Thessaly POV
"Let's burn it all down," I say, squeezing Rhydian's hand.
Thorne's car disappears into the night, taillights like demon eyes. My heart pounds so hard I think it might explode. What did I just agree to? Destroying the Vex empire? Using my father's confidential files? Becoming a traitor?
But then I remember the spray paint on my house. WHORE LIVES HERE. I remember Jett's lies, the police station, my father choosing his job over me.
Maybe being a traitor is better than being a victim.
"Good choice," Rhydian says, but his voice sounds tight. Worried. "Get in the car. We need to leave before Thorne comes back with reinforcements."
We drive in silence. My phone won't stop buzzing—more texts, more social media notifications, more strangers telling me I'm garbage. I turn it off.
"Where are we going?" I finally ask.
"Somewhere safe." Rhydian's jaw is clenched. "Somewhere Thorne can't reach you."
"Does that place exist?"
"We're about to find out."
We drive for an hour, leaving the city behind. The roads get narrower, darker. Finally, we turn down a hidden driveway that leads to a house by the ocean. It's small but beautiful, perched on cliffs overlooking black water.
"I bought this years ago," Rhydian explains as we pull up. "No one knows about it. Not Thorne, not Jett. We'll be safe here while we plan."
Inside, the house is simple but expensive. Big windows facing the ocean. A fireplace. Soft couches. It feels like a home, which surprises me. I expected Rhydian to live in cold, modern spaces. This feels... warm.
"You look exhausted," Rhydian says gently. "There's a bedroom upstairs. Sleep. We'll talk strategy in the morning."
But I don't want to sleep. If I sleep, I'll dream about my parents' disappointed faces. About Jett's threats. About everything I just lost.
"I can't stop shaking," I whisper, holding out my trembling hands.
Rhydian crosses to me, takes my hands in his. His skin is warm, steady. "Adrenaline. It'll pass."
"What if I made the wrong choice? What if we can't win? What if—"
"Thessaly." He says my name like it matters. "Look at me."
I do. His ice-blue eyes are serious, intense.
"I won't lie to you," he says quietly. "This will be hard. Dangerous. You might get hurt. But I promise you this: I will protect you with everything I have. And if you want to stop—anytime—you just say the word."
"And if I don't want to stop?"
"Then we fight. Together." He squeezes my hands. "But tonight, you rest. Warrior queens need sleep too."
He calls me a warrior queen. Not a victim. Not a stupid girl. A queen.
I finally go upstairs, but I don't sleep. I lie in the dark, staring at the ceiling, listening to ocean waves crash against cliffs. At 3 AM, I give up and creep downstairs.
Rhydian sits by the fireplace with a laptop and papers spread everywhere. He looks up when I enter.
"Can't sleep?"
"Can't stop thinking." I sit across from him. "What are you working on?"
"Mapping out Thorne's empire. His businesses, his money, his connections." Rhydian shows me charts and documents. "If we're taking him down, we need to know exactly where to strike."
I lean closer, studying the papers. Numbers and names and companies. And suddenly, I recognize some of them.
"Wait. I've seen these." I point to three companies. "My dad handles their accounts. He showed me once because the numbers didn't add up right."
Rhydian goes very still. "What do you mean?"
"The money coming in and going out—it doesn't match. Like someone's hiding transactions." I grab a pen, doing quick math. "See? This company reports making five million, but only three million shows up in the accounts. Where did the other two million go?"
Rhydian stares at me like I just performed magic. "You can see that? Just by looking?"
"I told you I'm good with numbers." I study more papers, finding other discrepancies. "Here. And here. And here. Someone's stealing money from Thorne. Lots of it."
"Not stealing. Hiding." Rhydian's smile is sharp. "Money laundering. Thorne's moving illegal profits through fake companies to make them look legitimate. If we can prove it—"
"We can destroy him." My heart races. "The police would have to investigate. The IRS. Everyone."
"Exactly." Rhydian looks at me with something like respect. "You brilliant, dangerous girl. You just found our weapon."
For the first time since this nightmare started, I feel powerful instead of scared.
"So what do we do?" I ask.
"We need proof. Real documentation, not just your memory." Rhydian thinks. "Your father's office—do you know where he keeps his files?"
"Home office. Locked filing cabinet." I hesitate. "But my parents hate me now. They won't let me in the house."
"Then we break in."
I stare at him. "You want me to rob my own parents?"
"I want you to save yourself." Rhydian's voice is gentle but firm. "Those files are the only way to prove what Thorne's doing. Without them, we have nothing. With them, we have everything."
He's right. I know he's right. But breaking into my parents' house feels like crossing a line I can't uncross.
"I need to think," I whisper.
"Take your time. We'll—"
His phone rings. He frowns at the unknown number but answers. "Yes?"
I watch his face change. Go pale. Go hard.
"When?" he asks sharply. "How bad?" A pause. "I'm on my way."
He hangs up. Looks at me with something like fear in his eyes.
"What happened?" I ask.
"That was the hospital." His voice is tight. "Your father's been in an accident. Car crash. He's in critical condition."
The world tilts. "What?"
"Thessaly, I'm so sorry—"
"We need to go!" I'm already running for the door. "We need to go NOW!"
Rhydian catches my arm. "Wait. Think about this. Your father's car crash—right after we threatened Thorne? Right after you agreed to help me?"
Ice floods my veins. "You think Thorne did this?"
"I think it's a very convenient accident." Rhydian's eyes are dark. "And if we go to that hospital, we walk into a trap."
"I don't CARE!" Tears stream down my face. "That's my father! He might die!"
"And Thorne knows you'll come running. He's counting on it." Rhydian grips my shoulders. "Thessaly, listen to me. If you go there, Thorne will have you arrested. Or worse. He'll make you disappear."
"So I just abandon my father?!"
"No. We go carefully. With backup. With a plan." He's already texting someone. "Larkin will meet us there. We'll have security. But you need to be smart about this."
My phone suddenly rings. Unknown number. Against my better judgment, I answer.
"Hello?"
"Thessaly Crane?" A woman's voice, cold and professional.
"Yes?"
"This is Dr. Miranda Walsh from Crescent Bay General Hospital. Your father was just brought in from a car accident. His injuries are severe. He's asking for you."
My heart clenches. "Is he going to be okay?"
"I can't discuss his condition over the phone. You need to come immediately." A pause. "And Ms. Crane? Come alone. Your father specifically said he'll only speak to you. No one else."
She hangs up.
I look at Rhydian, whose face has gone cold with fury.
"Trap," he says flatly. "That's a trap."
"But what if it's real? What if he really is hurt and asking for me?" My voice breaks. "I can't just ignore it!"
"Then we go together—"
"She said alone!" I'm shaking now, torn between two impossible choices. "What if refusing to come makes them hurt him more? What if this is my only chance to save him?"
Rhydian pulls me close, holding me tight. I can feel his heart racing against mine.
"This is exactly what Thorne wants," he whispers into my hair. "To separate us. To make you vulnerable. To force you into a corner."
"I know." Tears soak into his shirt. "But he's my father. Even if he hates me, even if he chose Thorne over me—I can't just let him die."
Rhydian pulls back, cupping my face. His eyes search mine desperately.
"If you go alone, you might not come back."
"I know."
"Thessaly—"
"I have to go." I step out of his arms. "You taught me to be a warrior queen, remember? Queens don't abandon their people. Even when it's dangerous."
I grab my coat, heading for the door.
"Then I'm coming with you," Rhydian says firmly, following.
We're almost to the car when headlights blind us. Three black SUVs screech into the driveway, blocking our escape.
Doors open. Men in suits emerge, all of them armed.
And from the center vehicle steps Thorne Vex, smiling like a wolf.
"Going somewhere?" he asks pleasantly.