Shattered illusion

Elena's footsteps echoed in the long, empty hallway as she stormed out of the study, her mind spinning. The revelation that Ethan had been working for her father—someone she had believed dead for years—had sent a shockwave through her entire existence. Her breath came in sharp gasps as she reached the balcony overlooking the vast estate. The night air was crisp, biting against her flushed skin, but she welcomed the cold. Anything to numb the chaos inside her.

She gripped the railing tightly, her knuckles turning white.

"Noah knew," she whispered to herself. "He knew, and he still kept me in the dark."

Footsteps approached from behind. She knew who it was before she turned.

"Elena." Ethan's voice was cautious, filled with an emotion she couldn't yet name. "Please, let me explain."

She whirled to face him, her eyes blazing with hurt and betrayal. "Explain what, Ethan? That you've been lying to me this entire time? That the one person I thought I could trust was just another piece in this sick game?"

Ethan exhaled, his shoulders sagging. "It wasn't like that. I didn't know everything at first. I was sent to watch over you, yes, but somewhere along the way—" He hesitated, his gaze searching hers. "It stopped being an assignment. You became someone I wanted to protect, Elena."

She let out a bitter laugh. "Protect? You call this protection? You were feeding me lies while keeping secrets about my own father!"

Ethan took a step closer, but she stepped back, shaking her head. "You don't understand," he said desperately. "Your father—he's not the man you remember. He's dangerous, Elena."

Her heart pounded painfully. "Then why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I was afraid of what it would do to you."

A new voice cut through the night. "He was afraid you'd run straight into the fire."

Noah.

Elena's breath caught as she turned to see him standing near the doorway, his posture rigid, his expression unreadable. Unlike Ethan's desperate guilt, Noah's eyes held something far colder—possession, control, and a warning.

"You don't get to decide that for me," she said, her voice steady despite the storm inside her.

Noah walked toward her slowly, predatory in his movements. "And yet, every time you've had the chance, you've made the wrong choice. Running, trusting the wrong people—" his gaze flicked to Ethan before settling back on her "—believing in ghosts."

Elena's jaw clenched. "If my father is alive, I have a right to know."

"You have a right to live," Noah countered, his tone sharp. "And if you go searching for him, you won't."

A tense silence stretched between them. Ethan stepped forward. "We can't keep her in the dark, Noah."

Noah's lips curled into a smirk. "That's rich, coming from you."

Ethan's fists clenched, but he didn't take the bait. Instead, he turned back to Elena. "Your father is not the man you remember. He's been operating in the shadows for years, pulling strings, orchestrating power plays. And now, he wants you back in his world."

Elena's stomach twisted. "Why?"

Noah and Ethan exchanged a glance. It was Noah who answered.

"Because you're the only leverage he has left."

Her pulse thundered. "Leverage for what?"

Ethan hesitated, but Noah didn't. "To bring me down."

The words hit her like a punch to the gut. She looked between them, realization dawning. "This isn't just about me, is it?"

Noah exhaled slowly, his gaze locking onto hers. "No, sweetheart. It never was."

A cold dread seeped into her veins. If what they were saying was true, then she wasn't just running from Noah anymore. She was running from a past that refused to let her go.

And this time, she didn't know if she could escape it.

-----

Elena stood frozen, Noah's words ringing in her ears. "Because you're the only leverage he has left."

Her father was alive. And he wanted her.

The cold night air felt suffocating now, the walls of the estate suddenly too small. She forced herself to breathe, to steady the chaos inside her, but the storm refused to settle.

Ethan took a cautious step toward her. "Elena, listen to me. If we want to keep you safe, we need to leave. Tonight."

Noah scoffed, his arms crossing over his chest. "And take her where, exactly? Back to your handlers? You still work for him, Ethan. Whether you admit it or not."

Ethan's jaw tightened. "Not anymore."

Elena's voice sliced through their growing argument. "Enough." Both men fell silent. She turned to Ethan first. "If my father is alive, why now? Why show his hand after all these years?"

Ethan hesitated, then said carefully, "Because he's losing power. Fast."

Noah stepped forward, his presence commanding. "And he thinks you're his way back in."

Elena swallowed hard. She had spent years believing her father had died, only to find out now that he was not only alive but a key player in the world she had been forced into. The idea that she was nothing more than a bargaining chip made her stomach twist.

Her voice was barely above a whisper. "What does he want from me?"

Noah and Ethan exchanged a look, the unspoken conversation between them setting her on edge. Finally, it was Noah who answered.

"He wants to trade you for something bigger."

A chill ran down her spine. "Trade me?"

Ethan nodded grimly. "For control. Over Noah's empire. Over the people who have been hunting him. He thinks you're the key to tipping the balance in his favor."

Elena let out a hollow laugh, shaking her head. "So I'm not a daughter to him. I'm just a pawn."

Noah's voice was quieter this time, but no less intense. "I won't let him take you."

Ethan's gaze hardened. "Neither will I."

Elena exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair. "And what happens when he comes for me?"

Noah's smirk was humorless. "Then he'll realize he's underestimated us."

Ethan sighed, looking at her earnestly. "We have to be smart about this, Elena. He's powerful, and if he's decided to make a move, that means he already has pieces in place."

A heavy silence hung between them. Elena felt the weight of the choices ahead pressing down on her, suffocating her. But if there was one thing she knew, it was that she wouldn't let herself be used. Not by Noah, not by Ethan, and certainly not by a father she no longer recognized.

She straightened, her resolve hardening. "Then we take the fight to him."

Noah's lips curled into a slow, dark smile. "Now you're thinking like a queen."

Ethan shook his head but didn't argue. He knew better.

Elena took a steadying breath. The game had changed. And this time, she wasn't running.

She was fighting back.

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See you in next chapter....