Page 49 of Captured Heart

My hands ball into fists, my anger colliding with my heartache, and it’s unbearable. “You’re disgusting!”

He doesn’t flinch, his voice dropping, quieter but firm. “You were going to see the real me at some point. Better now than later, right?”

I take a shaky step back, my chest tightening. Every memory. Every stolen glance. Every moment I thought there was something real between us. It all feels tainted now. How could I have been so blind?

“You didn’t even hesitate, did you?” I whisper, the weight of his betrayal coating the question with disdain. “Not once. You knew exactly what you were doing from the start.”

Still, he doesn’t look at me. Instead, he shrugs, his nonchalance cutting deeper than anything he could say to me. “It was never personal, Katie. It’s just how this works.”

His words hang in the air, suffocating and final. He says it wasn’t personal, but even that nickname is sooffensivelypersonal. It’s something only he calls me. My vision blurs with unshed tears, but I refuse...Irefuseto let them fall. Not here. Not in front of him. I won’t give him the satisfaction.

“Stay away from me.” My voice quavers as I struggle to contain my anger, my hurt. “Don’t call me, don’t talk to me, just... stay the hell away.”

I turn and walk back inside, slamming the front door behind me. My steps are unsteady, each one heavier than the last. But I keep moving because if I stop, I’ll shatter completely.

9. Aleksandras

The clock on the wall ticks louder than usual, booming in my ears. I can feel every passing second as it drags by. I’m caught in a time warp. I spent four years in prison, and time slows down to a snail’s pace when you live the same day on repeat.

That does something to the human mind. It tricks the brain into believing that time is infinite and of no importance. But the last few days have made me feel the true length of time again. Even with the slow ticking of the clock, anxiety can creep into every millisecond, accelerating its journey, fueling it to speed by. It moves so fast it feels like there isn’t even a moment to think, to breathe.

That’s how I feel right now, like I’m running against a ticking time-bomb, and I can’t do a damn thing to stop it. I have no idea what to do. I’m right back to square one. No access to the house. No way to find the rest of the files.

I take a breath and force myself to calm down. I have a few more days to figure out a plan. There’s too much at stake, and I can’t fail. It’s the only way to keep Katelyn safe.

Despite what I told her yesterday afternoon, that’s my number one priority, which is why I said what I said.

I lean back on the couch, staring at the ceiling, trying to convince myself that I did the right thing, that the fucked up shit I said to her was necessary. I wasn’t lying. She is a target, and I only got into this mess for the money, but I took it to an extreme. And I needed to.

There was no believable lie that would explain why I was at her house last Tuesday, but the whole truth would’ve put her in Victor’s crosshairs, and that’s a risk I couldn’t take.

But fuck, the look in her eyes when I told her she was an easy target, when I said it was all for money...

It’s still haunting me. She didn’t cry, didn’t yell. She just shut down. The light went out of her eyes, and it felt like I’d stomped out the only good thing in my life.

My phone buzzes on the table, pulling me out of my thoughts. I grab it and glance at the screen, a notification from my bank flashing.

Dear Customer,

We are writing to inform you of a recent transaction in your account ending in2876.

Deposit Amount:$300,000.00

Deposit Type:Incoming Wire Transfer

Sender:V & S Enterprises, LLC

Date:November 26

Time:20:32 EST

Your current balance is now $300,043.87.

If you have any questions about this transaction, please contact our Customer Service team at (800) 555-4789 or visit our website at www.firstglobalbank.com.

Thank you for banking with us!

Sincerely,

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