Chapter 14: Shadows of the Truth
Elara didn't go back to Declan's that night.
Instead, she checked into a quiet hotel under a different name, needing space—needing answers. The flash drive from Nadia felt like a ticking bomb in her bag.
She finally plugged it into her laptop, expecting blackmail, lies, twisted half-truths.
But what she found… broke her.
A video. Date-stamped six months ago.
Killian. Sitting across from a man in a lab coat.
"She doesn't need to know it's temporary," Killian said quietly. "If it gives her peace, if it keeps her safe... I'll take the fallout."
"She won't remember you," the man replied.
"I'd rather lose her memory than her life."
Elara's breath hitched.
Another file: an encrypted message Killian had written. A digital goodbye, never sent.
> Elara, if you're reading this, it means I failed to protect you another way. I'm sorry for taking the choice from you. But I couldn't stand the thought of you dying for a truth you never asked for. Forgive me—if you ever remember how to.
—K*
Tears spilled silently down her cheeks. The betrayal she thought she'd feel… wasn't betrayal at all. It was sacrifice. Pain. Love.
And now she was stuck between two truths: Damon wanted to control her.
Killian wanted to save her.
And Nadia?
She wanted chaos.
Elara wiped her tears, steadied her breath, and made a decision. She would confront Killian—but this time, on her own terms.
No more running