CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: The Girl Who Walked Through Fire
The world was burning.
Ella stumbled through the flaming wreckage of the hut, her skin seared, her lungs filled with smoke, but her grip never loosened on the USB drive. The only proof left. The only piece of Ryan she had left.
He's gone.
She hadn't seen him crawl out. She hadn't seen him scream. She hadn't seen anything but flames swallowing everything.
Still, she ran.
Away from Arthur's men.
Away from the betrayal.
Away from the memory of Ryan's lips, of his hands on her waist, of his voice whispering her name like it was the only word he'd ever known.
You can't be gone, Ryan.
The forest swallowed her whole.
Branches scratched her skin, thorns tore at her legs. Her once pristine uniform was a memory—ripped, bloodied, and burned.
But she didn't stop.
Not even when her knees buckled.
Not even when she collapsed in the mud and sobbed until her throat went raw.
Because she remembered Leo's last words.
"You have to end this."
And so she would.
****
Three Days Later – Mexico City
Ella stood in front of the Saint-James Corporation headquarters.
Her hoodie was too big. Her jeans hung off her hips. Her eyes, once bright and teasing, now glinted with something colder. Harder. Deadlier.
She wasn't the same girl who walked into this academy months ago with butterflies and dreams.
She was the girl who walked through fire.
And survived.
With Leo's USB tucked into her bra and bruises hiding under her sleeves, she pushed through the revolving doors.
"Miss?" the receptionist blinked.
Ella didn't answer. She walked straight to the elevator.
They tried to stop her.
Too late.
She was already halfway up the tower before security was called.
Her heart thundered with each ding of the elevator.
Arthur would be here. The monster in a suit. The father who had raised Ryan like a prince and destroyed every ounce of his soul.
And if Ryan was still alive...
She'd find him.
She'd burn the world for him.
****
Penthouse – Saint-James Tower
Arthur sat behind a glass desk, swirling whiskey in a crystal glass like he hadn't just ordered the deaths of half a dozen people.
"Miss Martinez," he greeted without turning around. "You've got fire in you. Just like your mother."
Ella flinched. "Don't you dare say her name."
He chuckled.
When he turned, he looked almost gentle. Almost fatherly.
That's what made him dangerous.
"You came all this way just to die?"
"I came to make a trade."
He raised an eyebrow. "Go on."
She pulled the USB from her bra and set it on the desk.
"This contains everything. Names. Dates. Victims. Documents. All your crimes."
Arthur's lips twitched. "And what do you want in return?"
She swallowed.
"My brother."
He leaned back slowly, tapping his glass. "Ah. So you finally believe it."
"I don't care about DNA. I care about him. I care about what you did to him."
Arthur stood and walked around the desk, towering over her.
"He's gone, Ella. You watched him burn."
She stared up at him, defiant. "You underestimate him."
He chuckled.
But then—
BOOM!
The window shattered.
Smoke filled the room.
Arthur cursed and staggered back.
Through the chaos… a shadow stepped into view.
Gun in hand.
Face covered in ash.
Eyes like hellfire.
"Miss me, father?"
Ella gasped. "Ryan?!"
He looked like death. Like rage. Like revenge.
And he was beautiful.
Arthur froze. "Impossible."
Ryan grinned. "You always said I'd never survive without you. Looks like I do just fine on my own."
He turned to Ella.
Their eyes locked.
And without a word, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
Hard.
Deep.
Raw.
Like he needed her to breathe.
And she kissed him back with everything she had left.
****
Later – Underground Bunker
They escaped. Barely.
Now they were in hiding, crouched beneath the city in a tunnel no one knew existed except Leo.
Ryan was shirtless, bandaged. Burn scars ran down his ribs. He looked like he'd fought death and won.
Ella rested her head on his chest.
"Why didn't you come sooner?" she whispered.
He traced circles on her back. "I had to wait. I had to let him think I was dead."
"Did you see him?" she asked. "The way he looked when you walked in?"
Ryan chuckled darkly. "He finally saw who I really was. Not his son. Not his soldier. But his end."
Ella raised her eyes to meet his. "What now?"
He leaned in, whispering against her lips. "Now we tear it all down."
And then he kissed her again.
But this time, it wasn't out of desperation.
It was out of promise.
Of fire.
Of vengeance.
Of love born in ashes.
*****