Because standing beside him was someone I never thought I’d see again.
His wife, Lesley.
And I knew exactly who she was.
A hitwoman. One who had been hired to kill me.
I took a shaky step back. “Damon… what the hell is going on?”
Lesley, standing there with calm eyes and a knowing smirk, raised her hands in surrender.
“I know what you’re thinking,” she said, her voice smooth. “But you don’t need to be afraid.”
I clenched my fists. “Why shouldn’t I be? You were paid to kill me.”
She sighed, shaking her head. “That was a long time ago. Things change.”
I didn’t believe her.
Not until she said something that made my blood run cold.
“I know who killed your parents.”
Everything stopped.
My breath caught in my throat, my heart hammering in my chest.
“You… what?” I whispered.
Lesley’s smirk faded, replaced by something far more serious.
“I know the truth, Zoey. And if you’re ready, I’ll tell you everything.”
I swallowed hard, my pulse racing.
I wasn’t sure I was ready for this.
But I needed to know.
Time moved differently in Damon and Lesley’s house. It wasn’t just a hideout—it became my prison and my training ground. For months, I stayed there, my body healing while my mind hardened.
Damon did his best to reassure me that he had no idea about Lesley’s past. I wanted to believe him. I wanted to trust that the man who had risked his life for me wasn’t just another liar in my story.
“I swear, Zoey, I didn’t know,” he told me one evening as we sat in the dimly lit kitchen. “Lesley never told me, and I never asked. But I promise you—whatever happens, I’ll help you until the end.”
His words felt genuine, but promises meant nothing to me anymore.
I focused on one thing: revenge.
And surprisingly, Lesley was the one leading the charge.
One night, while we were mapping out possible ways to take down James, something unexpected happened. Damon leaned against the wall, deep in thought, when suddenly—a section of the floor creaked and shifted. Before we could react, a hidden panel slid open, revealing a dark, winding underground tunnel.
My heart pounded. “What the hell is that?”
Lesley stepped forward, staring at the tunnel as if facing a ghost from her past. “A reminder,” she murmured.