Chapter 88: The Puppet Master

Dominic's words echoed in my mind, each syllable tightening a noose around my thoughts. Someone inside my circle had betrayed us—fed him everything he needed to tear our lives apart, thread by thread. My stomach twisted at the thought. Who could it be? Who had smiled in my face, shared my fears, only to deliver them straight to him?

The photograph of Mikey burned in my hand, a stark reminder that every step we thought was safe was just another move in Dominic’s game. His smirk told me that he had planned every twist, and predicted every decision.

“You look surprised, Emily,” Dominic said, leaning against the cabin’s wooden post with that same unsettling calm. “But isn’t it obvious by now? I’ve been pulling the strings all along. Every choice you made, every alliance you thought was yours—it was mine first.”

Oliver tensed beside me, gripping the gun like it was the only thing anchoring him. Ava’s face was pale, her arm wrapped protectively around Mikey, who stared up at us with con