Page 97 of All's Fair In Love & War

His expression revealed nothing, but the glint in his eyes spoke volumes. It was the kind of look that warned you not to test him. I exhaled slowly, more out of survival than surrender, and closed my eyes long enough to pull myself together. When I opened them again, I met his stare—not with fear, but with a stubborn resolve that refused to bow.

With tense fingers, I fastened my seatbelt, my jaw set firmly, and my chest constricted. The silence in the car was anything but peaceful. It was thick and volatile, like static right before lightning hits.

We were barely off the estate before Khalil exploded. “You just couldn’t keep your fucking mouth shut, could you?”

I stared out the window, refusing to look at him. “What did you want me to do? Lie? We didn’t even rehearse what we would say when people asked us how we met and how long we’ve been together. If you wanted a different answer, you should’ve been on top of your game.”

“You didn’t have to say I kidnapped you.”

“But did I lie?” I snapped, whipping my head toward him. “Don’t be ashamed of what you did. Own that shit!”

Khalil gripped the wheel tightly, his feet pressing hard on the gas. “I’m not ashamed of a bitch ass thing!” he shouted.

“I can’t tell when you’re sitting there pissed off because I told the truth!”

“This dinner was to announce our engagement. It wasn’t a stage for you to start one of your tantrums.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I shot back, voice dripping in sarcasm. “I must’ve missed the part where you asked if I evenwantedto be engaged.”

He glanced over, eyes full of fire. “You didn’t have to want it. You just had to act like you did. My family invited you to their table, and you turned that bitch upside down!”

I let out a laugh, bitter and breathless. “I don’t belong anywhere near your damn table, I don’t belong in your house, and I damn sure don’t belong toyou.”

“That’s where you’re mistaken,” he growled. “You don’t just belong to me, I own you.”

“You don’t own shit,” I hissed, yanking off my seatbelt. “Matter of fact, pull this fucking car over before I make you.”

“You can’t make me do shit!”

“Oh, yeah! Watch this,” I said before yanking on the steering wheel so hard our vehicle swerved into the lanes on the opposite side of the road.

“Sit your ass back!” he shouted, trying to control the wheel with one hand while holding me off with the other.

“Let me go!” I shouted, releasing the wheel and slamming my fists against his head with everything I had.

The car jerked violently, the tires shrieking against the asphalt as we struggled against each other for control. My heart thundered in my chest, and adrenaline surged through my body. We swerved between lanes, and the world outside blurred into streaks of darkness and light.

Suddenly, headlights lit up the windshield, blinding me for a split second.

That was when I saw it.

A car was coming straight toward us, speeding down the lane with no sign of slowing down. There was no room to swerve, no time to escape, and nowhere to go.

“Khalil!” I screamed, my voice breaking apart as panic gripped my throat.

His eyes snapped forward, and both hands locked onto the wheel in a desperate attempt to correct our course. However, it was already too late.

The headlights consumed the glass in front of us, growing impossibly large.

The crash came an instant later.

Glass exploded in every direction, and the sound of crumpling metal tore through the night, then everything disappeared into silence and blackness.

Chapter 23

The Heist That Wasn’t

Sophia

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