Nina’s breath caught in her throat as she stepped further into the room, her gaze fixed on Matthew, the man who had haunted her every waking moment since everything began. The man she thought was dead.
Charlotte stood by her side, her hand resting subtly on Nina’s arm, a silent promise of solidarity. This wasn’t just about confronting Matthew anymore. It was about ending the nightmare once and for all.
Matthew’s figure was barely visible in the shadows, but his grin was unmistakable, twisted and filled with malice. “You really thought it would be over, didn’t you? That you could walk away from what you did?” His voice echoed in the hollow room, each word dripping with a venomous delight.
Nina’s legs felt weak, but she steadied herself, refusing to show any vulnerability. “You’re supposed to be dead,” she spat, trying to keep her voice steady despite the surge of emotions threatening to overwhelm her. “How are you still here?”
Matthew chuckled, the sound dark and guttural, like a growl that reverberated through the room. “Did you think I would let you get away that easily?” He took a step forward, the low light casting harsh shadows across his face. “You think I’m the only one who’s been playing this game? No, Nina, you’re part of it too.”
Charlotte stepped forward, her posture brimming with quiet strength. “What do you want from us, Matthew? What are you trying to do?”
Matthew’s eyes flickered toward Charlotte, a cold smirk creeping across his face. “Oh, it’s not what I want. It’s about what you’ve taken from me. All of you. Every one of you has been involved in this far longer than you think. But you’re too stupid to realize it. You think you can just walk away? You can’t.”
Nina’s heart pounded in her chest, her pulse thundering in her ears. Matthew’s words felt like an unraveling thread, pulling her deeper into something she had been too afraid to confront. “I’m done being your pawn,” Nina said, her voice firm, although the weight of his presence pressed down on her like a vice.
Matthew took another step toward her, and Charlotte instinctively moved to shield Nina, but Nina held up a hand, signaling her to stay back. “No, Charlotte. I need to do this.”
Nina turned her gaze back to Matthew, her body shaking with the adrenaline coursing through her veins. “Why did you do it? Why did you hurt me? Why did you hurt everyone else?”
Matthew’s expression shifted for a moment, something like an amused flicker in his eyes. “You never understood, did you? You were always too naïve, too weak.” He sneered. “I was just giving you a lesson, Nina. You needed to learn that life isn’t fair. That you don’t get to decide when things end. I taught you how to survive.”
Nina’s chest constricted with the realization of what he was implying. You needed to learn how to survive.
This wasn’t just about her. This wasn’t just about revenge or some twisted game. It was about control, about power. Matthew had always been in control, pulling the strings, manipulating everyone around him. And now, in this moment, he was trying to force that control onto her again.
“You’re insane,” Nina hissed, her eyes narrowing. “You never cared about anyone. You were just trying to break us all.”
Charlotte’s eyes locked onto Matthew’s, the cold fury in her gaze reflecting the same determination Nina felt coursing through her veins. “You’re not getting away with this,” she said, her voice unwavering.
Matthew’s smirk faltered for just a moment, his eyes flicking between the two girls. “Do you think you can stop me? You think you’ve won?”
But Nina wasn’t listening anymore. She had heard enough. She knew what she had to do.
“You think you can control everything,” Nina said, her voice deadly calm. “You can’t. You don’t get to control my life anymore.”
With a swift motion, Nina reached into her pocket, fingers closing around the cold metal of the small device she had hidden there—a signal jammer she had prepared just in case things went south. She had known this moment would come, even if she hadn’t wanted to acknowledge it. It was the only way to ensure Matthew couldn’t manipulate the situation any longer.
Before Matthew could react, Nina pressed the button, and the faint hum of electronic interference filled the air. His expression shifted instantly, confusion flickering in his eyes as he pulled out his phone and checked it. “What the hell—?”
Nina didn’t wait. She lunged at him, knocking him off balance. It wasn’t enough to take him down, but it was enough to shift the power dynamic. She wasn’t going to be the scared girl anymore. She wasn’t going to let him control her or her friends.
Charlotte moved in next, her movements sharp and calculated as she grabbed Matthew’s arm, twisting it behind his back. “You’re not getting away this time,” Charlotte growled, her voice low with contained rage.
Matthew struggled, his body writhing against their hold, but he was weakening. The realization hit him too late—he had underestimated them. He had underestimated Nina, who was no longer the fragile girl he once toyed with.
“You think this is over?” Matthew spat, his breath ragged. “You think you’re stronger than me? You can’t stop me. I still have power over you.”
But Nina shook her head. “Not anymore.”
She had learned something from him after all—she had learned to survive. To fight. And to never let anyone take control of her life again.
The sound of approaching footsteps interrupted their moment, and before they could react, Daniel and Adrian appeared in the doorway. The shock on their faces was evident, but it quickly shifted to something more dangerous as they took in the scene before them.
“What the hell is going on here?” Adrian demanded, his eyes flickering between Nina, Charlotte, and Matthew, confusion and concern mixing in his voice.
Nina straightened, feeling a mix of relief and tension. “He’s the one behind everything,” she said, her voice steady now. “He’s been controlling us all, and it ends here.”
Adrian’s jaw tightened as he stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. “I thought we were done with this. We were supposed to be done.”
Daniel’s eyes darkened as he glanced at Matthew, his fists clenched at his sides. “This ends tonight,” he said coldly, and there was no mistaking the finality in his tone.
Matthew’s smirk faltered as he realized he was surrounded, and for the first time, there was a flicker of fear in his eyes. “You think you’ve won?” he sneered. “You’re nothing.”
Nina stood tall, her shoulders squared. “We’re everything.”
This was it. The final confrontation. The last battle in a war that had been waged in the shadows for far too long.
And this time, Nina wasn’t running. She wasn’t afraid. She was ready.