Page 107 of Petals and Fangs

“Another way? Like you always do, trying to talk your way out of things. There’s no other way, Ethan. You’ve forced my hand.”

“Just keep Lily out of this, Nick. This is between us. Please.”

“Not a chance!”

“Release her, Nick. We can settle this another way,” I say again, desperately attempting to convince him to stop. I take another step forward, my eyes locked on his grip on Lily's chair.

“You think you can order me around? You think you can just waltz in here and save the day?”

“Nick, don't do this. You're better than this,” I say, my voice softening slightly.

“Better? I am better than you, Ethan. Always have been. But you never saw it.”

“I saw it, Nick. But this isn’t the way to prove it.”

“You’ve always been a disappointment, Ethan!” Nick hisses, suddenly he teleports in front of me and chokes me. He grins as his grip tightens around my throat.

“And you've always been a coward!” I retort, pushing him back.

“Coward? I’m the one in control here!”

“You’re destroying everything we’ve built!”

“You built nothing. You were handed everything!” Nick's face twists with rage.

“And you could have had it too, if you weren’t so blinded by jealousy,” I say, my voice raw with emotion.

Nick roars, lunging at me again. We clash, the room echoing with the sounds of our struggle. I manage to get the upper hand, pinning him to the ground.

“Nick, stop this. It's not too late,” I plead.

“It’s too late for me,” Nick says as he looks up at me, his eyes filled with a mixture of hatred and despair.

Before I can react, Nick twists free, and grabs a nearby piece of broken wood. He swings it at me, but I dodge, grabbing his arm and forcing him to drop it. His body must be full of drugs.

“Nick, I know you’re better than this.”

Suddenly, he begins to have a seizure, something he’s never had before. Nick's eyes finally meet mine, filled with pain and regret.

“Ethan. I-”

His voice trails off as he takes one last breath. His eyes remain locked on mine, and then he is gone. Symptoms of an overdose. He soon turns paler than ever. He is gone forever.

Behind me, Lily lets out a small sob of relief. I turn to her, quickly untying her hands.

“Lily, are you okay?” I ask, my voice filled with concern. She is all I care about now.

“You are here now. Where have you been? What happened?” she sobs as she wraps her arms around mine.

I take a deep breath, anger coursing through me. I have been betrayed, but at least Lily is still here. Alive and sane. All mine.

“It was Perry. He is the one behind the FDA, and everything else. He kidnapped me and brought me to this goddamn place.”

“What? Why would he do that?” Lily's eyes widen in shock.

“Possibly for the very same reason Nick brought you here.”

“God, Ethan. How did it come to this?”

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