### Chapter 51: Betrayed Ava I stand there, frozen in disbelief as my heart races uncontrollably, pounding like a drum against my ribcage. How did I end up in this nightmare? How did I fail to see the truth lurking right beneath the surface? The air felt thick with tension, each breath a struggle as I processed the chaos around me. My world was unraveling, shattering into countless fragments. “Boss.” The word echoed in my mind—taunting me, driving me to the brink of insanity before yanking me back to the brutal present. I was grappling with my fate, but now I was filled with something far worse: betrayal. “What the hell is going on?” A voice cut through the darkness of my thoughts, raw and furious, jolting me back to the scene unfolding behind me. I turned slowly, dread pooling in my stomach. There she was—Letty, bound to a chair, her eyes wide with fear and fury. Blood trickled down her forehead, evidence of the violent hand that had claimed our freedom. I had been so entrenched in my own fears, it took all this for me to realize she was there, suffering alongside me. “Isn’t it obvious? I kidnapped both of you,” our captor said, a smirk crawling across his face as if he reveled in our despair. “Why her? I’m the one you wanted!” I spat, my voice trembling with emotion. My gaze fell to the ground, unable to bear the weight of my betrayer’s gaze. How could this be happening? It felt too surreal, like a nightmarish film playing in slow motion. “It wasn’t in the plan, but then I saw her outside, breathing in the freedom you once enjoyed. She’s related to your family, and I knew she’d fetch a higher price for ransom,” he explained casually, like he was discussing the weather rather than sealing our fates. A sickening realization gnawed at me. Letty was Travis's girlfriend; he would move mountains to save her. A chilling sense of dread washed over me. “I don’t get it,” Letty chimed in, her voice a mixture of confusion and hope. “Then why is Ethan here? Is he here to rescue us?” The mention of his name felt like a dagger twisting in my heart. I had finally convinced myself I had found a good man—a glimmer of hope amid the darkness. Yet here I was, engulfed in shadows far worse than I had ever imagined. Our captor laughed—that cruel, mocking sound that sliced through the silence. “Rescue? Ha! He’s the one who hired me to kill Ava!” Letty gasped, and I felt the world tilt beneath me. I closed my eyes, trying to shield myself from the undeniable truth. Hearing it out loud shattered the last vestiges of hope within me. I had wanted to believe there was an explanation, some reason behind his actions—perhaps an evil twin I knew nothing about. But the silence surrounding Ethan spoke louder than words. I sagged against the chains that bound me, their coldness a painful reminder of my reality. How could I possibly confront him now, knowing he had plotted my death? All the moments we shared, the intimacy we built—was it all a mere charade? “That’s impossible! Ethan is one of the good guys!” Letty defended him, though her voice trembled, betraying her own doubt. A small part of me wanted to believe her—and yet, the brutal evidence was suffocating. Ethan had been manipulating me, wrapping me in a cocoon of deception while deep down he had plotted my end. The wound in my heart was raw, deeper than any hurt Rowan had dealt me. Why couldn’t he have just killed me outright instead of orchestrating this cruel game? To bring the very person he intended to kill into his web of deceit was the most twisted betrayal imaginable. “Now that you’re here, boss… do you want to do the honors, or should I take care of it?” The man grinned maliciously, sliding a knife toward Ethan. With reluctant resolve, I finally met Ethan's gaze, searching for any sign of the warmth that had once melted my defenses. Instead, he was lost in thought, his attention glued to the man who sought to end my life. My breath hitched as I watched him accept the knife, dread pooling in my stomach. “Why?” I found my voice against the weight of despair. “Why string me along if you intended to kill me? Why pretend? Why sleep with me? Why, Ethan?” The sobs erupted from my chest, uncontainable tears streaming down my face. His azure eyes, once shimmering with affection, felt devoid of life, cold as ice. How could something that once felt so beautiful turn into such agony? Did he orchestrate our first fateful meeting as part of his twisted plan? “Save your breath, boss. She’s as good as dead,” the man sneered at me. They had to have laughed at my expense countless times, thinking just how foolish I had been. Letty’s scream jolted me back as Ethan suddenly swung his gun toward the man, a flicker of rage igniting within him. “Ethan! Don’t!” Letty shouted, panic rising in her voice as he pulled the trigger, blood splattering across the room, a gruesome tableau. But I stood there, stunned into silence, my throat constricted tight. Turning the gun towards me, Ethan’s face was unreadable. Panic and desperation brimmed in Letty’s voice as she pleaded for my life. “Ethan, please… it’s Ava! You care about her!” She grasped at straws, but I felt exhaustion wash over me—mentally and physically drained. “Do it,” I rasped, my voice filled with a quiet fury. “Ava, what are you saying?” Letty’s voice rose sharply, but I ignored her, staring into Ethan’s eyes, searching for the love I once knew. But it was gone, replaced by an emptiness that mirrored my own desolation. “Just do it, Ethan!” I screamed, tears cascading down my cheeks, my heart splintering further as he remained motionless, finger hovering over the trigger. I felt the weight of despair dragging me down. Life had become unbearable, and in that moment, death felt like a release from my pain—a way to escape the torment he had wrought upon my heart. Closing my eyes, I braced for the noise that would end it all, shattering the suffocating silence surrounding us… And then I heard the shot ring out, echoing through the void like a thunderclap.