LUKE'S DILEMMA

LUKE'S POV

THIRTY MINUTES EARLIER

I stumbled out of the room, my breaths coming in shallow gasps. My chest heaved as though the weight of the world had been dropped on me, and in a way, it had.

One, two, three.

I tried to count my breaths, drawing in long, shaky gulps of air to calm the storm raging inside me. My legs gave out beneath me, and I slumped against the cold, unforgiving wall of the hallway, my hands trembling as I buried my face in them.

This is all my fault.

Violet. Sweet, innocent Violet. She’s in this mess because of me. The image of her tied up, her eyes wide with fear, was seared into my mind. I had tricked her into coming here. I had lured her like a lamb to the slaughter. Whatever happens to her now… it’s all because of me.

I gritted my teeth, the shame and guilt clawing at me like an unrelenting beast.

I didn’t want to do it. God knows I didn’t. But Evelyn… Evelyn had left me no choice. Meeting her had been the start of my undoing, the moment my carefully buried secrets had been unearthed and weaponized against me.

It had been years since I thought about those dark days—my junior year, when life had torn me apart piece by piece. My father’s sudden death had left us reeling, and then my mother fell ill, leaving me to care for my younger siblings.

Desperation makes a man do things he never imagined himself capable of.

I clenched my fists, the memory cutting deep.

I was drowning back then—juggling school, working odd jobs, and scraping together whatever I could to keep my family afloat. I had no choice but to find another way. Selling exam answers had been a last resort, a one-time thing to get us through the worst of it.

I thought I had buried that part of my life. I thought it was behind me. But somehow, Evelyn found out.

I didn’t know how she discovered my secret. It didn’t matter. She had it, and she was more than willing to use it against me. Her ultimatum was as cruel as it was clear: bring Violet to her, or she’d expose me to the school.

Expulsion.

That one word had hung over my head like a noose, tightening with every second. If the truth came out, I’d lose everything—my education, my future, my siblings’ fragile stability.

So I gave in.

I ruffled my hair in frustration, pulling at the strands as though the pain might drown out the sickening twist in my gut.

I hate this.

I hate me

I fucking hate myself.

But none of that matters now.

A sudden, muffled scream from the room sent a jolt through my body.

“Stop!”

Violet’s voice.

Her desperate plea tore through me like a bullet.

Panic surged in my chest, and I scrambled to my feet. My mind raced, the guilt momentarily eclipsed by a surge of adrenaline.

I can’t let this happen. Not to her.

Max’s smug grin flashed in my mind, and my stomach churned. I could still see the way he leaned in close to Violet, the way he looked at her like she was prey.

He can’t—he won’t—

“No,” I muttered under my breath, shaking my head. My voice grew louder, more resolute. “No. Not her. I won’t let him do this.”

I pushed myself up from the floor, wiping my damp palms on my jeans. My legs felt like lead as I made my way back to the room. When I pushed the door open, the sight of Violet nearly broke me. Her wrists were bound, her face streaked with tears, but it was her eyes that gutted me the most. Fear, raw and unfiltered, stared back at me, and I wanted to scream at myself for putting her here.

“Luke.” Evelyn’s voice dripped with amusement, her arms crossed as she leaned against the wall. “Changed your mind already?”

Ignoring the taunt, I locked my gaze on Max. “You need to stop.” My voice was firm, though my insides churned.

Max raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“You want to ruin Ryan, right?” I stepped forward, keeping my voice steady. “This is too easy. Too… uncreative. Ryan’s not the kind of guy who’ll crumble just because you hurt Violet. If anything, he’ll fight back harder.”

Max folded his arms, curiosity sparking in his eyes. “Go on.”

I forced myself to meet his gaze, ignoring the weight of Violet’s terrified stare boring into me.
“You don’t just hurt someone like Ryan by attacking a single person he cares about. You dismantle everything. Make him think he’s losing everything piece by piece. Make him paranoid. If you let him know she’s here—alive, unharmed for now—he’ll come running. But by then, you’ll have lured him into a trap. Something he can’t get out of.”

Evelyn’s smile faltered for a moment, replaced by intrigue. “A trap?”

I nodded, praying they’d buy it. “Think about it. If you hurt her now, Ryan will know it’s revenge. He’ll retaliate. But if you make him desperate—make him watch as his world crumbles—he’ll destroy himself trying to save her.”

Max rubbed his jaw, his lips curling into a slow grin. “I like the sound of that.”

Evelyn crossed her arms, glancing at Max. “You really think he’ll fall for it?”

“Oh, he will,” I said quickly. “Ryan doesn’t think straight when it comes to people he cares about. Use that against him. Make him act recklessly.”

I clenched my fists, hating myself more with every passing second. I couldn’t look at Violet, not now. I knew what she must be thinking—that I was a coward, a traitor. She’d never forgive me for this.

But I didn't care about forgiveness right now. I just needed to buy time.

Max let out a satisfied sigh, straightening his jacket. “Fine. I can wait. Let’s see how much Ryan loves his little princess.”

Evelyn grinned, clearly enjoying the game. “You’re smarter than I gave you credit for, Luke. Maybe you’re finally learning how to play on the winning side.”

I said nothing, biting back the bile rising in my throat.

Max chuckled darkly, stepping toward Violet. “Then I need to send him a little incentive. Something to let him know we mean business.”

Violet whimpered as Max crouched in front of her, pulling out a pair of scissors from his jacket pocket. Her wide, tear-filled eyes darted between him and me.

“Hold still, princess,” Max sneered, grabbing a lock of her hair. He snipped it off with precision, holding the strands in his hand.

I stifled a protest. I can't make myself suspicious.

He stood and pulled out a small knife from his pocket. “This won’t hurt much,” He grabbed Violet’s arm, and she thrashed in the chair, her muffled cries echoing in the room.

I clenched my fists, helpless as Max dragged the blade lightly across Violet’s forearm. A thin line of blood trickled down her skin, and I felt my stomach churn. Violet winced, her breathing erratic as Max collected a few drops of blood on a small piece of cloth.

“Perfect,” Max said, mixing the strands of her hair with the blood and wrapping it all in a small nylon bag. He sealed it and tossed it to Evelyn.

“Send this to Ryan,” Max ordered. “Let him know we’re not playing games.”

Evelyn grinned, pulling out her phone. “Oh, he’s going to love this.”

I could barely breathe. This was spiraling out of control, and I had no way to stop it.

Max turned to me, his expression smug. “Looks like your idea is already paying off, Luke. Good thinking.”

I nodded stiffly, my insides twisting with guilt. The second they turned their backs, I slipped out of the room, pulling my phone from my pocket.

“1255 Eastbrook Warehouse. Third floor. Violet’s in danger.”

My hands shook as I typed the message. You don’t have much time. I sent it anonymously, praying Ryan would see it in time

I slipped the phone back into my pocket, keeping my face blank as I leaned against the wall.

Please, Ryan. Hurry.