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72: The First Strike
Dernière mise à jour:
2025-03-17 16:47:52
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Broken Vows, New Promises 73: No More Running
Aurora’s POVThe estate was gone.The sky behind us burned, thick smoke rising like a funeral pyre. Damien’s entire world had just been reduced to ash.But he didn’t flinch.He drove with a steady hand, eyes locked on the darkened road ahead. No hesitation. No second-guessing.I, on the other hand, couldn’t stop shaking.The blood on my hands had dried, but I could still feel its warmth. The weight of what I had done—**what I had become—**pressed on my chest like an iron cage.I had killed a man.And I would do it again.Because if I didn’t, we wouldn’t survive.The SafehouseDamien drove us deep into the mountains, to a cabin hidden far from the main roads.I expected it to be abandoned, but as we approached, a figure stepped out from the shadows.Leo.Damien’s most trusted man.He had a rifle in hand, his expression unreadable.“You’re late,” he muttered. “We thought you were dead.”Damien stepped out of the car, his face unreadable. “Not yet.”Leo exhaled sharply, his gaze shifting
Dernière mise à jour : 2025-03-17Broken Vows, New Promises 74: The Ghost in the Flames
Aurora’s POVThe fire raged behind us, turning the sky into an inferno of reds and oranges.The warehouse was gone.So was Elias.At least, that’s what Damien wanted to believe.But I had seen it.That shadow, slipping into the night. The way the flames flickered just enough to reveal a figure retreating from the wreckage.Elias wasn’t dead.And if he wasn’t dead, that meant he was still playing the game.The RetreatLeo led us away from the burning site, his expression grim. “We need to move. Cops will be here any second.”Damien barely reacted. He stood still, watching the flames, as if willing Elias to be inside them.I grabbed his hand. “Damien.”His fingers curled around mine, his grip like a vice. Then, without a word, he turned.We left the destruction behind.The SafehouseIt was nearly dawn when we reached the safehouse.Leo’s team was already inside, patching up wounds and refueling.Damien barely looked at them. He walked straight to the back room, hands braced against the
Dernière mise à jour : 2025-03-17Broken Vows, New Promises 75: Shadows of the Past
Aurora’s POVThe night was finally silent.No more gunfire.No more screams.Just the distant crackling of dying flames, the scent of blood and smoke clinging to the cold air.Elias was dead.It should have felt like victory.But as I stood beside Damien, staring at his lifeless body, I didn’t feel relief.I felt empty.Damien exhaled slowly, lowering his gun. He stared at Elias’s corpse as if waiting for him to rise again.But this time, there would be no escape.Leo approached, his gun still in hand, his face a mask of exhaustion. “It’s over.”Damien didn’t react. His hands were still clenched. His muscles still tight.I reached for him, pressing my palm against his forearm. “Damien.”His jaw tensed. But then, slowly, he turned his gaze to me.And in his eyes, I saw it—The weight of everything.Years of war. Years of chasing ghosts.And now, finally, the ghost was gone.So why didn’t it feel like peace?The AftermathLeo’s men moved swiftly, securing the warehouse.Ronan was taken
Dernière mise à jour : 2025-03-17Broken Vows, New Promises 76: The Weight of Silence
Damien’s POVElias was dead.It should have meant freedom.But all I felt was empty.The night was unnervingly quiet. The kind of silence that followed devastation.I stood on the rooftop of the safehouse, watching the city wake beneath the faint light of dawn. Smoke still lingered in the distance, remnants of the war that had finally ended.At least, that’s what they all said.But wars don’t end. They change shape. They take new forms.And in their wake, they leave ghosts.I was made of ghosts.The door behind me creaked open. I didn’t turn, but I knew who it was.Aurora.She didn’t say anything at first, just stepped up beside me, wrapping my jacket tighter around herself.Her presence was steady. Grounding.And yet, it didn’t stop the storm in my head.“I thought it would feel different,” I murmured.She glanced at me. “What?”“Victory.”She was silent for a long moment before she exhaled softly. “That’s because this wasn’t a victory.”I turned to her then, searching her face.She
Dernière mise à jour : 2025-03-19Broken Vows, New Promises 77: The Ghosts That Linger
Damien’s POVThe past does not let go easily.Even after death, Elias’s influence lingered.Even after truth, my father’s betrayal burned.But Aurora was right about one thing—I had to rebuild.And that meant confronting the ghosts instead of running from them.I just didn’t expect them to come knocking so soon.Unfinished BusinessThe safehouse was running on minimal personnel now. Most of the men had been sent to secure our remaining assets, and those who stayed were recovering from the battle.Aurora sat across from me in the dimly lit study, her gaze steady. She hadn’t left my side since last night.I wasn’t sure if it was for my sake or hers.“I need to go back to the estate,” I said finally.Aurora’s expression didn’t change. “You’re not ready.”I clenched my jaw. “I don’t have a choice.”“Damien—”“There’s still work to do.”Her lips pressed together in frustration. “And when will it ever be done?”I exhaled sharply, leaning forward. “Elias might be dead, but his network isn’t.
Dernière mise à jour : 2025-03-19Broken Vows, New Promises 78: The Game Begins
Damien’s POVSome wars never end.Elias was dead, but his death had only opened another door.And standing behind that door was a man I did not know. A man who had been watching. Waiting.I had spent my life believing Elias was the final obstacle. That once he was gone, I would be free.But my father’s letter proved otherwise.Elias was only the beginning.And now? Now the real enemy was stepping out of the shadows.A Name from the PastLeo and I sat in the surveillance room, the footage of the mystery man looping on the screen.His face was sharp, aristocratic, almost too perfect. His suit was tailored to perfection, not a single crease out of place. He exuded confidence.No, not confidence.Control.“This guy,” Leo muttered. “I don’t like him.”I didn’t either.Aurora crossed her arms, her gaze locked on the screen. “If he wanted to kill you, he could have attacked. Instead, he just… showed up.”“He wanted us to see him,” I said.Leo nodded grimly. “So who the hell is he?”I turned
Dernière mise à jour : 2025-03-19Broken Vows, New Promises 79: The Edge of the Abyss
Damien’s POVThe card sat on my desk, the inked king staring back at me.Welcome to the game.A chill ran down my spine.Cassian Moreau wasn’t just sending a message—he was staking a claim.And I wasn’t about to let him.I picked up the card, my fingers tightening around the edges. Then, without a word, I tossed it into the fireplace and watched the flames eat it alive.Leo stood near the door, arms crossed, tension rolling off him in waves. “What’s the move?”Aurora sat on the armrest of the leather chair, watching me carefully. She had barely spoken since last night, but her eyes told me everything.She was waiting.For the storm.For me.I turned to Leo. “We dig. I want every file, every trace of Moreau’s operations. If he’s been hiding in the shadows, someone knows where.”Leo nodded sharply and left without another word.Aurora finally spoke, her voice soft but firm. “And what if you don’t like what you find?”I met her gaze. “Then I burn it.”Shadows of the PastAn hour later, I
Dernière mise à jour : 2025-03-19Broken Vows, New Promises 80: The Countdown to War
Damien’s POVThe warehouse was dimly lit, the overhead bulbs flickering like dying stars. The air smelled of oil, metal, and anticipation.Leo leaned against a rusted steel table, arms crossed. “You’re seriously considering going in alone?”I glanced at the blueprints spread across the surface—Moreau’s known locations, his operations, his weak points.“I don’t have a choice.”Leo exhaled sharply. “You always have a choice.”He wasn’t wrong. But I also knew that some choices came at a cost.Aurora stepped into the room then, her presence shifting the air. She was dressed in black, her eyes dark with exhaustion.She walked right up to me, arms crossed. “I’m coming with you.”I met her gaze. “No, you’re not.”Her jaw tightened. “Damien—”“This isn’t up for discussion.”Her fingers curled into fists. “You’re walking straight into his hands.”“I know.”Silence stretched between us, the kind that spoke of battles neither of us wanted to fight.Leo cleared his throat. “Look, Moreau has the u
Dernière mise à jour : 2025-03-19
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