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Chapter 6: The first move
Last Updated:
2025-02-26 02:15:42
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Shattered chain Chapter 7: A game of mask
The next night, I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the silk dress Selene had chosen for me. Midnight blue, with a slit running up the side—elegant but dangerous. The kind of dress that whispered promises but never made any guarantees. Selene watched from the doorway, arms crossed. “You’re nervous.” I scoffed, smoothing my hair. “No, I’m just—” “Nervous,” she repeated, smirking. “It’s normal. First time walking into the lion’s den on your own.” I turned to face her. “And Michael Devereaux is the lion?” She tilted her head. “One of them. But don’t make the mistake of thinking he’s the only one watching.” That sent a shiver down my spine. I exhaled slowly. “So what’s the real goal here? You trained me, dressed me up, sent me into that bar—what does Damien really want?” Selene’s smirk softened just a little. “You’re smart, Winnie. You’ll figure it out.” I hated that answer. But I hated feeling powerless even more. Eden looked just as it had the night before, b
Last Updated : 2025-02-26Shattered chain Chapter 8: A devil bargain
I was beginning to understand that I wasn’t just caught in a game—I was the piece everyone wanted to move. And I hated that. A cigarette flared in the darkness. I knew before I saw him that Damien was waiting. “You’ve been busy.” His voice was smooth, casual, but I wasn’t stupid. There was always an edge to Damien’s words, a blade hidden beneath silk. I leaned against the brick wall, crossing my arms. “You tell me to get close to Michael. Now you’re acting like I did something wrong?” Damien chuckled softly, stepping into the glow of the streetlamp. He was always impeccably dressed, like nothing in the world could ever touch him. “I didn’t say you did anything wrong, sweetheart. But you went to his place.” I shrugged, feigning indifference. “That was the point, wasn’t it?” He studied me for a long moment, exhaling smoke into the night. “What did he tell you?” Damien finally asked. I hesitated, then met his gaze. “He asked if you own me.” A slow, knowing smile spread across D
Last Updated : 2025-02-26Shattered chain Chapter 9: The first strike
The number Michael had given me burned a hole in my pocket. I hadn’t called it. Not yet. But I carried it with me everywhere, like a secret, like a weapon I wasn’t sure I was ready to use. Because once I did, there would be no turning back. Damien had made that clear. Michael had made that clear. And I was stuck in the space between them, walking the edge of a knife. --- I was behind the bar at Edenwhen the first sign of trouble arrived. It was a man I had seen before—one of Damien’s enforcers. Big, mean, the kind of guy who had never heard the word “no” and didn’t know what to do when he did. His name was Carter, and he wasn’t here for a drink. He leaned against the bar, giving me a lazy smile. “You’ve been quiet.” I poured a drink for another customer, ignoring him. “Didn’t realize I had to check in.” Carter chuckled, but there was no humor in it. “Damien wants to see you.” My stomach twisted. I glanced around the lounge. Selene was watching from
Last Updated : 2025-02-26Shattered chain Chapter 10: The first cut
The plan wasn’t simple. It wasn’t safe. But neither was I. Michael had given me two choices—walk away and survive, or stay and burn it all down with him. And I had already made my choice. There was no walking away from this. Not anymore. The first step was to convince Damien that I was still his. That meant playing the part. So the next night, I went back to Eden, back to Damien’s world, and I let him think he still had control over me. I laughed at his jokes. I followed his orders. I let him believe I was still the girl he had taken in years ago—desperate and obedient. But inside, I was sharpening my knife. Waiting for the moment to strike. Selene found me at the bar, her presence a quiet weight beside me. She didn’t speak at first, just watched as I nursed the drink Damien had sent over. Whiskey. Neat. He always liked to test me with it, watching to see if I’d flinch at the burn. I didn’t. Selene sighed, finally breaking the silence. “You’re doing the right thing.” I
Last Updated : 2025-02-26Shattered chain Chapter 11: A game of blood
Michael’s words echoed in my head long after I left his car. "You’re going to betray me, Winnie. Just like he wants." I understood what he meant. We had to make it look real. Damien wasn’t stupid. He would expect proof—something undeniable. And that meant Michael and I had to stage the perfect betrayal. But that also meant trusting Michael completely. And trust was a dangerous thing. The next night, I met Michael at an abandoned warehouse on the edge of town. He was waiting for me, leaning against his car, a cigarette dangling from his fingers. The dim glow of the streetlights cast long shadows around us, making the moment feel even more ominous. “You’re late,” he said, exhaling smoke. I shrugged. “Had to make sure I wasn’t followed.” Michael smirked, tossing his cigarette to the ground and crushing it under his boot. “Good. You’re learning.” I folded my arms. “So, what’s the plan?” Michael opened the car door and pulled out a small black case. He flipped it
Last Updated : 2025-02-26Shattered chain Chapter 12: Walking on the Razor’s edge
The walls of Eden felt tighter that night, suffocating, like they were closing in on me. I had lied to Damien and gotten away with it—for now. But I knew that didn’t mean I was safe. It only meant I was walking on a razor’s edge, and one wrong move would send me tumbling into the abyss. Michael was still out cold. If anything went wrong before he woke up, everything we had worked for would fall apart. I needed to keep Damien convinced. I needed to keep my head above water. And I needed to do it alone. Damien called for me again the next night. I walked into his office, my pulse pounding in my ears. He was behind his desk as usual, swirling a fresh glass of whiskey, his expression unreadable. “You surprised me, Winnie,” he said. I kept my face blank. “How?” He leaned back in his chair, watching me with those cold, calculating eyes. “I thought you would hesitate. I thought you’d try to find a way out of it.” I shrugged. “You gave me an order. I followed it.” Damien
Last Updated : 2025-02-26Shattered chain Chapter 13: A dangerous truth
Michael’s words hit me like a punch to the gut. I stared at the folded piece of paper in his hands, my mind racing. "The only person who can help us bring Damien down." My mission had just changed. I wasn’t just being tested anymore—I was standing at a crossroads, and whichever path I chose would determine if I lived or died. Michael slowly pushed himself up, groaning as he shook off the lingering effects of the compound. His face was still pale, and I could see the exhaustion dragging at his features. But his eyes were sharp. Focused. Determined. I swallowed hard. “Who is he?” Michael hesitated. Then he said, “His name is Daniel Carter. He used to work for Damien.” That made my stomach drop. “Used to?” I repeated. Michael nodded. “He was Damien’s accountant—handled all the money, all the offshore accounts, all the dirty transactions. But then something changed.” I frowned. “What?” Michael leaned back against the bar, his fingers running through his hai
Last Updated : 2025-02-26Shattered chain Chapter 14: A Game of shadow
Carter and I didn’t have much time. Damien was expecting proof of his death, and if I didn’t deliver it soon, he’d start asking questions. Questions I couldn’t afford to answer. We needed a body. Or at least something convincing enough to make Damien believe Carter was dead. We worked quickly. The warehouse was filled with abandoned crates, broken equipment, and discarded tarps. Michael had taught me a few things about deception, and I was about to put them to the test. Carter found an old mannequin in the storage room—dusty, missing an arm, but still usable. “We need blood,” I muttered, pulling out my knife. Carter frowned. “What are you—” Before he could stop me, I sliced a shallow cut across my arm, just enough to make it bleed. “Jesus,” Carter swore. I ignored him, letting the blood drip onto the mannequin’s chest. It wasn’t perfect, but under the right lighting, it would look real enough. Next, we set up the scene. We dragged the mannequin to a dark corn
Last Updated : 2025-02-26
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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
