Chapter 75

• “You can’t be serious, Ava,” Kade’s voice was a low growl, tinged with disbelief. His eyes flickered from me to the chaos around us. “Not now. Not like this.”
• I clenched my fists at my sides, my breath coming in short, frantic gasps. The air was thick with tension. Jared’s men were closing in, and we were running out of time. But the weight of what had just happened—what I had just decided—was heavier than any physical threat could be. My heart was torn in two, and I could feel every inch of my resolve unraveling.
• “I have to do this, Kade,” I said, my voice firmer than I felt. “It’s the only way to stop this.”