Chapter 18: A Dangerous Game

The days that followed were a whirlwind of desperation and strategizing. The photograph of Lily lingered in my mind, a constant reminder of how high the stakes had become. Every moment was clouded with fear—fear that the next message from Victoria would bring something worse, something irreversible.

Ethan, who had always been my rock, was battling his own demons. I could see the guilt eating away at him, the regret over his past involvement in Victoria’s schemes. It fueled his determination to protect me and Lily, but I knew he was afraid. Afraid that he might not be able to keep his promise to us, that he might fail.

As for me, I was torn. The desire for revenge, the need to expose Victoria’s crimes, was at war with my instinct to protect my sister. What had once seemed like a clear path now felt like a ticking time bomb, ready to go off and take everything I cared about with it. But even with all my doubt, I couldn’t walk away. Not now. Not when we were so close to bringing Victoria