Billionaire Alpha's 99 Deadly Games

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Outside the burning cabin, Lucas's friends shrieked with excitement at the

growing inferno, wildly snapping photos and videos on their phones like it was a concert finale.

"Holy shit, revenge ninety-nine is going to be LEGENDARY!" Tyler howled, capturing an Instagram story of the flames.

"Finally, Lucas can banish that clingy bitch and move on with his life!" Blake slapped his knee, grinning maniacally.

"When we 'rescue' her, I'm going to record her ugly-crying face and blast it all over TikTok. Let the whole fucking territory see what a pathetic mess she really is!” Josh laughed, already planning his caption.

The hellish red glow illuminated their faces like demons at a bonfire, casting long, distorted shadows behind them.

Standing slightly apart from the group, Lucas listened to their callous banter with growing discomfort. Something felt deeply wrong.

His mind kept replaying Aria's face from moments earlier-that strange, peaceful expression. Those words that now seemed so final.

Wait-she'd been abnormally calm, hadn't she?

Every previous anniversary, Aria had practically vibrated with excitement. She'd plan for weeks, creating Pinterest boards, texting him countdown updates, handling every detail personally with almost manic enthusiasm.

Lucas had always been happy to let her take over. Why waste effort on someone who was just a means to an end? He'd even internally justified his coldness-if she hadn't humiliated Leila, she wouldn't be with him anyway.

But tonight had been completely different. Aria had been unsettlingly quiet.

During the entire drive, she'd sat silently beside him, no nervous chatter, no excited questions.

Beyond those haunting final words, she hadn't once asked about his "surprise." She'd been like a marionette with cut strings-compliant, empty, resigned.

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Chapter 8

it-he'd been gone nearly twenty minutes, the fire had been raging for almost as long-and she hadn't called

realization hit him like a bucket of

and over, desperation growing with each swipe. No calls. No texts,

his ribs as cold dread spread through his

truly seeing the enormity of the flames for the first time. Orange and red tongues licked three stories high, the

flashed through his mind-her laughter echoing in their den, the way she'd leave little notes in his pack journals, how she'd waited hours in the rain once

to move, he bolted toward

going?" Derek shouted, as the group moved to block

his mouth to respond, a deafening explosion ripped through the

BOOM!

roof of the cabin, sending a

the black sky. The

group's expressions transformed from drunken celebration to genuine horror in an

wasn't supposed to happen!"

explosions followed, one after another. The sound was like artillery fire, each blast more violent than

glass shattered. Burning chunks of wood and concrete rained

consumed by a single thought: she

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Chapter 8

inferno.

friends. "You'll fucking die if you go in there!" Tyler shouted, pinning him to the ground. "We mind-linked the guards!

okay," Josh stammered, no trace of his earlier cruelty. "They'll get

were wild, fixed on the towering inferno. In his mind, he could hear her calling for him-could imagine her trapped, choking, terrified. Every memory of her kindness, her love that he'd taken for granted, crashed over him

through his fingertips, throwing his friends aside with strength born of pure adrenaline, launching

flames.

"LUCAS, STOP!"

BOOM!

massive explosion rocked the foundation of the building, sending a shower of burning debris in all directions. The roar of the fire grew deafening, drowning out everything but

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