Chapter 66: The Alliance of Enemies
The question hung in the air like a blade.
"You made a deal with them?!"
Adrian's voice wasn't just shocked—
It was dangerous.
Ariana didn't look at him immediately.
Her eyes stayed fixed on the man stepping forward from the shadows—the same man who once destroyed her life… and now stood here like an ally.
"I didn't make a deal," she said calmly.
A pause.
Then—
"I made a move."
Adrian's jaw tightened.
"That's not an answer."
Ariana finally turned to him.
"And this isn't a game where I can afford simple answers," she replied quietly.
Before Adrian could respond—
A slow clap echoed through the room.
Adrian's mother.
"Well done," she said, her tone almost impressed. "You've managed to complicate things."
Her eyes shifted to the syndicate leader.
"I didn't expect you to show up personally."
The man smirked. "You've been interfering with my assets. I couldn't ignore that."
The word assets made Ariana's chest tighten—but she didn't react.
Not outwardly.
Adrian stepped slightly in front of her again, instinctively placing himself between her and both enemies.
"So this is your plan?" he said to Ariana. "Bring in another enemy and hope they cancel each other out?"
Ariana shook her head slowly.
"No," she said. "I brought in the only people your mother can't control."
That made his mother's expression shift—just slightly.
But enough.
"Control?" she repeated softly. "You think I need control to win?"
The syndicate leader chuckled. "You always did like thinking you were untouchable."
The tension in the room thickened.
Two powerful forces.
Facing each other.
And Ariana—
Standing in between.
"Where is my daughter?" she said suddenly, cutting through everything.
Her voice wasn't loud.
But it carried weight.
Both sides went quiet.
Adrian's mother looked at her.
"Still focused on that," she said.
"She's not a 'that'," Ariana snapped. "She's my daughter."
A flicker of irritation crossed the woman's face.
But then—
She smiled again.
"Then perhaps you should ask your new ally," she said.
Ariana froze.
Slowly—
She turned toward the syndicate leader.
His smile didn't fade.
"What is she talking about?" Ariana asked, her voice dropping.
He didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he walked closer.
Close enough that she could see the truth in his eyes.
"Your daughter," he said calmly,
"was never out of our system."
Ariana's heart stopped.
"What…?"
"You thought you got her back," he continued, almost casually. "But you only got access to her."
The words didn't make sense.
They refused to make sense.
Ariana shook her head. "No… I saw her, I held her—"
"Yes," he said. "Because we allowed it."
Silence.
Heavy.
Crushing.
Adrian stepped forward, his voice turning lethal. "You're lying."
The man shrugged slightly. "Believe what you want."
Ariana's breathing became uneven.
"Where is she?" she whispered again.
This time—
His answer came colder.
"Right where she's supposed to be."
Before anyone could react—
A screen lit up behind him.
Ariana turned.
Her eyes widened.
Lia.
But this time—
She wasn't alone.
She was in a room.
Surrounded.
Observed.
Like a subject.
Like an experiment.
"No…" Ariana whispered, her voice breaking.
The syndicate leader tilted his head slightly.
"She's special," he said. "You should be proud."
Ariana's hands clenched violently.
"She's a child!"
"She's an investment," he corrected.
That was it.
Something inside Ariana snapped.
"You're all monsters," she said, her voice shaking with rage.
Adrian's mother sighed softly. "Emotions again. This is why you're not ready."
Ariana turned sharply to her.
"And this is why you'll lose," she shot back.
The room went still.
Because this time—
There was no fear in her voice.
Only certainty.
Adrian looked at her—
Really looked at her.
And for the first time—
He realized something.
She wasn't reacting anymore.
She was thinking ahead.
Planning.
Then—
Ariana moved.
Fast.
Unexpected.
She grabbed the gun from the nearest man—
And pointed it—
Not at the syndicate.
Not at Adrian.
But at his mother.
Gasps filled the room.
Even Adrian froze.
"Ariana—"
"Don't," she said sharply.
Her eyes never left the woman in front of her.
"This ends now," she said.
The woman didn't move.
Didn't flinch.
She just smiled.
"Are you sure you're ready for that?" she asked.
Ariana's finger tightened on the trigger.
"I'm ready for anything," she replied.
A pause.
Then—
She added quietly—
"Except losing her again."
The room held its breath.
Because this—
Was the moment everything would change.
Cliffhanger:
👉 Just as Ariana is about to pull the trigger—
A voice echoes from the screen—
"Mom… don't…" 😈
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