Chapter 141
As Lily and Alexander held each other by the lake, the world around them seemed to pause, allowing them this brief moment of solace. But deep down, Lily knew the battle wasn’t over—not yet. Ariana had been captured, but that didn’t mean she was out of the picture for good.
***
Meanwhile, back at the forest hideout, where Ariana had been taken after her capture, Jacob and Michael were overseeing the guards securing her. Ariana was bound tightly to a chair in a small, dimly lit room, her face bruised and bloodied from the struggle. Despite her disheveled appearance, her eyes gleamed with malice and cunning, a look that unnerved even the toughest of the guards.
Michael stood by the door, arms crossed, watching Ariana intently. "You should've just stayed down, Ariana," he muttered. "It’s over."
Ariana smirked, her lips curling into a sinister grin. "You think this is over? You don’t know me at all."
Jacob looked at her warily. "We’ll keep you here until the authorities arrive. There's no escaping this time. You've lost."
"Lost?" Ariana chuckled darkly, her laugh sending chills down their spines. "You think I need to be free to win? I have plans in motion that you can’t even imagine. This little prison is just a temporary inconvenience."
Michael exchanged a glance with Jacob, the unsettling confidence in her voice making them both uneasy.
As they prepared to leave the room, Ariana’s hands subtly moved. Unbeknownst to the guards, during the scuffle earlier, she had managed to slip a small blade from her belt. Her fingers worked expertly, sawing through the ropes that bound her wrists.
Just as Jacob turned to check the security on the door, Ariana sprang to life. In one swift motion, she slashed through the ropes and lunged forward, catching Michael off guard. She grabbed him by the throat and twisted his arm behind him, using his body as a shield.
"One move, and I snap his neck," she hissed, her eyes wild with fury.
Jacob froze, his hand instinctively going to his gun, but Ariana’s grip on Michael was too tight. Michael winced in pain as Ariana pulled him backward toward the exit.
"Let him go, Ariana!" Jacob shouted, panic rising in his voice. "You won’t get far!"
Ariana only laughed, dragging Michael with her as she edged closer to the door. "Oh, Jacob, you're so predictable. Always trying to play the hero. But here's the thing—you can’t save everyone."
With a brutal push, Ariana flung Michael into Jacob, knocking them both to the ground. Before they could react, she bolted out of the door, sprinting through the dense forest, her figure disappearing into the shadows of the trees.
Jacob scrambled to his feet, rushing after her. "Stop! Don’t let her get away!" he shouted, alerting the other guards.
But by the time the others joined the chase, Ariana was already gone, vanishing into the thick woods like a ghost. The guards scoured the area, but it was clear she had planned this escape all along. She had played them from the start.
Breathing heavily, Jacob returned to the hideout where Michael was still recovering from the ambush.
"She’s gone," Jacob muttered, frustration evident in his voice.
Michael groaned as he stood up, rubbing his sore arm. "I can’t believe she got away. We underestimated her."
Jacob’s mind raced. Ariana escaping meant one thing—this war wasn’t over. She would regroup, plan, and come back even more dangerous than before.
"We need to alert Lily," Jacob said firmly. "She needs to know Ariana’s still out there. This isn’t over."
***
At that very moment, Lily and Alexander were sitting together by the lake, trying to process everything that had happened. Lily’s phone buzzed, pulling her out of the peaceful moment. It was a call from Jacob.
She answered, her heart sinking as she heard the urgency in his voice. "Lily, we have a problem. Ariana’s escaped."
"What? How?" Lily’s voice was sharp, the moment of peace shattering instantly.
"She overpowered Michael and the guards. She’s out there somewhere. We don’t know where she’s headed, but you can bet she’s not giving up. This isn’t over."
Lily closed her eyes, her mind spinning. She had known it wouldn’t be this easy. Ariana was like a snake—slippery and dangerous. And now, she was loose again.
Alexander, who had been listening closely, saw the shift in Lily’s expression. "She escaped, didn’t she?"
Lily nodded, a sense of dread settling in her stomach. "She won’t stop until one of us is dead. This was just the beginning."
Alexander’s face hardened, his protective instincts flaring up. "Then we’ll face her together, Lily. We’re stronger than she thinks. Whatever she’s planning, we’ll be ready."
Lily stood up, her resolve solidifying. She was tired, physically and emotionally, but now wasn’t the time to rest. Ariana was still a threat, and until that threat was gone for good, she couldn’t stop.
"This ends soon," Lily said, her voice determined. "Ariana won’t have the chance to hurt anyone else."
Alexander rose beside her, his eyes steely with determination. "We’ll make sure of that."
As the sun disappeared behind the horizon, casting long shadows across the lake, Lily knew that the final showdown with Ariana was approaching. She wasn’t afraid anymore. This battle would end, and she would do whatever it took to protect the ones she loved.
Ariana might have escaped, but she wouldn’t get far. And when they found her again, Lily would make sure there were no more second chances.
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