Page 124 of My Dark Divine

“You never wanted to marry him, Venetia. You didn’t sign up to work for a company that ruins lives. I know that. You’re better than this. You deserve a choice,” he says, his tone turning tender. “So I’m giving it to you. If we release this, Lucas and his son are done. There’s enough here to bury both of them.”

His jaw tightens, his lip curling into a snarl as his hand clenches into a fist, the veins standing out like taut wires. “God, West… I’ve always hated that bastard. Hated how he treated you, and hated him even more when I found out what he does. He manipulates and destroys people’s lives. He’s evil, and he needs to be eliminated—just like his father.”

It must be so easy to view life in such simple, black-and-white terms.

A sharp retort presses against my lips, but I bite the inside of my cheek to hold it in. The way Eli talks about West fucking grates on me, but I need more information from him.

“Who else knows about the drive?” I ask, keeping my tone as steady as I can. “Who were you working with?”

He shakes his head, slipping the drive back into his pocket. “No one. I worked alone.” When I scoff, he adds, “I’m serious, Venetia. Nobody was brave enough to join me. Everyone is scared of Lucas. I might be a screw-up at relationships, but I’m damn good at my job. And right now, I’m doing what any honest lawyer would: seeking justice.”

I believe him. Eli’s always been good at what he does. Justice has always been his driving force—his mission is to protect the innocent and hold the guilty accountable. It was something I thought I needed at my side—something pure, untouched by the kind of darkness I’ve lived with for so long. And now, here he is, offering me a choice.

When I first heard I was to marry West, I wanted to run. I wanted someone to save me from him. But now, after everything that’s happened, after every complicated, twisted moment with him, I realize that leaving is the last thing I want.

I used to crave approval, screaming for people to notice how hard I tried, and how much I wanted to be appreciated. With West, I don’t have to scream. I don’t have to try to get him to choose me. He simply does. He chose me without question, and I know he’ll keep choosing me—until death and beyond, in whatever form our souls may take.

And now, I choose him. Out of everyone else in this world, I will always choose West.

“What if I refuse?”

He gives a little shake of his head, that smug smile twitching at the corners of his lips. “I’m offering you a better life, Venetia. Once we release this, none of them will ever bother you again,”he says, as if I didn’t catch that the first time. “But if you don’t agree, I’ll still move forward. I invited you here because I think, for once, you deserve a choice. But don’t think I’ll cancel my mission if you say no. I’ll do it alone, and you’ll be left with nothing. But youdeservea fresh start.”

I let his words hang in the air, watching his face as impatience brews in his expression. I can sense his anger rising, the unspoken urge to yell at me, to call me foolish. He thinks my attachment to West is some twisted illusion, a mask over what he imagines is abuse—just like it had been with my ex-husband. Back then, maybe abuse had felt like love. Until the day I pulled the trigger.

I stand at a crossroads, faced with the choice to become the biased hero, to tear down the ‘evil,’ as Eli calls it. Lucas may deserve the worst, but I would die before letting anything happen to West, no matter how many have to suffer because of it.

Eli steps back, his eyes narrowing as hope fades from his face. There’s no fight in him, no determination to convince me further. Once again, he’s too afraid to go the distance, too weak to even try to prove he’s worthy of my choice.

Some things never change.

“Suit yourself,” he mutters before turning away, already prepared to disappear for good. Frozen in place, I watch him walk away, worry knotting in my chest, blending with shock and simmering anger. I can’t let him leave with that flash drive. I don’t care what he has on Lucas, but West?

No. I can’t let him release anything on him. Asking Eli to spare him would be pointless; he’s all about his so-called truth and justice. He’d want everyone to suffer equally.

A surge of adrenaline kicks in, and I spot a pile of rocks not far off. I glance at his retreating figure to make sure he hasn’t turned back.

Eli’s right. I deserve a fresh start. Both West and I do.

I stride over to the rocks, grab one, and grip it tightly as I catch up with him. It feels heavier than I expected, and I have to channel every ounce of strength into lifting it and swinging down. The impact is a sickening crunch, a sound that rips through the silence. He collapses, his lifeblood staining the earth, and I stand over him, the weight of my deed settling on my shoulders.

A slight relief that West isn’t in danger anymore trickles in, but I can already see how messy I’ve made this. When I dealt with Zayden, I made the same mistake—I’m too chaotic by nature, acting on impulse rather than logic. And now, I’m alone in the middle of nowhere, completely unprepared, and?—

No. I’m not reallyalone. Not anymore.

Kneeling beside Eli, I reach into his pocket and pull out the flash drive, turning it over in my hand as I raise it to the dimming light of the setting sun. Whatever this idiot found, it’s in my hands now—and I have a feeling it will be exactly what I need it to be.

Whatweneed it to be.

I pull out my phone and call him, my mind racing to find the right way to share what just happened and the unexpected turn in our plans. He picks up immediately, his voice rough with a familiar drawl as he begins, “Yeah, baby. I’m done for today. I’ll be at your?—”

“West.”

“What happened?” he asks, his tone shifting as he senses something is off.

“I killed a man.”

He is silent for a moment. “Where?”

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