CHAPTER THIRTY

                                    

                                          
ELIJAH POV
Betrayal strikes like a whip, searing through my thoughts, and my fingers twitch as I replay the cursed video.
My phone buzzes again, breaking the silence. 
"Meet me at the old warehouse on 5th. We need to talk." This time, the sender's name is clear: Kayl.
 The name stirs nothing familiar in me, and the only 5th street I know is in the sketchy part of town. 
Anger and confusion fuel my movements as I shove my feet into my shoes and head out the door. 
Answers,I need them now.
The warehouse looms in the darkness, like a sulking silhouette against the night sky. 
 Boarded windows and a lot littered with a hulking mass of decay like shattered glass and trash only add to its ominous presence. 
My heart pounds in rhythm with my hurried steps as I approach the rusted, padlocked door. 
The scent of diesel hangs heavy in the air, mingling with the distant wail of a siren. 
Taking a steadying breath, I call out, "Kayl?" My voice bounces off the concrete walls, swallowed by the stillness that surrounds me.
The door creaks open, revealing a dim corridor that stretches into the depths of the building.
 I hesitate but step inside, my anger battling the unease curling in my gut. 
From the shadows, Megan emerges, a sly grin curling her lips. 
"Surprised to see me?" she purrs, her eyes glinting in the dim light. 
Confusion knots my thoughts.
 What is she doing here?
"Kayl told us to meet here," she explains, her voice laced with something I can't quite place. Deception, maybe. 
She takes my hand, pulling me deeper into the cold, damp interior of the warehouse. 
The air is thick with the smell of mildew and earth, and it grows colder the further we go.
We arrive in a large, open space, and there, in the middle, is Freya, tied to a chair. Anger surges through me like a wave.
"What the hell is this?" I shout, my voice echoing in the vast space.
Freya looks up, her eyes wide and filled with fear.
 "Elijah, I can explain—" she starts, but Megan cuts her off, her voice sharp and unforgiving.
"Freya's been playing us both," Megan spits, her teeth clenched in barely restrained rage. 
"I got the same video you did. Your so-called best friend and your girlfriend? What a pair." She pulls out her phone, thrusting it towards me.
 A new video plays, showing Freya and Selene together, the truth hitting me like a blow to the chest.
Freya isn't just in the video—she's the one making the move on Selene. My world shatters as I watch.
Kayl steps into the light, his grin wide and twisted. 
"All part of the plan," he says, his voice dripping with malice. "Megan's mine, and I don't share. But don't worry, I've got a plan to set things right. We're going to teach Selene a lesson she won't forget." His words are laced with a satisfaction that makes my skin crawl.
 Revenge may sound sweet, but something about this reeks of a deeper deceit.
I glance at Freya, who shakes her head frantically, tears streaming down her face. 
Megan inches closer to her, her smile now a predator's grin. 
"You'll regret ever touching Selene," she hisses, the glint of a knife catching the faint light as she raises it. 
Instinct takes over, and I move between them, my eyes locking onto hers.
"What kind of twisted game are you playing, Megan?" I demand, my voice low, dangerous. 
"This isn't about Selene. It's about your obsession with her."
Kayl laughs, the sound harsh and grating in the empty space. 
"Obsession? Nah, just a bit of fun. Selene's been stringing people along, thinking she's untouchable. She wanted Megan, just like she took Freya from you. So I figured, why not knock her off her pedestal?" His eyes flick to the still frame on Megan's phone, the evidence of Selene's deceit glaring back at me.
"But your girlfriend here had her own ideas," he adds with a shrug. "Can't fault a guy for trying, can you?"
Megan's grip on the knife tightens, desperation flickering in her eyes. 
"Don't listen to him," she urges, her voice trembling. "We're in this together. We'll make them pay."
But the fog of rage is lifting, revealing the truth hidden beneath. 
The way Kayl led me here, the convenient timing of the videos... I pull my hand from hers, taking a step back.
"What's your angle in all of this?" I ask, my tone cold and hard.
Megan's confident mask slips, and she takes a step back, the knife lowering.
 "What do you mean?" she tries, but fear now colors her voice.
"You're jealous of Freya, so you're planning to take her out," I say, piecing it together. 
"You're using me to get back at her, setting up this twisted scene to do your dirty work." I turn to Kayl, my disgust evident.
 "And you, you're just a pathetic excuse for a human being."
The room grows heavy with tension, the promise of violence thick in the air.
 Freya's eyes plead with me, but I've had enough of this sick game.
"Elijah, please," she whispers, desperation in her voice. But I'm done. 
I turn and walk out of the warehouse, the cold night air hitting me like a slap, a brutal reminder of the reality I'm now in. 
Freya's voice calls after me, but I know Megan won't go through with it now. I don't look back.
Stumbling into the night, my thoughts race. 
How could Selene do this? And Megan—my own sister, willing to kill? 
The betrayal cuts deeper than any blade could. The video plays on a loop in my mind, each frame a fresh sting. I clench my fists until my nails dig into my palms.
 I need to get away, to clear my head.
I walk for what feels like hours, the adrenaline slowly draining from my veins.
 The city's lights fade into the distance, replaced by the quiet whispers of the wind through the trees. 
I find myself at the edge of a cliff, the ocean crashing against the rocks below like a symphony of my inner turmoil.
 I sit down, the damp earth cold beneath me, and pull out my phone, staring at Selene's contact.
I type a message, my thumb hovering over the send button. 
"What the hell, Selene?" I delete it, then type again. "Why?" Another delete. "I trusted you." With a sigh, I shove the phone back into my pocket.
 What's the point? 
The damage is already done.
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