Rain slammed down on the streets of Prague as Ella bolted through the alley, soaked to the bone, clutching the encrypted flash drive like it was her last heartbeat.
Behind her—screams, tires screeching, a black car slicing through puddles.
Elara was safe, hidden, protected by the last ally Leon hadn't bought.
But she was now global enemy #1.
Declared rogue.
Wanted.
And worst of all—wanted by him.
He wasn't the same anymore.
Not the man who once curled around her in the dark, whispering promises.
Not even the monster who locked her in a golden cage.
This was Carter Vale.
A ghost with unlimited power and a vendetta that defied logic.
He didn't want her love.He didn't even want revenge.
He wanted control.
Because the one thing he could never accept—was that she had chosen to leave.
He had become a storm made of algorithms, blood, and obsession—a hurricane in a tuxedo, charming the world as he rewrote its rules with bullets and secrets.
And Ella?
She was no longer a broken bird.
She was a falcon in free fall, burning through the clouds on instinct and rage.
Because this time—
She wouldn't survive him.
She would outfly him.
She slipped into the cathedral safehouse, doors bolted behind her.
Inside—three people waited.
A hacker.A rogue journalist.And… her half-sister, revealed just hours ago through the files.
Together, they had one goal:
Burn Project E to the ground.
But before she could speak—
Her phone vibrated.
No number. No message.
Just a live feed.
From inside the safehouse.
From the very room she was in.
Her eyes darted to the wall—
A pinhole camera.
"Shit," she breathed.
And then—
The door behind her creaked.
He stepped in.
No gun.No guards.No mask.
Just Leon.
And a look that froze her lungs.
"You left our dance unfinished, El."
He reached into his coat.
Not for a weapon—
But for a ring box.
Inside it, nestled in black velvet—
Was her old wedding ring.
And beside it—
A bullet.
"I came to ask one question," he said softly.
"Do you want to wear this again?"
He held up the ring.
"Or should I just use this instead?"
He lifted the bullet.
Click.