hapter 102
Elijah Vaughn.
A shiver ran down my spine–not from the cold, but from the cruel recognition of my own failure.
My hands curled into fists, the knuckles cracking under the pressure.
A knot burned in my throat, hot tears running down my face, but there was no more room for despair.
Now, there was only hate.
Hate for the bastards who poisoned my mind.
Hate for giving ear to their rotten words, planted to destroy me.
But above all…
Hate for myself.
-For the corrosive insecurity that let doubt take root.
For the weakness that let jealousy blind me.
For the stupidity of questioning the only person who ever proved they wanted me.
A tremor rolled through my shoulders, my breath coming in shaky, uneven gasps under the weight of guilt.
How could I have been so blind?
My eyes burned, locked on the floor, but everything around me felt distant–colorless, soundless.
The scene in the cell replayed in my mind like a relentless nightmare.
His look.
The pain pouring from those eyes that always devoured me with desire and possession–but now held something broken.
Disappointment.
Hurt.
I pressed my fists against my eyes like I could rip the images out of my head.
But they were burned into me.
As deep as the tattoo of my name on his skin.
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And the worst part….
The fear that maybe this time… it was enough to erase it.
My breath caught in my chest again, a dry sob escaping before I could stop it.
I couldn’t lose him.
Not now.
Not after everything.
But how do you fix something that’s already broken?
The question echoed in my mind, but no answer came.
The only thing left was the crushing certainty that, this time…
I was the one who ruined everything.
And maybe, just maybe…
There was no fixing it.
The silence in the cell weighed like a sealed coffin.
Every second without Dante there felt like a knife twisting deeper, without mercy.
My eyes stayed locked on the floor, seeing nothing, my mind drowning in the suffocating void of guilt.
Then the metallic sound of the cell door opening echoed through the air.
My heart jumped, stupid hope clinging to the thought that maybe it was him.
But when I looked up, I found Fox standing at the entrance.
His expression full of concern, his eyes scanning my face for answers.
My chin trembled before I could control it.
And then, the tears came back full force.
There was no stopping them.
My body collapsed into despair.
Fox moved before I could completely fall apart, crossing the distance between us and pulling me into his
arms.
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The hug was tight and strong, like he was trying to hold me together as I fell to pieces.
The sobs tore through my throat, choking on the guilt that weighed in my lungs.
“I–I’m such an idiot, Fox…”
The words came out broken, almost unrecognizable.
“I believed those bastards…”
My breathing hitched, cut off by the sobs shaking my body without control.
“He… He looked at me with so much pain… and disappointment…”
My chest tightened even more, the despair clinging to every word spilling from me without filter.
“I might lose him, Fox…”
My hands fisted in the fabric of his uniform, holding on like he was the last anchor before I drowned.
“I’m such an idiot…”
My throat burned, my mind replaying every detail of that last, devastating look Dante gave me.
That look…
It hadn’t been pure anger.
It had been something far worse.
Disappointment.
A pain he hadn’t bothered to hide, like he wanted me to see the damage I caused.
Fox’s hand ran soothing circles down my back, trying to offer some comfort in the middle of the chaos.
“I’m sure you two just need a moment…” His voice came steady but soft. “He’s not going to abandon you.”
I let out a dry, bitter laugh between sobs.
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because that man loves you, Elijah.” Fox tightened his embrace, like he was trying to force me to believe it.
My body trembled, lungs begging for air between the tears.
“I messed up, Fox…”
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The confession tasted like poison on my tongue.
“I was so easy to manipulate…”
My chest ached like it was being torn apart from the inside.
“Believing them was the worst mistake of my life…”
His hold on me grew even tighter, a clear sign he wasn’t letting me go anytime soon.
“Then fix it.”
The words cut through my breakdown, bringing the slightest flicker of clarity.
Fox pulled back just enough to cup my face in both hands, forcing me to meet his gaze.
“You can still fix this.”
My eyes were swollen, my breathing unsteady, and the pain still sitting heavy in my chest.
But in that moment, between the despair and the guilt, a thought began to take shape.
Maybe there was still time.
Maybe there was still a chance.
And if there was even the smallest possibility of not losing him….
I wouldn’t waste it.
Fox sighed, running a hand through his hair before giving me a firm look.
“But not right now.”
His voice carried an unshakable determination.
“You look awful.”
His eyes scanned my tear–streaked, puffy face, my trembling lips, and the torn uniform exposing my skin.
“Get some rest.”
His fingers brushed over the ripped fabric, and he huffed in frustration.
“I’ll get you another uniform.”
I nodded, too drained to argue.
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My body felt like it weighed a ton, as if I’d carried the entire world on my shoulders.
1 sank onto the bed, closing my eyes, letting the exhaustion finally pull me under.
But even in the silence of the cell, behind closed eyelids and fading consciousness…
The pain was still there.
Burning.
Consuming.
Until, at last, sleep took me.
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