Chapter 12: The Drive in the Dark
Chapter 12: The Drive in the Dark
It was past midnight when Evan’s car finally crunched to a halt outside the remote cabin. The rain was coming down in sheets. He didn't bother with an umbrella. He pounded on the wooden door until it creaked open, revealing Leah. She looked exhausted, wrapped in a thick blanket, her eyes red from crying.
Evan stepped inside, drenched, the water pooling on the floorboards. He didn't say a word at first. He just reached into his jacket, pulled out a tablet, and played the unedited audio clip.
Leah listened as the truth filled the small, quiet room. The realization of how deeply she had been manipulated—and how fiercely Evan had defended her—made her knees weak.
"I spent four years letting fear dictate my life, Leah," Evan said, his voice breaking as he stepped closer, gently framing her face with his cold, wet hands. "I will never let anyone use fear against you again. Not Victoria, not my father, not the media. You and Ellie are not my duty. You are my oxygen. I am nothing without you."
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Leah broke down, burying her face in his wet shirt, her tears mixing with the rain. "I was so scared," she sobbed. "I thought I was losing you."
"Never," Evan whispered fiercely, kissing her forehead, her cheeks, her lips. "I would burn the whole world down before I let you go again."
