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Chapter 12 : The Truth
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2025-02-27 13:01:16Docks stretched out in the background, with salt and moisture clinging to the surface.' Juniper's boots were covered in slick wooden planks, and the fog was curving around her ankles. But her heart sank in against her ribs, and she held on tightly to the phone.
The reason for Adrian's imprisonment was her. Without the truth, she couldn't depart. A paused clap was heard in the background.? “Brave little Juniper.”. Juniper's stomach clenched. Victoria Langford. A slim black trench coat, blonde hair pinched in, and a face made of solidified ice as she stepped into the dimness of stifled dock lights. Juniper ingested the terror that was gripping her throat.'". “You sent the note.”. Victoria smirked. “You came alone. How noble.”. Juniper leaned back. "You have to give me something to say.". With her heels racing against the stump, Victoria circled around. Aren't you the hero of this tale, too? With her fingers clasped tightly around her phone, Juniper expressed: "I think you're a bitter woman who has too much time and money for your dad.". Victoria's smile sharpened. Her voice was composed of silk and wrapped around steel, as she said: "I brought him into my world. Every connection. Adrian Sinclair was made to be something... respectable by me. The sound of Juniper's pulse reached her ears. “You framed him.”. Her gaze gleased. "Due to the fact that he required instruction.". Juniper's breath caught. Did his breakup with you lead to the destruction of their relationship? The tone of Victoria's laugh was delicate, almost pity. “Oh, darling. It's never about love. It's about power. He was the perfect match for me and we were meant to be together. These were not some bloody-sucking scientists who were involved in charitable activities. Juniper's throat tightened. “You're insane.”. Victoria's smile flickered. “You're naive.”. A pause. The mist had become thicker around them. With a heart-pounding struggle, Juniper changed her weight. What is the reason for me hearing this? [Laughter]. Victoria's head tilted. You won’t be able to go anywhere without death.' Juniper's breath caught. A glint of silver. Victoria's pocket contained a small, sharp knife that was deadly and easily accessible. Juniper's stomach clenched. “Put that away.”. Victoria's smile didn't budge. “You came for the truth. I'm giving it to you.”. Juniper's mind raced. With the hope that Victoria wouldn't notice, she flicked her thumb against the record button on her phone. “I've your confession.”. The device caught Victoria's attention instantly.. Her lips curved with a dangerous, slow smile.' "I'm curious, my dear friend, will you come across that?". Juniper's pulse spiked. “Adrian will.”. Victoria's smirk vanished. Lightning split the sky. Thunder was heard far below the surface.' The knife glinted as Victoria approached. It’s so easy he won’t even know you were there. Juniper pressed her heart into her chest. Think, Juniper. Slowly, she retreated, her boots against damp wood. Adrian would know.’ Her voice cracked, but she kept it steady: ‘He’ll come and look for me.... Victoria's smile stretched wider. “Let him.”. Juniper's breath caught. Another step back. Ice-cold water was gushing below the dock's edge as she stood behind her. No way out. Victoria lunged. Juniper dodged, the blade extending inches from her. The blade was sharp. Her stumble resulted in her getting caught up on the slippery railing. Victoria swore that she would "fight back" and said, "Let's make this an interesting topic.". Juniper's heart pounded. She had no weapon. No plan. But she had the recording. She twisted her fingers around the phone. Stall. She couldn't stop saying "You're pathetic.". Victoria's eyes flashed. Is it your opinion that you are superior to me? “I know I am.”. Victoria's face twisted. Another lunge—wild, fast. With a lethal knife in its pocket, Juniper crouched down. "A pitiful Juniper, Victoria's voice was quiet and still. She had a bad breath." The songbird looked off-beat. Adrian doesn't love you. He's utilizing you in the same way that he used me.". Juniper's stomach twisted. It wasn't true. It couldn't be true. “You're lying.”. Victoria's smile stretched thin. “He told me everything. Someone who was easy to manipulate and calming was what his eyes required. Juniper's heart was breaking, but she put the questioning aside.? “He wouldn't—”. “He did.”. Another step forward. Juniper’s back against the cold metal railing. No more ground to give. Victoria leaned back, her mouth tightly against Juniper's ear. Believe it or not, he loved you. Her ribs were crushed with excitement as Juniper ran. Think. The phone became her only escape. The recording. That was her only leverage. Her only way out. Juniper muttered, "You're not right." She then held Victoria's gaze. "He has affection for me.". Victoria's smile flickered. Doubt. A crack in the ice. Juniper seized it. “He chose me.”. Victoria's nostrils flared. “I made him.”. The phone pressed harder against the thumb of Juniper.'". Why do you feel so anxious about the possibility of losing him? Victoria's hand twitched. Juniper lunged. Victoria's shoulder caused a knife to hit her ribs, leaving the dock with clattering blade. Victoria shrieked—high, sharp. Jipper swooped as his feet ran onto wet wood. With her nails dragging down her arm, Victoria was pulled back.? The phone of Juniper fell onto its ground and slid into the darkness. “No!”. Victoria tightly wrapped her hand around Juniper's throat. “You ruined everything.”. Victoria's wrist was being groaned at by Juniper. Stars burst behind her eyes. “I… have… the recording.”. Victoria's grip faltered—just enough. Juniper wrenched free, coughing. The phone was grabbed by her in a hurry. Victoria lunged—. Swinging like a weapon, Juniper spun. It cracked against Victoria's temple. The woman stumbled, knife forgotten. With her chest squatting, Juniper stumbled to her feet. Sirens wailed in the distance. The sound caught Victoria's gaze. “No.”. Juniper's hand shook as she lifted the phone. “Game over.”. Victoria's mouth opened—then snapped shut. Footsteps pounded on the dock. Flashlights cut through the mist. “Juniper!”. Adrian's voice—raw, desperate. Juniper's knees buckled. He came. The two women looked each other up and down, Victoria's chest rising swiftly. “It's not over.”. The grip of the phone tightened for Juniper. “Yes, it is.”. Her arms were wrapped around her by Adrian. Juniper sagged him, taking in his breath. The truth was out. Victoria was finished. Despite the sirens screaming loudly, Juniper couldn't shake it. This was only the beginning.
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A loud scream interrupted the storm. Juniper. Her body fell deeply into the waves below, leaving Adrian gasping in despair. He moved when she'd lost her head beneath the surface. No hesitation. No second thoughts. He jumped. The world tilted. Wind roared in his ears. Like knives, rain smeared upon him. Then—impact. The ocean swallowed him whole. An icy stream of air was released from inside him. He was surrounded by darkness, dense and asphyxiating. He stooped with determination, breaking through the surface and taking a whiff of rain and salt. The storm engulfed his voice with the sound of a punch. The waves were relentless, bouncing and curling up, pulling him under the water before gently pushing him back out. Despite the pressure, Adrian persevered by twisting in the water. Where was she? He witnessed lightning glimmers across the sky and thundering through the chaos. Her head bounced up before disappearing under a new surge, just ahead. No. With arms slicing through
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“Adrian!”. The fury of the storm was so intense that Juniper's scream could barely make sense. Then—the gunshot. The air was split like lightning by its cracking. Adrian's body jerked. He slipped while gripping the boat's railing.__ His gaze widened as she looked inexplicably startled, and then he fell. Straight into the waves. Her fingers grazed Juniper's skeleton until the sea swallowed him whole, as he said with a loud "No!". Dark water drenched her, a hunger for food.' Her breath hitched. She felt her pulse racing in her ears. Move. Now. She threw herself off the platform. The cold slammed in her chest, sucking up air from her lungs. Salt burned her throat. She flexed her arms against the current. “Adrian!” She gasped, kicking hard. No response. Like a ball of sand, she was torn by the waves. The boat's floodlight glimmered across the surface, but she was left with nothing but darkness. Her heart raced against her ribs.'... He was down there. Sinking. Find him. She
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A Sky Full of Fire. “Brace!”. Juniper barely had time to react before the world turned into chaos. The first spray of bullets tore through the helicopter's cabin, slicing through seats, ricocheting off metal, and punching holes into the walls. The medic let out a bloodcurdling scream, ducking just in time as a bullet whizzed past his ear. The pilot yelled frantically into his headset. “Mayday! Mayday! Flight 417 under attack! We need immediate—”. The radio cut off in static. Juniper clung to Adrian's stretcher, her nails digging into the fabric as the helicopter veered sideways. Her stomach lurched with the movement. The tail caught fire, flames licking hungrily across the metal. A missile streaked through the air, missing them by inches. The force of the blast sent the helicopter spinning violently. Juniper screamed, her body slamming against the wall. The medic was flung backward, crashing hard against the opposite side. “We're going down!” the pilot shouted. The airc
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A Standoff in the Wreckage. Juniper's lungs released in brief, sharp bursts. Smoke suffused her, and the scent of burning fuel was strong enough to bite her. Flames licked the fuselage of the crashed helicopter, crushing its crumbling structure and leaving it gasping for air. And then—that voice. Deep. Cold. Familiar. “Stay where you are.”. Her body moved in a limp state, her hands clasping the sharp metal fragments she had taken from debris. The presence of blood in it was unclear to her, whether it be her or not. He walked forward with an even cuttler, moving through the smoke. Shadows were cast across his face by the fire, which was behind him. Broad shoulders. Sharp jaw. Eyes like ice. Two men, armed with rifles that were raised and steady but dressed in tactical black, flanked him. Juniper's mind raced. Adrian was unconscious. She was outnumbered. But she wasn't helpless. She grasped the metal. Her plan was to hit one of them before the others could react if she lunge
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“Go! Go! Go!”Adrian slammed the gas pedal to the floor. The SUV roared forward, weaving dangerously through the tight alleyway as bullets pinged off the metal frame.Juniper clutched the door handle, her knuckles white. “They’re still on us!”Ethan twisted in the back seat, his gun raised. “Yeah, no kidding! Hold this thing steady!”Adrian swerved hard left, nearly clipping a row of parked motorcycles. “Steady? Not an option right now.”Behind them, Damien’s black sedans were relentless, their headlights cutting through the darkness like hunting knives. More gunfire erupted, shattering the SUV’s back window.“Shit!” Juniper ducked. “That was way too close.”Ethan cursed, returning fire. A bullet struck the windshield of the nearest sedan, causing it to swerve. But the driver corrected fast. “They’re not backing off!”Adrian’s grip on the wheel tightened. “We need to lose them.”“You think?” Ethan snapped.Juniper’s heart pounded. The speed. The gunfire. The deafening roar of engines.
