All Chapters of FATED REJECTION: BOUNDED BY LOVE, DIVIDED BY FATE: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

Noah’s POVI woke up to the sound of Avery pacing. Her steps were light but restless, echoing faintly in the quiet cabin. I opened my eyes and glanced at the clock on the wall—it was just past 4 a.m. The sky outside was still cloaked in darkness, but the faintest traces of dawn were beginning to bleed into the horizon.“Avery,” I said, my voice groggy. She stopped in her tracks and turned toward me, her face illuminated by the soft glow of the wood-burning stove.“Did I wake you?” she asked, guilt written all over her expression.“No,” I lied, sitting up and running a hand through my hair. “What’s wrong?”She hesitated, hugging her arms to her chest. “I couldn’t sleep. I keep thinking… what if we’re wasting time sitting here? What if Lisa’s already moving against us?”I stood and crossed the room to her, placing a steady hand on her shoulder. “We’re not wasting time. We’re regrouping, preparing. If we rush in without a plan, we’ll be playing right into her hands.”Avery nodded, but I

Avery’s POVShe was already in quick typing mode, eyes focused on the screen. Laser-like, the glow of the laptop reflected on her sharp and assessing gaze. She was younger than I expected, early twenties maybe, but she exuded confidence, as if she were sure that she was the smartest one in the room.The way I was staring at her had my stomach in knots. I wasn't sure if it was nerves from the meeting or something else weighing on my mind, but this just felt wrong. Finally, she leaned back and drummed her fingers on the table while speaking. "Okay," she turned her head toward Dominic. "You weren't lying. Lisa's network is tight but not tight enough. I can get in."Dominic nodded, unaffected. "How long will it take?""Depends," the hacker said, flicking her eyes at me and Noah. "On how much risk you're ready to run." I stiffened. "What is that supposed to mean?"She sighed and closed her laptop with a snap. "Look, I can siphon her accounts, reroute funds, and create chaos on her system

The atmosphere in the cabin shifted the moment Raven set up her laptop. The low hum of the machine, combined with the rhythmic tapping of her fingers against the keys, filled the air with an electric tension. This was it—the beginning of the end.I watched as lines of code scrolled across her screen, symbols and numbers that made no sense to me but seemed to speak volumes to her. Noah and Dominic stood behind her, arms crossed, their eyes scanning the data even though they likely understood as little as I did.“Alright,” Raven muttered, barely glancing up. “I’ve got access to some of Lisa’s encrypted files, but whoever’s handling her security knows their stuff. I can break through, but it’ll take time. And the second I do, she’ll know someone’s in her system.”Dominic clenched his jaw. “How much time do we have before she figures it out?”Raven shrugged. “Depends on how paranoid she is. Could be minutes, could be hours. But trust me, she’ll know.”A heavy silence fell over the room.“

Avery’s POVThe alarms shattered the silence like a gunshot. Red warning lights flared to life, painting the marble halls in streaks of crimson. My pulse skyrocketed as Raven and I froze in place, our eyes meeting in a brief moment of panic."Shit," Raven hissed. "They know we're here."We had seconds—seconds before the guards outside the meeting room came storming in. My instincts screamed at me to run, but we couldn’t—not yet.Raven recovered first, snapping her laptop shut and shoving it into the supply cart. "We need to move. Now."The double doors ahead burst open. Two guards stormed into the hallway, guns drawn, their eyes scanning for the threat. I forced myself to stay still, gripping the supply cart’s handle as if it would ground me. We still looked like workers. Maybe—just maybe—they wouldn't suspect us.No such luck."You!" One of them pointed at me. "Hands where I can see them."Raven didn’t hesitate. In one smooth motion, she flipped the cart over, sending supplies crashi

Avery’s POVRaven’s hands were steady as she locked the door behind us, but her eyes were sharp with urgency. We had minutes—maybe seconds—before someone noticed I was gone.“We have to move fast,” she whispered. “Lisa’s guards are all over this place. If we get caught before we reach Noah, we’re screwed.”I nodded, my pulse hammering. “Where is he?”Raven glanced down the hall. “They took him to a different wing. I don’t know exactly where, but I saw them dragging him that way.” She pointed toward a dimly lit corridor. “We go in quiet. Take out anyone in our way.”I flexed my fingers. “Fine by me.”Raven smirked. “That’s what I was hoping you’d say.”We moved quickly, staying close to the shadows. The underground halls were eerily quiet, the concrete walls swallowing sound. My heart pounded harder with every step.Noah was here.And he was hurt.I clenched my fists to keep my emotions in check. Getting reckless wouldn’t help him. Focus. Stay sharp.Footsteps echoed up ahead. A guard.