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Chapter 16: The hunt begins
Last Updated:
2025-02-26 04:25:33
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Shattered chain Chapter 17: The final betrayal
Carter was barely conscious, his breathing shallow as he lay on the couch. His face was bruised, his wrists raw from the ropes that had bound him. But he was alive. That was all that mattered. Michael finished stitching up the wound in my shoulder, his jaw tight. “You could’ve died.” I exhaled sharply. “So could Carter.” Michael shook his head. “Damien’s going to know something’s up. We just declared war.” I already knew that. And I didn’t care. Carter groaned, his eyes fluttering open. “Did we win?” Michael snorted. “Barely.” Carter tried to sit up, wincing. “We need to finish this.” I met his gaze. “Do you still have the files?” Carter nodded weakly. “Hidden. If we can get them to the right people…” He trailed off, exhausted. Michael folded his arms. “And how do we do that before Damien finds us?” Silence. I clenched my fists. We had one last chance to bring Damien down. And it had to be now. The plan was simple. Carter had proof—documents, recordin
Last Updated : 2025-02-26Shattered chain Chapter 18: conquering
The city was quiet. Too quiet. I stood in the dimly lit motel room, gripping the black case in my hands. Inside, the proof that could destroy Damien lay untouched. It felt heavier than it should have—like it carried the weight of every scar, every wound, every life he had shattered. Michael sat on the edge of the bed, checking his gun. Carter leaned against the wall, still weak but determined. We had made it this far. We couldn’t stop now. “This is it,” Michael said, sliding in the last bullet. “We expose him tonight, or we die trying.” I swallowed hard. “We’re not dying.” Michael smirked. “That’s the spirit.” Carter exhaled. “Are you sure this will work?” I looked at the flash drive in my palm—the key to ending Damien once and for all. “It has to.” --- We had a plan. The evidence was going to be leaked. Not just to the police. Not just to the press. To *everyone.* Live. Public. Unstoppable. We hacked into a news station’s broadcast. It wasn’t
Last Updated : 2025-02-26Shattered chain Chapter 19: Ashes and Aftermath
The world didn’t change overnight. The sun still rose. The traffic still honked its daily symphony through congested streets. People still went to work, grumbling about bosses and bills. They still laughed. Still cried. Still lived. But for us, everything had changed. The headlines screamed Damien’s name for days—then weeks. “Underworld Kingpin Exposed in Explosive Leak.” “Corruption Scandal Shakes City to Its Core.” “Justice Served—But At What Cost?” His face was everywhere, though none of the photos captured the monster he truly was. Just a well-dressed man in expensive suits, half-smiles that now made my skin crawl. They turned him into a symbol—of fear, of failure, of everything wrong with the system. Carter was still recovering. Three surgeries. Dozens of stitches. Metal in his bones and a lifetime’s worth of pain etched into the lines of his face. He didn’t complain. Not once. But I saw it—in the tightness of his jaw, in the way his hand trembled when he thought I wasn’t lo
Last Updated : 2025-04-24Shattered chain Chapter 20: The Quiet Before
It was raining again. Not the kind of storm that howled or cracked the sky open—just a steady drizzle, soft and constant. The kind that made the air smell like wet earth and whispered to the world to slow down, just for a while. I stood at the edge of the open field behind my new apartment, the wild grass tickling my legs, a worn sweater wrapped around my shoulders. For the first time in years, I wasn’t running. I wasn’t hiding. I was just… breathing. Life after Damien was strange in a way I hadn’t expected. I thought freedom would be loud—celebratory, victorious. But instead, it was quiet. It crept in softly, like sunlight through closed blinds. I didn’t realize I was free until I woke up one morning and didn’t feel fear curled in my stomach like a fist. Carter was healing. Slowly. He’d just started walking again—short distances, with a cane—but every step felt like a triumph. I’d been by his side through most of it, watching him fight his way back from the edge of death. And s
Last Updated : 2025-04-24Shattered chain Chapter 21: Closer Than Before
Carter’s knuckles were white as he gripped the edge of the table, eyes locked on the photographs. He’d gone through them three times already, as if each pass would reveal some secret he’d missed. “It’s not over.” The words burned in the space between us like a fuse waiting to ignite. “This handwriting,” he muttered. “It’s too clean. Someone wanted you to read it clearly. No smudges, no rush. This was intentional.” I sat across from him on the couch, arms wrapped around my knees. “You think it’s a message?” He looked up at me, his gaze softening. “It’s a statement. A warning, maybe. Or bait.” “For what?” He didn’t answer. Just leaned back in the chair, running a hand through his dark curls. The bruises and scars along his arms had faded, but the shadows in his eyes hadn’t. “Do you think it’s someone from Damien’s network?” I asked quietly. “Could be.” He glanced at the last photo again. “But this doesn’t feel like them. Damien’s people weren’t subtle. They didn’t need to be.”
Last Updated : 2025-04-24Shattered chain Chapter 22: Pieces of Quiet
Morning came slow. Golden light filtered through the curtains, soft and warm, the kind of light that made you forget—if only for a moment—that the world could be cruel. I stirred beneath the covers, my body tangled with Carter’s. He was still asleep, one arm draped over my waist, his breath steady against the back of my neck. Safe. For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt safe. I didn’t move for a while. Just listened to the rain taper off outside, the gentle rhythm of the city waking up around us. In another world, this could have been normal. Coffee. Breakfast. Kisses goodbye before work. But our normal was never soft like this. It had edges. Scars. Blood beneath the surface. Still… for now, this was enough. Eventually, Carter stirred, his voice raspy with sleep. “Are you watching me sleep again?” I smiled. “Maybe.” He shifted onto his back, stretching. The blanket slid down his chest, revealing the faint, silvered scar near his shoulder. The one he got saving me
Last Updated : 2025-04-24Shattered chain Chapter 23: A Taste of Normal
The coffee shop was small—barely more than a few tables and a bar near the window. But it smelled like heaven. Roasted beans, cinnamon, vanilla… like safety wrapped in warmth. Carter held the door open for me, the little brass bell jingling above us as we stepped inside. It was the first time we’d been out—really out—since everything fell apart. No back alleys, no stolen cars, no motel rooms with peeling paint and bloodstained towels. Just… a café. A quiet street. A moment of peace. I breathed it in, every second of it. “I feel like we’re playing dress-up,” I said, glancing down at my oversized sweater and jeans. Carter smirked. “You look like yourself.” That shouldn’t have made my heart flutter the way it did. But it did. He looked like himself too—his hoodie clean, his boots not scuffed from running or fighting. No bruises. No bandages. Just him. Alive. Here. With me. We ordered two coffees and sat by the window. Outside, the sky was soft gray, the kind that held off rain but
Last Updated : 2025-04-24Shattered chain Chapter 24: Closer Than We Think
The next morning, the apartment was quiet—but neither of us really slept. Carter paced, barefoot, tension crackling off him like static. I watched from the kitchen counter, nursing a lukewarm cup of tea I didn’t remember making. “She didn’t follow us,” I said softly. “At least, not that we saw.” “That’s the problem.” He rubbed a hand down his face. “She didn’t have to.” There was a new kind of fear in his voice—one I hadn’t heard before. Not the panicked kind that came from bullets or being hunted. This one was colder. Smarter. Because it meant someone was playing a longer game. “She smiled at me,” I murmured. “Like she knew something.” “She probably did.” I stood and crossed to him, pressing my hands to his chest. “Then we figure it out. Together. Okay?” His hands came up, holding my waist. “Together,” he echoed. I leaned into him. “We don’t run anymore.” He kissed me—slow and deep. “No. We fight.” Michael called an hour later. “I know who she is,” he said without preambl
Last Updated : 2025-04-24
Latest chapter
Shattered chain Chapter 26: Under the Surface
The next few days blurred into a haze of strategizing and sleepless nights. Michael’s leads on Vasquez had hit dead ends more often than not, but we couldn’t afford to sit still. Elena Varas wasn’t just a ghost in the system anymore. She was a force, moving through the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike. And we had to be ready. Carter had been quieter lately. Not in the way he used to be—shutting down or holding back—but in the way someone does when they’ve accepted that the storm is coming, and there’s nothing left to do but face it head-on. We spent hours going over every possible scenario—how we’d take down Vasquez, how we’d neutralize Elena. But it always came back to the same thing: we needed leverage. And we didn’t have it yet. It was late afternoon when Michael called with an update. He’d found something—a name, a location, a possible way into Vasquez’s network. “I’ve been digging through some older files,” Michael said, his voice low. “Vasquez has a private c
Shattered chain Chapter 25: Beneath the Surface
The sun hadn’t fully risen when we left Michael’s safehouse, the streets still ghostly quiet. The city felt smaller, quieter, like the looming threat had pressed down on everything—making the familiar seem distant, and the dangerous, close. Carter drove, his hands tight on the wheel, his jaw set in that way that told me he was thinking—thinking too much. His focus was all sharp lines, all shadows. I could see it in the way his eyes darted to every mirror, every car that passed. “You’re not sleeping again,” I said softly, my hand resting on his thigh. His fingers twitched. But he didn’t pull away. “I’m fine.” “You’re not,” I said, squeezing his leg. “You’re carrying too much. Let me help you.” He glanced at me briefly, his lips curling into that small smile I loved. “You already do.” I turned away, watching the city blur past, the cold breeze from the cracked window ruffling my hair. “Michael’s right,” I said. “This Elena—she’s not just some freelancer. She’s someone’s eyes. Some
Shattered chain Chapter 24: Closer Than We Think
The next morning, the apartment was quiet—but neither of us really slept. Carter paced, barefoot, tension crackling off him like static. I watched from the kitchen counter, nursing a lukewarm cup of tea I didn’t remember making. “She didn’t follow us,” I said softly. “At least, not that we saw.” “That’s the problem.” He rubbed a hand down his face. “She didn’t have to.” There was a new kind of fear in his voice—one I hadn’t heard before. Not the panicked kind that came from bullets or being hunted. This one was colder. Smarter. Because it meant someone was playing a longer game. “She smiled at me,” I murmured. “Like she knew something.” “She probably did.” I stood and crossed to him, pressing my hands to his chest. “Then we figure it out. Together. Okay?” His hands came up, holding my waist. “Together,” he echoed. I leaned into him. “We don’t run anymore.” He kissed me—slow and deep. “No. We fight.” Michael called an hour later. “I know who she is,” he said without preambl
Shattered chain Chapter 23: A Taste of Normal
The coffee shop was small—barely more than a few tables and a bar near the window. But it smelled like heaven. Roasted beans, cinnamon, vanilla… like safety wrapped in warmth. Carter held the door open for me, the little brass bell jingling above us as we stepped inside. It was the first time we’d been out—really out—since everything fell apart. No back alleys, no stolen cars, no motel rooms with peeling paint and bloodstained towels. Just… a café. A quiet street. A moment of peace. I breathed it in, every second of it. “I feel like we’re playing dress-up,” I said, glancing down at my oversized sweater and jeans. Carter smirked. “You look like yourself.” That shouldn’t have made my heart flutter the way it did. But it did. He looked like himself too—his hoodie clean, his boots not scuffed from running or fighting. No bruises. No bandages. Just him. Alive. Here. With me. We ordered two coffees and sat by the window. Outside, the sky was soft gray, the kind that held off rain but
Shattered chain Chapter 22: Pieces of Quiet
Morning came slow. Golden light filtered through the curtains, soft and warm, the kind of light that made you forget—if only for a moment—that the world could be cruel. I stirred beneath the covers, my body tangled with Carter’s. He was still asleep, one arm draped over my waist, his breath steady against the back of my neck. Safe. For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt safe. I didn’t move for a while. Just listened to the rain taper off outside, the gentle rhythm of the city waking up around us. In another world, this could have been normal. Coffee. Breakfast. Kisses goodbye before work. But our normal was never soft like this. It had edges. Scars. Blood beneath the surface. Still… for now, this was enough. Eventually, Carter stirred, his voice raspy with sleep. “Are you watching me sleep again?” I smiled. “Maybe.” He shifted onto his back, stretching. The blanket slid down his chest, revealing the faint, silvered scar near his shoulder. The one he got saving me
Shattered chain Chapter 21: Closer Than Before
Carter’s knuckles were white as he gripped the edge of the table, eyes locked on the photographs. He’d gone through them three times already, as if each pass would reveal some secret he’d missed. “It’s not over.” The words burned in the space between us like a fuse waiting to ignite. “This handwriting,” he muttered. “It’s too clean. Someone wanted you to read it clearly. No smudges, no rush. This was intentional.” I sat across from him on the couch, arms wrapped around my knees. “You think it’s a message?” He looked up at me, his gaze softening. “It’s a statement. A warning, maybe. Or bait.” “For what?” He didn’t answer. Just leaned back in the chair, running a hand through his dark curls. The bruises and scars along his arms had faded, but the shadows in his eyes hadn’t. “Do you think it’s someone from Damien’s network?” I asked quietly. “Could be.” He glanced at the last photo again. “But this doesn’t feel like them. Damien’s people weren’t subtle. They didn’t need to be.”
Shattered chain Chapter 20: The Quiet Before
It was raining again. Not the kind of storm that howled or cracked the sky open—just a steady drizzle, soft and constant. The kind that made the air smell like wet earth and whispered to the world to slow down, just for a while. I stood at the edge of the open field behind my new apartment, the wild grass tickling my legs, a worn sweater wrapped around my shoulders. For the first time in years, I wasn’t running. I wasn’t hiding. I was just… breathing. Life after Damien was strange in a way I hadn’t expected. I thought freedom would be loud—celebratory, victorious. But instead, it was quiet. It crept in softly, like sunlight through closed blinds. I didn’t realize I was free until I woke up one morning and didn’t feel fear curled in my stomach like a fist. Carter was healing. Slowly. He’d just started walking again—short distances, with a cane—but every step felt like a triumph. I’d been by his side through most of it, watching him fight his way back from the edge of death. And s
Shattered chain Chapter 19: Ashes and Aftermath
The world didn’t change overnight. The sun still rose. The traffic still honked its daily symphony through congested streets. People still went to work, grumbling about bosses and bills. They still laughed. Still cried. Still lived. But for us, everything had changed. The headlines screamed Damien’s name for days—then weeks. “Underworld Kingpin Exposed in Explosive Leak.” “Corruption Scandal Shakes City to Its Core.” “Justice Served—But At What Cost?” His face was everywhere, though none of the photos captured the monster he truly was. Just a well-dressed man in expensive suits, half-smiles that now made my skin crawl. They turned him into a symbol—of fear, of failure, of everything wrong with the system. Carter was still recovering. Three surgeries. Dozens of stitches. Metal in his bones and a lifetime’s worth of pain etched into the lines of his face. He didn’t complain. Not once. But I saw it—in the tightness of his jaw, in the way his hand trembled when he thought I wasn’t lo
Shattered chain Chapter 18: conquering
The city was quiet. Too quiet. I stood in the dimly lit motel room, gripping the black case in my hands. Inside, the proof that could destroy Damien lay untouched. It felt heavier than it should have—like it carried the weight of every scar, every wound, every life he had shattered. Michael sat on the edge of the bed, checking his gun. Carter leaned against the wall, still weak but determined. We had made it this far. We couldn’t stop now. “This is it,” Michael said, sliding in the last bullet. “We expose him tonight, or we die trying.” I swallowed hard. “We’re not dying.” Michael smirked. “That’s the spirit.” Carter exhaled. “Are you sure this will work?” I looked at the flash drive in my palm—the key to ending Damien once and for all. “It has to.” --- We had a plan. The evidence was going to be leaked. Not just to the police. Not just to the press. To *everyone.* Live. Public. Unstoppable. We hacked into a news station’s broadcast. It wasn’t
