Chapter <b>264 </b>
It seemed that he wasn’t done with me yet. Whatever twisted game he was ying, whatever sick lesson he wanted to teach, it was clear I hadn’t reached the end of it. I didn’t know whether I should brace myself for something worse or hold on to whatever small amount of hope remained, but as I sat there, my body heavy with the effects of the sedative, I couldn’t help but wonder how much longer I would be able to endure this.
As if he had heard the desperate thoughts racing through my mind, Xander’s voice broke the heavy silence<b>, </b>cold and almost casual. “Don’t worry,” he said, the words dripping with a twisted sense of finality, “today is ourst day together. I want you to tell me what you want before the day ends.”
The words hit me like a ton of bricks, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe. It felt like time froze in that instant, the reality of his statement sinking in. My heart pounded in my chest, my mind scrambling to make sense of what he was saying. Last day together? What did he mean? Was this it? Was this the end for me? The way he spoke made it sound like I was being granted some kind of twisted mercy, a final request before my death, like thest meal of a condemned prisoner.
I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I had to keep it together, even if the walls around me were closing in. I wasn’t ready for this. Not yet. I wasn’t ready to die, not like this, not in this cold, dark catb with no one to remember me. The thought of never seeing my children again, never being able to hold them or kiss them goodbye, tore through me like a jagged knife.
“No,” I whispered, shaking my head, my voice barely audible over the pounding of my heart. “I’m not ready. I don’t want this. I’m not ready to die.”
Xander’s face remained impassive, as though he was indifferent to my panic. But there was something in his eyes, something colder, darker, that made me feel like I was a pawn in a game he controlled. He wasn’t offering me kindness orpassion; he was giving me a choice between suffering in silence or having the illusion of control in my final moments.
“Tell me what you want,” he repeated, his tone almost amused. “Yourst wish. What do you want before it’s all over?”
The words burned in my throat. How could I possibly choose? What could I ask for in a situation like this? It felt like the world had turned against me, leaving me with nothing but this twisted, final ultimatum. I wasn’t ready to face it.
No. I wasn’t ready to ept this. I couldn’t.
“Please,” I choked out, my voice cracking, “I want to see my family. I want to know they’re okay.”
Xander’s gaze softened, just slightly, but there was no warmth in it. It was as though he was observing me from a distance, an emotionless spectator to my desperation. But instead of offeringfort, he merely nodded, as if acknowledging the request without any real intention of fulfilling it.
“Maybe,” he said, his voice a low murmur. “But you should know, Olivia, I’m not the one who decides what happens next.”
The words felt like <b>an </b>ice<b>–</b>cold wave crashing over me, drowning me in uncertainty. I wanted to scream, to plead for my life, but I couldn’t. It felt like my strength was slipping away with every passing moment.
I wasn’t ready for this. I wasn’t ready to face the darkness without the people I loved, without ever being able to tell them how much they meant to me. My family, my children… they would never know the truth, never understand why I couldn’t be there when they needed me the most. The thought of never holding them again<b>, </b><b>of </b>never hearing their voices<b>, </b>twisted something deep inside me.
“No,” I whispered again, my voice raw. “Please, I’m not ready to die. I can’t die like this<b>.</b><b>” </b>
But Xander was already turning away, as if my plea didn’t matter, as if my fate had already been sealed. I had no more words left. No more hope. Only the cold, crushing silence of the tomb surrounding me.
I wasn’t ready. Not yet.