Page 169 of Ruthless God

I lift a hand, tracing my fingers down her cheek. Her eyes flutter shut for half a second—just enough. Then they snap open, locking onto mine. A choice is about to be made. And this time she won’t be able to take it back.

But before she can speak, Agnes appears.

“Sir. The guests are here.”

I bite back a groan. Of course they are.

“Where?”

“In the living room.”

I dip my head. “I’ll be up in a moment.”

Agnes leaves, and I turn to Cecely.

“Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter if you think you can live with me. With us.”

Her eyes widen. “What do you mean?”

“It’s not just Blanc’s day of reckoning. It’s mine.” I give her a smile. “Once they find out what I’ve done, they will invoke Rule 47 and then Rule 3.”

She shakes her head. “I don’t understand.”

“I will tell them everything I’ve done and then they will kill me.”

“No!”

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you’re taken care of.” My gaze goes to her stomach. “That both of you are taken care of.”

“No.” Her chin trembles. “This isn’t fair. You can’t do this to me. You can’t make me fall in love with you. With him. And then rip it all away from me.”

“I’m sorry, Cecely. Truly, I am.”

I give her one last look before I walk away.

It’s time to face my sins.

No matter the outcome.

I don’t look back. Because if I do, I won’t be able to walk away. Cecely’s words cling to me, sharp and raw. She lovesme. And yet it doesn’t change anything. Because this? This was always the end of my story. She was just something I didn’t count on.

I take the steps slowly, deliberately. Every movement feels heavier. Final. When I reach the main hall, I pause. The doors to the living room are cracked open. The voices inside are low, murmured. Controlled. But the weight of their presence suffocates the air. I steel myself.

And then I push open the doors.

They are all here.

The Elite Members. Alessandro Moretti. Brooks Henderson. Grant Carter. Dimitri Santos.

A hush falls over the room when they see me in the doorway. I let the silence stretch, letting them feel the weight of it. The silence thickens.

“You all know why you’re here.”

Moretti leans forward, lacing his fingers together. “Actually, we don’t. Care to explain?”

“I’ve found the man who killed DeLeon and Smith. The man who destroyed the Brotherhood.”

Every pair of eyes in the room narrows, watching me, waiting. I take my time. Because once I say it, there’s no taking it back. Once I bring this into the light, there is no going back into the shadows.

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