Collide Into Ruin

Henry stood in the wreckage of the night, his heart pounding a furious rhythm against his ribs. His hands trembled, clenched into fists so tight his knuckles had turned white. He had failed. Zoey had escaped. And worse—he had failed Emilia. His fiancée. The woman he had sworn to protect. The mother of his child.

The scent of blood and fear still clung to the air, a bitter reminder of his incompetence. He had let his guard down, underestimated Zoey's desperation, and now she was out there, plotting, planning, scheming her next move while Emilia lay in a hospital bed, vulnerable, innocent, completely unaware of how close danger had been. And it wasn't just Emilia anymore. Their baby—his baby—was in danger too.

He could still hear the echo of her ragged breath, the pain laced in her voice when she called his name. He should have been faster. He should have been stronger. He should have ended Zoey when he had the chance. But no—he let her slip through his fingers like sand, and now the monster was loose again.

Henry swiped at his face, rubbing away the frustration burning behind his eyes. This wasn't just about revenge anymore. This was about Emilia. About their future. About making damn sure Zoey never came near them again. He wasn't going to rest until he found her. Until he put an end to this once and for all.

With a deep, shuddering breath, Henry straightened. No more hesitation. No more mercy.

_________________________________________________

Zoey's hands shook as she typed out the message to her brother. The adrenaline still pumped through her veins, a heady mix of triumph and dread. She had escaped. Barely. Henry had been so close—too close. If she had hesitated a second longer, she would've been caught, caged like a wild animal, and he would've seen her for what she really was.

Weak.

The thought sent her stomach twisting into knots. No. She wasn't weak. She had outplayed him tonight. Outsmarted him. And she'd do it again. Because she had to. Because she wasn't done yet.

Her brother's response came quickly: "Meet me at the docks. Usual spot."

Zoey exhaled shakily, stuffing her phone back into her pocket. The docks. That meant safety. That meant regrouping, planning her next move. But as she walked, the city lights blurring around her, she couldn't shake the ghost of Henry's eyes from her mind. [This book is available exclusively and for free on 抖阴社区. If you find it anywhere else, it has been stolen. Please report any unauthorized copies.]  The way he had looked at her when she got away—pure rage, yes, but also something else. Something darker. Something that made her skin prickle with unease.

He was going to come for her.

The realization made her chest tighten, panic curling around her ribs like a vice. Henry had always been relentless, but this? This was different. She had pushed him past the breaking point. And the next time they faced each other; she knew one thing with absolute certainty.

One of them wasn't walking away.

By the time she reached the docks, the air was thick with salt and the faint hum of distant boats. She scanned the dimly lit area, her pulse thrumming wildly. She expected her brother. But as she stepped forward, her breath hitched.

Not her brother.

Levi.

Henry's assistant stood there, hands in his pockets, watching her with an unreadable expression.

For the first time that night, real fear slithered down her spine.

"You?" she whispered.

Levi tilted his head slightly. And then—he smiled.

Zoey's world tilted.

"Surprised?" Levi's voice was smooth, almost amused. "You shouldn't be."

Zoey took a step back, her instincts screaming at her to run, but something in Levi's expression froze her in place.

"Where's my brother?" she demanded, forcing steel into her voice.

Levi sighed, shaking his head. "Still so naive. Do you really think he was the one pulling the strings?"

Zoey's blood ran cold. "No. No, that's not possible."

Levi chuckled, stepping closer. "Oh, it is. And I've been watching you for a long time, Zoey. Henry may be blinded by rage, but I?" He grinned, sharp and knowing. "I see everything."

A sick realization settled in her stomach. "You were the informant."

Levi's smirk widened. "Very good. Took you long enough."

Her mind raced, piecing together fragments of the past, the whispered conversations, the near misses, the inexplicable setbacks Henry had faced. And now, standing before her, was the man who had orchestrated it all.

For the first time, Zoey felt what Henry must have felt when he let her slip away.

Helpless.

"You're not getting out of this," Levi murmured, voice silky with certainty. "Not this time."

Zoey swallowed hard, her thoughts spinning wildly. "Why? What do you get out of this?"

Levi's smile faltered, his gaze darkening. "Because Henry doesn't deserve everything he has. The power, the respect, the family—he got it all handed to him. And you? You're just the perfect storm to rip it all away."

Zoey stared at him, stunned. "This was never about me. This was about Henry."

Levi exhaled, stepping even closer, his presence suffocating. "You were just a tool. A convenient weapon to set things in motion. I needed chaos. And you? You provided it beautifully. You played right into my hands."

Zoey's pulse roared in her ears. "So, this was about revenge."

Levi nodded slowly. "I was loyal. I did everything for him. And yet, I was always in his shadow. Always the assistant. Always beneath him. Well, not anymore. Now, I hold all the power."

Zoey clenched her fists. "Henry will figure it out. He'll come for you."

Levi smirked. "I'm counting on it."

And then, the true horror set in. Levi reached up, gripping the side of his face, and in one swift motion, he peeled off the subtle prosthetics that had disguised him for years.

Zoey's breath caught in her throat.

"No..." she choked, her knees nearly giving out beneath her.

The face beneath the mask was achingly familiar. It wasn't just Henry's assistant. It was Ethan. Henry's childhood best friend. The man they had all believed to be dead.

Zoey's breath hitched, her mind screaming at her to recoil, to run, to do anything but stand there, staring into the eyes of a ghost. But beneath the horror, beneath the sheer impossibility of it all, something darker slithered through her veins. Fascination. A pull she couldn't explain, couldn't rationalize. He had unraveled her world in a single moment, and somehow, she wanted to destroy him for it—and yet, she couldn't look away.

Levi—Ethan—grinned, his eyes gleaming with triumph. "Miss me?"

Zoey's world shattered. Everything she thought she knew twisted into something unrecognizable. And then, before she could think, before she could stop herself, she lunged forward and crushed her lips against his.

It was desperate, furious, intoxicating—an act of sheer madness. Because in that moment, nothing made sense. And yet, somehow, everything did.

When they pulled apart, Levi—Ethan—smirked down at her. "Now that was unexpected."

Zoey wiped her mouth, breathless, pulse hammering. "This changes everything."

He chuckled darkly. "Oh, sweetheart, you have no idea."