AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My thoughts drift to my own journey, to the struggles I've faced with body image and self-acceptance. I think about the countless hours I've spent in front of the mirror, picking apart every perceived flaw and imperfection.
I sketch out rough designs for social media graphics, jot down potential slogans and hashtags. I make lists of influencers to reach out to, organizations to partner with. Each idea is a piece of the puzzle, a building block in the foundation of this movement.
As the hours tick by and the pages fill up, I feel a sense of excitement bubbling up inside me. This is really happening. We're really doing this.
It's about hope. It's about resilience. It's about the power of the human spirit to overcome even the darkest of obstacles.
20
SASHA
The phone in my hand feels like a lead weight, dragging me down into the depths of uncertainty and fear. The cryptic message glows on the screen, a taunting invitation that both repels and compels me.
UNKNOWN
I have information about Axel's past that you need to know. Meet me at the old bridge at midnight, come alone. If you bring anyone, you'll never learn the truth about the man you love.
My heart races, a staccato beat of anxiety and determination pounding against my ribcage. I know I should tell Axel, should trust in our promise to face this together. But a part of me, the part that's tired of being the damsel in distress, the pawn in someone else's twisted game, rebels against the idea. And yet another part needs to know what else Axel could be hiding from me.
I've relied on others for far too long—on Axel, on my team, on the illusion of security. But where has it gotten me? I'm still haunted, still hunted, still living in the shadow of fear. Maybe it's time I take matters into my own hands and confront my demons head-on.
I glance at the clock, the numbers glaring back at me like an accusation. 11:30 PM. If I'm going to do this, I need to move now.
With trembling fingers, I pull on my jacket, the leather cold and stiff against my skin. I slip my phone into my pocket, the weight of it a constant reminder of the secrets it holds, the truths that could shatter everything I thought I knew.
I pause at the door, my hand hovering over the handle. I should leave a note, an explanation, something to ease the worry I know Axel will feel when he discovers I'm gone. But what can I say? How can I put into words the tempest of emotions swirling inside me, the desperate need to reclaim my power, my agency?
In the end, I say nothing. I slip out into the night, the cool air a shock against my flushed skin. The streets of Pine Haven are deserted, the quaint storefronts and tidy houses transformed into eerie silhouettes in the moonlight.
I walk quickly, my boots clicking against the pavement with a sense of urgency. The old bridge looms ahead, a dark shape against the star-strewn sky. As I approach, I see a figure waiting in the shadows, a silhouette that sends a chill down my spine.
"Sasha." Damian's voice is a sinister purr, a sound that once made my skin crawl but now only fuels the fire of my anger. "I knew you'd come."
I step closer, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. "I'm here. Now talk. What do you know about Axel?"
Damian emerges from the shadows, his face a mask of cold calculation. In the dim light, he looks almost ordinary, unremarkable. But there's a glint in his eyes, a darkness that hints at the obsession lurking beneath the surface.
He laughs, a mirthless sound that echoes off the rusted beams of the bridge. "Oh, Sasha. So naive, so trusting. You really have no idea who you've been sharing your bed with, do you?"
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small flash drive, the metal glinting in the moonlight. "This," he says, waving it in front of me like a magician's prop, "contains all the answers you seek. All the dirty little secrets your beloved Axel has been hiding from you."
I swallow hard, my mouth suddenly dry. "What are you talking about?"
Damian steps closer, his eyes glittering with malice. "Did he ever tell you about his time in the military? About the mission that went wrong, the lives that were lost because of his mistakes?"
I shake my head, a sense of dread settling in the pit of my stomach. "He told me everything. About the mission, about how he tried to save your brother. None of it was his fault!”
Damian's face twists with rage. “Of course he would tell you that! Because he knows if you knew the truth, you'd never look at him the same way again. You'd see him for what he really is—a fraud, a failure, a man with blood on his hands."
I feel like I've been punched in the gut, the air rushing out of my lungs in a painful gasp. I want to deny it, to scream that it's not true, that Axel would never lie to me. But the memory of the scattered photographs flashes through my mind, and I know I can’t rule out the possibility.
"Why are you doing this?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. "Why are you so determined to destroy me, to destroy us?"
Damian's eyes flash with a dangerous intensity, a glimpse of the madness that lurks beneath the surface. "Because Axel took everything from me, Sasha. My brother was the only family I had, and because of him, he’s gone. And now, I’m going to take everything from him.”
He reaches into his jacket, and I see the glint of metal, the unmistakable shape of a gun. My heart stops, my blood turning to ice in my veins.
"Damian, please," I beg, my voice trembling with fear. "You don't have to do this. We can talk, we can find a way to make this right."
