Page 87 of Nocturne

Silence stretches between us, heavy and suffocating. My mind spins through the possibilities, each more hopeless than the last. The people behind this are untouchable. Any attempt to expose them would be suicidal.

“We have to do something,” Ivy whispers. Her voice is trembling, her usual bravado gone. “We can’t just… let this go.”

I rub a hand over my face, the pressure behind my eyes building with every passing second. I know she’s right. But we’re trapped between two terrible choices—stay silent and live with the guilt, or speak out and risk becoming the next bodies wheeled into that sterilisation room.

Then a name surfaces in my mind.

One I’ve been avoiding for weeks.

One I wish I could forget.

I freeze, my heart skipping a beat as an image of him flickers to life in my mind. His dark, piercing gaze. The way he carries himself, like the world bends to his will. The way he always seems to be watching me, even when I don’t want him to.

Zagan Devlin.

No. Absolutely not.

I push the thought away, shaking my head. He’s not an option. He can’t be.

But the idea clings to me, stubborn and persistent. Because deep down, I know the truth: if anyone could help us, it would be him.

I don’t trust him—not in the slightest. And I hate that my mind keeps circling back to him, drawn by some invisible thread I don’t understand.

But this isn’t about me. This isn’t about the way my pulse quickens when I see him, or the way his gaze lingers just a little too long. This is about survival. And he’s the only one ruthless enough to stand a chance against people like this.

“We could…” My voice falters, and I bite my lip, hesitant to say it out loud. Once I do, there’s no taking it back.

Ivy’s gaze sharpens, her brows knitting together. “What?”

I take a shaky breath. “We could go to… Mr. Devlin.”

The name feels heavy on my tongue. Ivy’s reaction is immediate—and exactly what I expected. Her eyes widen in disbelief, and she lets out a harsh laugh.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

I don’t say anything.

“You’re serious?” she asks, her voice rising. “You want to run to him?”

I flinch at her tone, but I keep my expression neutral. “He might be our only option.”

Ivy scoffs, crossing her arms. “And you think he’s going to help us out of the goodness of his heart?”

I don’t blame her for being sceptical. I’m not exactly brimming with confidence myself.

“No,” I admit quietly. “But he’s… dangerous.”

Ivy shakes her head in frustration. “Exactly! He’s a criminal, Ara. A mafia boss. You really want to get mixed up with someone like that?”

I swallow hard, my stomach twisting at the thought. “I don’t want to. But we’re out of options.”

I doubt Eero or Nico can help us with something like this without permission from their boss.

There’s a beat of silence before Ivy mutters, “I can’t believe you’re even considering this.”

Neither can I. This isn’t about me. It’s not about him.

It’s about doing whatever it takes to survive. Because if someone knows that we have this video, there is no escaping what they would do to bury their ugly secrets. They wouldn’t care if we promised that we wouldn’t talk, they would make sure to tie up their loose ends.

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