouth, the cut on his temple still bleeding. His hands were clenched into fists against his thighs.

Evelyn had outplayed him.

She had walked away, left him on his knees. Humiliated.

But he wasn't finished. Not yet.

With a groan, he pushed himself to his feet. The room swayed slightly, his vision blurring for a second before he steadied himself. His men were either unconscious or gone—casualties of his miscalculation. He had underestimated Evelyn, let his arrogance cloud his judgment.

Never again.

He pulled out his phone, fingers trembling with barely contained rage. He dialed a number he hadn't used in a long time.

A smooth, detached voice answered. "I was wondering when you'd call."

Adrian exhaled slowly. "I need a cleanup. And I need it now."

A pause. Then, "Evelyn?"

"She thinks she's won," Adrian murmured, his voice dangerously low. "She hasn't."

The person on the other end chuckled. "Careful, Adrian. You're not used to losing."

Adrian's grip on the phone tightened. "That's why I don't plan to."

Another pause. Then, "What do you need?"

Adrian's lips curled into a cold smile. "Everything."

A Trap Waiting to Be Sprung

Evelyn drove in silence, the weight of her past pressing down on her. The city blurred outside the window, the streetlights casting long, eerie shadows that flickered across her face.

She knew Adrian wouldn't let this go. He never did. And that was exactly what she was counting on.

Her mind replayed every moment of their war—the betrayals, the lies, the whispered promises that had all been for nothing. She had spent years trying to outmaneuver him, and now, finally, she had the upper hand.

But it wasn't enough to walk away.

She had to make sure he could never come back.

Her phone buzzed, breaking the silence. She glanced at the screen.

Unknown Number.

She let it ring twice before answering. "Speak."

A familiar voice—low, smooth, dangerous. "You really thought it would be that easy?"

Her fingers curled around the steering wheel. "Adrian," she murmured, unsurprised.

A soft chuckle. "You always were a step ahead, Evelyn. I'll give you that. But you should know by now—I don't break that easily."

She smirked, keeping her voice calm. "I wasn't trying to break you, Adrian. I was trying to bury you."

Silence.

Then, softly, "You're going to have to try harder."

The line went dead.

Evelyn's pulse quickened. He was coming.

Good.

She just had to make sure she was ready.

Final Moves

The meeting place was set—an abandoned rooftop in the heart of the city. A place where the past could finally die.

Evelyn stood at the edge, the wind whipping at her hair, the city lights flickering below. In the distance, sirens wailed, oblivious to the war that was about to unfold.

She heard the footsteps before she saw him.

Adrian stepped into the moonlight, his suit still immaculate despite the chaos of the night. But there was something different about him now—something unhinged.

"You always did have a flair for the dramatic," he mused.

Evelyn didn't smile. "I wanted to look you in the eye when this ended."

His smirk faded. "And what makes you think this is the end?"

She took a step forward. "Because I know you, Adrian. I know how you think. And I know you're running out of moves."

He chuckled, but there was no humor in it. "You think you've won?"

Evelyn lifted her chin. "I know I have."

Adrian exhaled, shaking his head. "You never did understand, did you? This was never about winning or losing."

She frowned. "Then what was it about?"

He met her gaze, something raw flashing in his eyes. "You."

For a second, just a second, Evelyn hesitated.

And Adrian moved.

A gun was in his hand before she could react, the barrel gleaming in the moonlight.

Evelyn didn't flinch. "If you were going to kill me, you would've done it already."

His jaw clenched. "Maybe."

A beat of silence stretched between them.

Then, without warning, she lunged.

Her hand closed over his wrist, twisting the gun away as they crashed against the railing. The city blurred below them, the wind roaring in their ears.

Adrian fought like a man with nothing left to lose, but Evelyn fought like a woman who had already lost everything.

She twisted, sending him stumbling back. The gun clattered to the ground.

They stood there, breathing hard, staring at each other across the rooftop.

And for the first time, Evelyn saw it—the exhaustion in his eyes, the weight of everything they had done to each other.

She could end it. Right now. One final move, and Adrian would be nothing but a ghost.

But as she stepped forward, something stopped her.

She had spent so long fighting him, destroying him, that she had never considered what came after.

Adrian stared at her, chest rising and falling. "So what now?"

Evelyn swallowed hard. "Now… I walk away."

He blinked. "Just like that?"

She nodded. "Just like that."

For the first time, Adrian looked truly lost.

Evelyn turned, stepping away from the past, away from the war they had waged for so long.

She didn't look back.

And as she disappeared into the night, she realized—she was finally free.