Ashes of Deception
Power had a way of blinding people.
And Isabella…
She was completely blinded by it.
The guards didn't question her anymore.
Not after Damian's words.
My fiancée.
That title opened doors.
Unlocked paths.
Gave her authority she didn't truly own.
And she used it.
Without hesitation.
The door creaked open again.
Alex looked up—
This time with expectation.
A slow smile spread across his face.
"Took you long enough," he said.
Isabella walked in calmly.
Different from before.
Colder.
More certain.
"The plan was easier than I thought," she said, almost amused.
Alex leaned forward slightly.
Chains shifting with the movement.
"Of course it was," he replied.
A pause.
"Now do your part."
His voice sharpened slightly.
"Release me."
Silence.
Then—
Isabella laughed.
Not soft.
Not playful.
Dark.
Sharp.
Alex's smile faded.
Slowly.
"…What's funny?"
She stepped closer.
Looking down at him like he was nothing.
"Never."
The word dropped like a blade.
Alex froze.
"What?"
"I said never."
Her eyes hardened.
"You really thought I'd trust you?"
A pause.
"You?"
She let out a short, mocking breath.
"The man who destroyed everything?"
Alex's expression darkened.
"You needed me."
"No," she snapped.
"I used you."
Silence.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
"You're going to rot in here," she continued coldly.
"For what you did to him."
That…
That hit differently.
Not sympathy.
Judgment.
Final.
Alex stared at her.
And for the first time—
He didn't smile.
"You think you've won?"
His voice dropped.
Low.
"You have no idea what you just stepped into."
Isabella didn't respond.
She simply turned.
And walked out.
Leaving him there.
Alone.
Trapped.
Outside—
The air felt different.
Like something had shifted.
But she ignored it.
She always did.
The car door shut.
Engine started.
And she drove off.
Not noticing—
The silence behind her.
Too quiet.
Too empty.
The road stretched ahead.
Clear.
Still.
Until—
Figures emerged.
From nowhere.
Dressed in black.
Faces hidden.
Weapons raised.
Isabella's eyes widened.
"What the—"
Gunfire erupted.
Loud.
Relentless.
Bullets tore into the car.
Glass shattered.
Metal ripped apart.
She tried to swerve—
Too late.
The final shot hit.
And—
Everything exploded.
Fire swallowed the vehicle whole.
Flames rising violently into the sky.
Smoke curling upward.
Nothing left but burning metal.
And silence.
From a distance—
A figure stood watching.
Unmoving.
Unbothered.
A phone pressed to his ear.
"…It's done."
A pause.
Then he hung up.
Walking away without looking back.
Back at the mansion—
Damian stood by the window.
Still.
His phone rested in his hand.
Screen dark.
Unreadable expression.
But his eyes…
They weren't surprised.
Not even slightly.
Because this—
Was never chaos.
It was control.
And Isabella…
Was just another piece on the board.
One that had just been removed.