Chapter b135 /b

bChapter /bb135 /b

bOLIVIA’S /bPOV

GTTTTT.

The screeching sound of wooden chairs being dragged across the tiled floor scraped against my ears like nails on a chalkboard. I winced, my heart hammering in my chest as the masked men arranged three chairs side by side. Each movement was precise like they’d done this before–like they’d nned this moment down to thest terrifying detail.

“Sit. Now,” one of them ordered, his voice sharp and cold, brooking no argument.

None of us dared to disobey. Julian helped Mom ease into the chair, his jaw clenched tightly, frustration and fear swirling in his eyes. I sat down next to her, and then Julian followed suit. The chill from the cold room had vanishedpletely, reced by a cold dread that seemed to seep into my bones. Whatever this bwas/b–it wasn’t a robbery. It was personal.

Another masked man approached us, holding a set of cuffs. I instantly recognized them. They were the very same ones we had used earlier to restrain the intruders in the basement. The irony wasn’t lost on me.

“Hey, take it easy!” Julian snapped when one of the men roughly yanked our mother’s arms back and cuffed her hands behind the chair.

“Keep quiet,” the man barked, shoving Julian back down when he tried to stand.

Once all three of us were secured, their leader stepped forward. He stood directly in front of us, arms folded. Even with his mask on, bI /bcould practically see the smug smirk painted across his face. It made my stomach twist.

“Who are you? And what do you want from us?” Julian asked, trying to keep his voice firm, though I could hear the underlying edge of anger.

The man tilted his head slightly. “Who am I?” he echoed mockingly. “Well, that’s not really your business. But what do I want?” He let out a low chuckleb. /b“Take a wild guess.”

“If it’s money you want,” Julian said quickly, “there’s cash in a duffel bag under my bed upstairs. Just take it and go.”

The leader turned his head slightly and gave a small nod, and one of the masked men took off up the stairs. My heart sank.

“We didn’te here to rob you,” he continued, “but hey–thanks for the tip.”

“Then what else do you want?” Mom finally spoke, her voice trembling. I could hear bit /bcracking, like her hope was slowly shattering.

“Fine,” the leader said, sighing as if we were inconveniencing him. “I’ll tell you. The man who hired us told me to pass along a message before we get the job done.”

Julian and I exchanged a nce. My brows furrowed in confusion and disbelief. What was he talking about? Who would want to send a message through armed men in the middle of the night?

“bGo /bon,” I said cautiously, bracing myself.

He leaned in just slightly. “Does the name Adrian Westwood ring a bell?”

The name hit me like a p.

b“/bHe’s the one who sent me,” the man continued, “Did you really think you could walk away from him and there wouldn’t bbe /bconsequencesb? /bHe warned you. You didn’t listen. And now, thisb… /bthis is bthe /bconsequence.”

“No,” I breathed, shaking my head slowly. “You’re lying. Adrian wouldn’t do this He’s changed.” At least that was what I thought

The man scoffed. “Changed? Do you really think men like him change? Let me ask you something–how do I know bexactly /bbwhat /bbyou /bsaid bto /bbhim /bbthe /bbday /byou left? The exact wordsb?/bb” /b

b10:16 /bbMon /b2 Jun

Chapter b135 /b

bMy /bbreath bcaught /bbin /bbmy /bbthroat/b. I wanted to deny it againb, /bbto /bscream that Adrian would never bhurt /bme like bthis/bb. /bbBut /bba /bbmemory /bsurfaced–one I bhad /bbure bAdrian /bbhad /bdone something like this before. He had sent people to follow ine once. Had me watched. Had me btracked/b.

I stared bat /bthe floor, the pieces clicking together in my mind. A bitter truth settled in my bchest/b.

I didn’t want to believe it. But deep down–I knew.

b“/bbNa?ve /bgirl,” the masked man said, shaking his head as if amused by my reaction. “You still believe your prince charming bwouldn’t do /bsomething like bthis/bb? /bCome on. He’s a businessman. You entered a contract with him, and you broke it. That’s bad for business. So obviously, he’d take byou /bbout of /bbthe /bbpicture- /bpermanently.”

His words hit me like ice water. My chest tightened as a dreadful silence filled the room. I stared at himb, /bbarely blinking, trying to make bsense of /bbwhat he /bhad just said.

“Wait… what do you mean by permanently?” Julian asked, his voiceced with concern and a rising edge of anger.

The man tilted his head, then said casually, “We came here to kill little Miss Olivia here, but Adrian paid bus /ba little extra bto /btake care of you Mrb, /bband /bbthis /bdy?.” He said pointing bat /bmy mom.

“well she’s just at the wrong ce at the wrong time, I can’t fuck this up and leave any witnesses, so try to understand, a man’s gotta eatb./b”

Kill? Did I hear them well? My breath caught in my throat. The word echoed in my mind, bouncing off every wall of my consciousness. My vision blurred for a moment as my body went stiff with shock. These guys–they were going to murder us?b… /b

Has it reallye to this? Has Adrian–someone I once trusted with my heart–gone so far as to want me dead?

bI /bcouldn’t believe it. I didn’t want to believe it.

“How much did he pay you?” Julian asked desperately. “I’ll double it. Triple it. Whatever you want.”

But the man only chuckled as if amused by Julian’s offer. “Sorry, but I’m loyal to my sender,” he said. “Say yourst prayers. This will be thest time byou /bsee each other.”

With that, he turned on his heel and strolled toward the front door like he had just finished a mundane chore. As he reached it, he gave a final nod to the two masked men still standing guard.

“Wait! Please, wait!” I screamed, my voice hoarse with panic and desperation.

But they didn’t even flinch. They walked out without looking back, closing the door behind them as if we were nothing more than discarded trash. I thrashed against my restraints, the metal cuffs digging painfully into my wrists as I tried to free myself.

They said they came ito /ikill us. So why leave?

Something wasn’t adding up. I stopped struggling for a moment, letting my thoughts catch up with my panicb. /bIf they were here bto /bkill usb, /bwhy not just shoot us like they threatened earlier?

Then it hit me.

Wait…

What’s that smell?

A sharp, pungent scent was wafting through the air. It was familiar, but bout /bbof /bce.

“Do you smell that?” I askedb, /bmy voice trembling with dread.

Julian raised his head, sniffing the air. His bface /bdarkened instantly.

“bShhh/bb,/bb” /bbhe /bsaid, interrupting me quickly. “Listenb./b”

b2/3 /b

10:16 Monb, /bb2 /bJun

b99/bb% /b

I froze, trying to concentrate. I filtered out the sound of my own racing heartbeat, the wind rattling faintly through the cracked window, and my mother’s quiet whimpering beside me.

Then I heard it.

A series of soft, rapid beeping sounds. They were faint at first, but unmistakable.

They wereing from the kitchen.

“Please tell me one of you left the microwave on,” Julian said with a shakyugh that didn’t reach his eyes.

But deep down, we all knew that wasn’t a microwave.

Beeping. Gasoline.

And the men–gone.

“They’ve nted a bomb,” Julian said grimly, confirming the thought I was too afraid to speak aloud.

Terror surged through me, worse than before. This wasn’t just a home invasion anymore. It was an execution. A silent, fiery death.

Tears pricked the corners of my eyes as I looked at Julian and Mom. My heart pounded in my chest like a war drum. The seconds felt like minutesi, /iand every tick of that beeping made me feel like we were closer to the end.

AD