Why did you kill her?
If Paulina's betrayal had shaken him, it was nothing compared to the blow of seeing the man now standing before him. Of all the people in the world, he was the last Austin expected to be the real traitor.
"I thought you were catching the next flight out?" Austin asked, voice low as he turned to face him.
"I was. But then my motion sensors alerted me of your arrival," Douglas said, coolly.
Green eyes met black. Calm versus fury.
"Why, Douglas?" Austin demanded, striding toward him, ignoring Ronan’s warning to stay back.
Douglas smirked. “What’s the rush? Let me welcome you properly. If my mother were still alive, she would’ve smacked me for being such a terrible host.”
He let out a dry chuckle. “You can tell your friend to come out, too. I’m unarmed. Peace-loving, really.” His laughter grated against the tense air.
Ronan cursed under his breath and stepped out, gun raised. Douglas lifted his hands, a picture of surrender.
“I’m at your mercy, sir. You’re free to check me.” His smile didn’t falter.
Beside him, Paulina knelt silently, trembling, unable to meet Douglas’s gaze. Austin’s stomach twisted at the sight of her, she looked like she’d been broken. Whatever Douglas had done to her had left its mark.
Douglas followed Austin’s eyes to her. He crouched and patted her head, a gentle gesture that made her flinch harder.
“Pathetic thing,” he murmured with mock fondness. “I knew she was a waste of my energy. But I needed someone to distract you.”
He pulled her up and shoved her into the lone armchair near the fireplace. She curled into herself, her shoulders quaking.
“Where’s Dora?” Austin’s voice cracked. The horror in Paulina’s eyes made his heart clench. If this was how Douglas treated her, what had he done to his wife?
“Safe,” Douglas replied, that infuriating smile still plastered across his face. “Somewhere inside this mansion.”
“We’re not here to play your sick games,” Ronan snapped. “Take us to her. Now.”
Douglas tilted his head. “You're tense, Ronan. Always so serious. Isn’t this the same man who helped you find George?” He glanced at Austin. “Impressive work, by the way. If things had been different, I would’ve hired you myself.”
“Stop fucking around and show us where she is!” Austin growled, grabbing Douglas by the collar and yanking him close.
He had trusted this man. In Dora’s absence, Douglas’s words had been his anchor. His supposed friend. His brother. And now, here he was, the one who orchestrated Dora’s disappearance.
“What an irony,” Austin spat.
“As you wish,” Douglas said, shrugging. “But first, no witnesses.”
It took Austin a second to register the meaning. Then a loud thud echoed through the room, Ronan collapsed beside him.
“Ronan!” Austin dropped to the floor, grabbing his friend’s limp body.
Douglas admired the scene, lips curled into a satisfied grin. “Technology really is fascinating, isn’t it?”
He gestured toward a vintage sculpture near where Ronan had been standing. “One touch of my thumb and a poisoned dart flies from any hidden spot. Much cleaner than guns, don’t you think?”
Austin looked up, heart pounding. He barely recognized the man in front of him. This wasn’t the Douglas he knew.
Only Paulina’s soft sobs filled the room now. Austin sat frozen, clutching Ronan, confusion swirling in his mind. Why was he still alive? Why leave him breathing when he’d just taken down a trained agent?
His gaze shifted to the pistol lying near Ronan. A glimmer of hope.
But Douglas had already noticed.
“By the time you reach that, two darts will already be in your chest,” he warned coldly, stepping forward and picking up the weapon.
“Let her go,” Austin said, nodding at Paulina. “This is between you and me.”
Yes, he hated her for what she’d done. But she had been a pawn, just like him. And something deep inside told him she wouldn’t leave this place alive if she stayed a second longer.
If Douglas could take down Ronan with one move, what chance did Paulina have?
Douglas raised the gun and smiled wider. “You still don’t get it, do you?” he whispered.
And in that moment, Austin knew: this was no longer about betrayal. It was about survival.
"Fine. I should let her go," Douglas said with a smirk.
But even before Austin could breathe in relief, he saw the shift in Douglas’s eyes, calm, cruel, and dangerous. His hand raised, and in it, a gun. Austin spun to warn Paulina, but he was too late.
A gunshot rang through the air. Paulina’s body jerked. A sharp gasp escaped her lips before she collapsed on the couch. Blood poured from the center of her forehead, staining the cushion red.
"Paulina!" Austin screamed.
Silence followed. He stared at her lifeless body, heart pounding. Flashes of laughter, their shared memories, her smile, all came crashing down. Despite everything, she had once been his best friend.
"Why did you kill her?" His voice cracked as tears burned his eyes.
Douglas tilted his head, cold and heartless. "No witnesses, remember? I wanted to make her suffer, but I'm short on time. That bullet was mercy."
He then glanced at Ronan. "Your friend’s next. The poison will finish him off soon."
Austin’s stomach sank. Ronan was already unconscious, and Paulina was gone. That left just him.
"And me?" Austin asked bitterly. "I’m guessing you’ll take your time with me."
"You know me well," Douglas grinned. "But don’t worry, I’ll grant you one last wish. You can see Dora… before I end you."
He raised the gun, motioning for Austin to walk ahead. For a moment, Austin considered fighting back, but he needed to see where Dora was first. He needed a plan.
They moved through the grand wooden door, turned right past the foyer, and stopped at a Persian rug. Douglas kicked it aside to reveal a trap door.
A hidden basement. It was oddly clean and well-lit. As they walked, Douglas spoke calmly.
"I actually liked you, Austin. If only you weren’t part of Dora’s life."
Austin looked him dead in the eyes. "Feeling mutual, Douglas. If only you hadn’t ruined ours."
Douglas chuckled. "Since this will be your last walk, I’ll ignore your attempts to get under my skin."
After a few turns, they stopped at a door. Douglas nodded for him to open it.
What Austin saw made his blood boil. Dora was tied to a chair. Her face was red and bruised. He rushed closer, heart breaking at the sight of the fading handprints on her cheeks. Her eyes slowly opened, widened in shock.
"Dora," he whispered.
Three months. He had waited so long just to say her name. Dora looked at him, her lips trembling. "Austin?" Her voice cracked like glass.
Then Douglas stepped in.
"How dare you lay a hand on her!" Austin shouted and moved toward him, but Douglas quickly pointed the gun, not at Austin, but at Dora.
She was shocked.
"Please," she begged softly. "Don’t hurt him."
Even now, she was trying to protect him. But Douglas wasn’t done. He stormed up to her, yanked her from the chair, and sneered.
"What will you give me to save him, huh?"
"You sick bastard!" Austin roared. "Fight me like a man! Dora, don’t agree to anything!"
But Douglas’s hand slid around her stomach, holding her close with the barrel of the gun pressed gently to her belly.
Dora flinched. Her eyes filled with fresh terror. Austin’s chest rose with fury, but his arms hung helpless at his sides. One wrong move, and he'd lose both his wife and their unborn child.
Douglas leaned in, brushing his lips against her neck, never taking his eyes off Austin.
"You still smell like heaven," he said darkly.
Then, with cruel slowness, he pulled her shirt from her shoulder, revealing old bruises, marks Austin recognized. Douglas's. Austin’s hands clenched into fists. His entire body trembled with rage. But he didn’t move. He couldn’t. Instead, he looked at Dora, her eyes shut tight, her body shaking. So he closed his eyes too. To spare her. To save her.
"Why?" he whispered.
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