radicalducati Chapter 96
Chapter 96
As the sirens grew louder, Damian’s composure cracked. He turned, preparing to flee, but Zane stepped out of the shadows, blocking his path.
“Going somewhere?” Zane asked, his voice laced with fury.
Damian raised his weapon, but before he could fire, Christian tackled him to the ground. The gun skittered across the pavement as they wrestled, but Damian was strong. He threw Christian off and scrambled to his feet, only to find himself surrounded.
Tobias and Jonathan had returned with Zayden, who, despite his injuries, stood tall beside them.
“It’s over, Damian,” Zayden said, his voice firm. “You’ve lost.”
Damian’s gaze darted around, realizing he was outnumbered. With a growl of frustration, he raised his hands in surrender.
Alessia stepped forward, her voice steady despite the chaos. “You don’t own me. You never did.”
As the authorities arrived to take Damian into custody, Alessia felt a wave of relief wash over her. Her family was safe—for now. But she knew the fight wasn’t over. Damian’s shadow would linger, but together, they were stronger. And they would face whatever came next, as a family.
The Kane estate was quiet for the first time in days. The family was gathered in the living room, the tension slowly beginning to ease now that Damian was in custody and Zayden was safely back home. Alessia sat curled up in an armchair, her eyes heavy with exhaustion, but her mind was still racing. Zane stood by the window, staring out into the night as if expecting another threat to emerge from the shadows.
Just as the family began to relax, Zane’s phone buzzed on the coffee table. He glanced at it absently, but his expression shifted the moment he read the notification.
“What the hell?” Zane muttered, his voice sharp enough to snap everyone’s attention toward him.
“What is it?” Alessia asked, sitting up straighter.
Zane held up his phone, his face pale. “It’s… a message.”
Victoria leaned forward, her brow furrowing. “From who?”
Zane swallowed hard, staring at the screen. His voice was low and uneven as he read aloud: “I’m still alive.”
The room fell silent for a long, heavy moment. Christian was the first to break it. “What does that mean? Who sent it?”
Zane scrolled to the top of the message thread, his eyes widening. “It’s from… Pamela.”
Alessia froze, her breath caught in her chest. “Pamela? That’s impossible. She’s dead.”
Zayden leaned forward, his face etched with disbelief. “Are you sure it’s not someone using her account?”
Zane nodded, his voice trembling. “Her number was deactivated after… after she died. But it’s her contact name, her old number—everything. How is this even possible?”
Christian grabbed the phone, his eyes narrowing as he analyzed the message. “This has to be a sick joke. Or a trap.”
Alessia stood, her heart racing. “Read the rest of the message. Is there anything else?”
Zane shook his head, scrolling through the text thread. “That’s it. Just ‘I’m still alive.’ No explanation, no context.”
Elena, who had been standing quietly near the doorway, stepped forward, her expression serious. “This can’t be ignored. If someone is pretending to be Pamela, they’re trying to rattle us. But if it’s really her…”
“It can’t be,” Alessia said, her voice shaking. “I was at her funeral. We all were.”
Victoria’s face went pale, her hands trembling as she reached for the glass of water on the coffee table. “Pamela… she was such a sweet girl. Why would someone do this?”
“We need to find out where the message came from,” Christian said, his voice firm. “Elena, can you trace it?”