Billionaire Alpha's 99 Deadly Games

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.

16:38

Chapter 8

gone nearly twenty minutes, the fire had been

like a bucket of ice water. Lucas frantically

the screen over and over, desperation growing with each swipe. No calls.

his ribs as cold dread spread through

the burning building, truly seeing the enormity of the flames for the first time. Orange and red tongues licked three stories high, the heat intense enough to feel on his

of her presence in his life flashed through his mind-her laughter echoing in their den, the way she'd leave little notes in his pack journals, how

deciding to move,

Lucas! Where are you going?" Derek shouted, as the

mouth to respond, a deafening explosion ripped through the night, the concussive force knocking

BOOM!

massive fireball erupted from the roof of the cabin,

and debris spiraling into the black sky.

transformed from drunken celebration to genuine

shit-that wasn't supposed to

a series of secondary explosions followed, one after another. The sound was like artillery fire,

Burning chunks of wood and concrete rained down around

Lucas screamed, his mind consumed by a single thought: she

16.39

Chapter 8

inferno.

desperation, only to be tackled by his friends. "You'll fucking die if you go in there!" Tyler shouted,

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

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

cracking as claws began to push through his fingertips, throwing his friends aside with strength born of

flames.

"LUCAS, STOP!"

BOOM!

all directions. The