Page 98 of Beautiful Scars: Unshakeable

The emergency lights cast harsh shadows across both their faces, highlighting similarities that seem so obvious now.

"So this," Garrett gestures to the shrine-like room with his gun, "this is justice. Everything you love, everything you think is yours—it was all mine first. The only reason you have any of it is because of me."

His laugh is cold, predatory as he continues. "I mean, you didn't think moving to Easton Creek was your mom's choice, did you? That big house right behind our precious Sunny? Like our father would let his precious golden boy just disappear without someone keeping an eye on him. What a way to keep things in the family, huh?"

Levi's face goes ashen, his gun hand trembling slightly as the full scope of the manipulation hits him.

"And now..." His thumb caresses the detonator. "Now, it's time foryouto make a sacrifice. Choose. Walk away or we all die."

I watch everything unfold with growing dread. Out of the corner of my eye I can see that Sunny's posture has changed—too rigid, too controlled. Her eyes dart between Garrett and the detonator, carrying an expression I can't read.

I keep my weapon steady, watching for any opening, any weakness. But with the detonator in play, one wrong move could kill us all. And from the look in Garrett's eyes, he's fully prepared for this to go either way.

"Now you understand, don't you Princess?" Garrett's voice drops to that sickening gentle tone. "Why you mean so much to me. All these years, everything I did... it was love. The purestkind of love. You were a gift, Sunny. The only good thing my father ever gave to me. I could never just give you up."

Sunny slips out from behind Ty and takes a small step forward. My finger tightens on the trigger. But something in Sunny's expression makes me pause.

"I do understand." She whispers the words, and my blood runs cold at how broken she sounds. "You protected me. You watched over me, even when I didn't know. You knew what was best for me."

"I never let anything bad happen to you," Garrett's attention shifts, his voice soft.

Sunny takes a tentative step towards Garrett. "You love me so much because I was your special gift. Your special girl that was all for you."

I can feel the rage and confusion radiating off Levi.

"That's right Princess. Tell them how much I love you. How much you want to stay with me."

Sunny comes to stand beside Garrett, looking up at him with an expression of pure adoration. "I do. More than anything I want to stay here with you."

Levi's voice is anguished when he speaks. "No, Angel… "

Sunny's voice pitches up, edging on almost desperate. "Please don't let them take me away. I belong here. I’m yours. Only yours."

Garrett's smile widens as he pulls Sunny close to his side.

When Sunny turns to face us, her eyes fall to the floor. Her expression is unreadable, but her tone is certain. "You all need to leave. I don't want you here. This is my home. This is where I belong. Garrett loves me. I'm safe here—I wasn't when I was with you."

“No… you don’t mean that.” Levi’s voice is barely a whisper. “Angel, please.”

I watch in horror as Garrett wraps his arm around Sunny, pressing a possessive kiss to the top of her head. She looks up at him with a simpering smile plastered on her face and nuzzles even closer. My trigger finger itches, but with the detonator still in his other hand, I can't risk it.

"Looks like she made your choice for you," he sneers, eyes locked on Levi.

Sunny clings to Garrett, her fingers twisting in his shirt as she presses close and rests her cheek on his chest. Her other hand snakes around his waist, and something in that movement catches my attention.

It's too... deliberate. Too precise.

My mind races, analyzing every detail. The way she positioned herself. The careful placement of her hands. The slight tremor in her shoulders that doesn't match her earlier fury. Something isn't adding up.

Levi starts forward, raw pain etched across his features, but I grab his arm. Hard. Because I've seen that look in Sunny's eyes before—not the glazed dissociation of a flashback, but the razor-sharp focus she gets when she's training on the mats downstairs.

"Stay still," I murmur, low enough that only he can hear.

Garrett's attention shifts between us, triumph written across his face as he holds Sunny against him. But he doesn't see what I see—the way her fingers flex against his side, testing. Searching.

Through my earpiece, I hear Wolf's steady breathing. Chase's quiet confirmation that the perimeter is still secure. They're waiting for my signal, but I hold position. Watching.

"I told you she'd choose me," Garrett gloats, pressing another kiss to her hair. "Didn't I tell you they'd never understand, Princess?"

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