Chapter 8 - THE CONFESSION
The silence of the mountain pressed heavily against the cabin walls. I took a sip of the burning whiskey. "He killed your wife, didn't he? Julian."
Lucas flinched, the armor finally cracking. "She discovered he was embezzling billions to fund a private military contractor. She was going to expose him. Julian tampered with her car's brakes. The police called it a tragic accident. I knew the truth, but I couldn't prove it. So I spent the last year building a trap."
He looked at me, his expression shattering into something raw and vulnerable. "I brought you into this nightmare, Nora. You saved my daughter, and I repaid you by making you a target."
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I set my glass down and closed the distance between us. I reached out, resting my hand against his cheek. "You didn't force me to do anything. I chose to step forward on that plane. I chose to run with you. For the first time since my family died, I feel like I have a reason to breathe."
Lucas let out a shuddering breath, leaning into my touch. His arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me firmly against his chest. When he kissed me, it wasn't a spark—it was a forest fire. It was the desperate, breathless collision of two grieving souls finding an anchor in the dark.
