The Price of Freedom

The Choice That Changes Everything

Evelyn stood in front of the mirror in her hotel room, staring at her own reflection.

Her hands trembled, her breathing uneven.

She had made her decision.

There was no turning back.

She grabbed her coat, pulled it over her shoulders, and reached for her phone.

One message.

To Elias.

"I'll come to you. Alone. Release Kade and leave Theo alone. That's my price."

Her thumb hovered over the send button.

Her vision blurred for a second.

Theo's voice echoed in her mind—his warmth, his fierce protectiveness, the way he looked at her like she was his entire world.

But she couldn't let him die for her.

She couldn't let Kade suffer because of this war.

This was the only way.

She pressed send.

Seconds later, her phone vibrated.

Elias:"Smart girl. I'll send the location. Don't make me wait."

Her throat tightened.

She slipped out of the hotel room, silent as a shadow.

Theo and Kade had risked everything for her.

Now it was her turn.

---

The Devil's Den

Evelyn's heels clicked against the marble floor as she stepped inside Elias's penthouse.

The air was thick with danger, with the scent of expensive cologne and whiskey.

She knew what this place meant.

What this night would mean.

Elias sat in a grand chair, legs crossed, watching her like a predator watching prey.

"Right on time," he mused, twirling a glass of wine in his fingers. "I almost thought you wouldn't come."

Evelyn swallowed. "I did what you wanted. I'm here. Now let them go."

Elias smirked. "Tsk, tsk, Evelyn. You don't dictate the terms. I do."

Her fists clenched at her sides. "That was the deal. Me, in exchange for their safety."

Elias rose from his chair, slow and deliberate, closing the distance between them.

"Deals change," he murmured, his hand brushing her cheek. "But don't worry, sweetheart. You'll love belonging to me."

Evelyn shut her eyes.

She had expected this.

She had prepared for this.

But nothing could stop the shiver of fear crawling up her spine.

She wasn't afraid of dying.

She was afraid of breaking.

Elias tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his cold, piercing gaze.

"You walked into the lion's den, Evelyn." His thumb traced her lower lip. "And now? You're mine."

Evelyn swallowed back the bile rising in her throat.

"Just—just let them go first," she whispered.

Elias studied her, his smirk widening.

"Fine," he said. "I'm a man of my word, after all."

He turned to the guards at the door. "Release Kade. And make sure Bennett stays out of my way."

The guards nodded, leaving to follow the order.

Evelyn's shoulders sagged with relief.

Kade would be safe.

Theo wouldn't be dragged deeper into this nightmare.

Now, she just had to survive.

Elias leaned in, lips brushing her ear.

"Now," he whispered, "remove."

Evelyn's blood ran ice cold.

Her body locked up.

Elias pulled back slightly, watching her with amusement.

"What's wrong?" he mocked. "This is what you wanted, isn't it?"

Evelyn forced herself to nod, even as nausea twisted her stomach.

Slowly, she reached for the buttons of her dress, her hands shaking.

She would do this.

For Kade.

For Theo.

For their lives.

She would survive this.

as she obeyed not even it's what she wanted Elias dark eyes gleamed with victory—

A single thought burned in her mind.

Theo, I'm so sorry.

---

End of Chapter 61