Chapter 150
As Alexander, Lily, and Caleb raced towards the remote airstrip, they felt a strange tension in the air, as if the final moments of their long struggle with Ariana were about to unfold. Alexander couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off, that Ariana wouldn’t simply allow herself to be cornered. The more they closed in, the more he wondered: What was her real plan?
When they arrived at the airstrip, it was eerily quiet. The jet sat parked on the tarmac, its engines still humming, but no sign of Ariana. They quickly disembarked from their vehicles and spread out, searching for any trace of her. The sun had set, casting long shadows across the abandoned stretch of land.
“This feels too easy,” Lily muttered, glancing around. “She’s here somewhere, I can feel it.”
Caleb gave a firm nod, signaling his team to move in closer. But as they approached the jet, a sudden explosion erupted in the distance. A series of small charges set off in quick succession, creating a chain reaction that lit up the sky.
“What the—?” Alexander shielded his eyes as the shockwave hit.
“They’re distractions!” Caleb yelled. “We’re being lured away!”
Lily grabbed Alexander’s arm. “We need to get to the jet. Ariana’s trying to draw us out.”
But just as they started moving, a voice crackled over the radio—one of Caleb’s men back at the estate. “Sir, we have a problem. Maxwell Armstrong... he’s gone. We’ve just confirmed it. He left the estate minutes ago, heading somewhere north.”
Alexander exchanged a look with Caleb. "Maxwell's making his move. He’s not just playing both sides—he’s fully involved in this.”
“Go,” Caleb said quickly. “Find Ariana. I’ll deal with Maxwell.”
Alexander didn’t waste another second. He and Lily sprinted towards the jet, but as they reached the open door, a figure stepped out from the shadows. It was Ariana—calm, collected, with a knowing smile on her face.
“You didn’t think I’d make it this easy, did you?” she asked, her voice dripping with confidence.
Alexander gritted his teeth, ready for a confrontation. “It’s over, Ariana. You can’t keep running.”
Ariana chuckled softly. “Oh, Alexander. You’re still so naïve. This was never about just running.”
Suddenly, gunshots rang out from behind them. A new group of armed men emerged from the surrounding trees, their faces hidden behind masks. Ariana’s reinforcements.
“They work for Maxwell,” Lily whispered in disbelief. “He’s been feeding her resources this entire time.”
Alexander’s mind raced as the pieces began to fall into place. The real plot twist wasn’t just that Maxwell had been playing both sides—he had been planning this from the very beginning. Maxwell didn’t just want Ariana to win. He wanted to use her to dismantle the entire network, clearing the way for his own rise to power.
Ariana grinned, seeing the realization dawn on Alexander’s face. “Maxwell and I... we’ve had an arrangement for a long time. But here’s the twist, Alexander—you’re not the real target.”
“What are you talking about?” Alexander asked, his mind spinning.
“You’ve always been a pawn in this game,” Ariana said coldly. “This was never about personal revenge. Maxwell used me to get what he wanted—complete control. And now that he’s close, I have no use for him anymore.”
At that moment, Ariana pressed a button on a small device in her hand. Behind her, the jet’s cargo bay doors slid open, revealing a stack of explosives.
“This airstrip? It’s part of Maxwell’s operation. When this place goes up in flames, it’ll destroy the last of his assets, and he’ll be exposed. Then it’s just him and me.”
Alexander’s eyes widened. “You’re double-crossing Maxwell?”
Ariana’s smile faded. “I’ve been using him the same way he used me. He thought he could control me, but I’ve always had my own plans.”
In the distance, more gunfire erupted as Caleb and his team faced off against Maxwell’s men. The situation was unraveling faster than anyone could handle.
Alexander stepped forward. “You don’t have to do this, Ariana. There’s another way.”
Ariana’s expression softened, just for a moment. “It’s too late for that, Alexander. This is the only way I win. The only way I survive.”
Before Alexander could respond, another explosion rocked the ground—this time closer, more violent. The jet shook, and debris rained down around them. Ariana turned, starting to walk back towards the plane, but in that moment, Lily saw her opportunity.
With lightning speed, Lily tackled Ariana to the ground, knocking the detonator out of her hand. The two women struggled, their movements quick and desperate as the plane continued to burn behind them. Alexander rushed forward to help, but before he could reach them, Ariana broke free and dashed towards the treeline, vanishing into the night.
“She escaped!” Lily shouted, her breathing heavy.
Alexander stood there for a moment, watching as the flames consumed the jet, a look of disbelief on his face. Ariana had outmaneuvered them again, and now she was out there—still plotting, still dangerous.
And worse, Maxwell was still a threat. If Ariana had planned to betray him, it meant Maxwell would retaliate. They were caught in the middle of a war between two enemies who couldn’t be trusted.
But there was another twist waiting for them.
As the smoke cleared, Alexander’s phone buzzed. It was a breaking news alert—another shockwave they hadn’t seen coming. The media had just confirmed that the car Ariana had targeted earlier wasn’t empty after all. There had been a passenger—Maxwell’s inside man, someone with key information that could have unraveled everything.
The car had been rigged to look like a decoy, but now it was clear: Maxwell had intended to remove his own pawn in the process. He was cleaning house, making sure no loose ends remained.
Alexander’s chest tightened. They were deeper in this than they had ever imagined. Now, with Ariana on the run and Maxwell’s betrayal fully exposed, the battle wasn’t just about survival anymore—it was about outsmarting two of the most dangerous adversaries they had ever faced.
And they were running out of time.
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