Betrayal’s Edge
929 Words
Chapter 11 — Betrayal’s Edge
(Dual POV — Aria & Damian)
---
Aria’s POV
I froze.
The world around me blurred — the smoke, the shouting, the gunfire — everything disappeared.
All I could see was Sofia.
My best friend.
The one who stayed up all night helping me study for exams. The one who held my hand through my father’s funeral. The one I trusted more than anyone.
And now… she was pointing a gun at me.
“Sofia?” My voice cracked, the word barely escaping my lips. “What are you doing?”
Her hand trembled, but her grip on the weapon didn’t falter.
“I didn’t want it to be like this, Aria.” Tears streaked her face, mixing with the smoke and chaos. “I begged Victor to leave you out of it, but… you’re the only way to get to him.”
> Him.
Damian.
---
Damian’s POV
I heard Aria’s voice before I saw her.
“Sofia?”
The name hit me like a gunshot.
I rounded the corner just in time to see Sofia standing there, weapon drawn, aimed squarely at Aria’s chest.
Rage ignited in me, sharp and blinding.
“Put it down,” I barked, stepping forward, my gun raised. “Now.”
Sofia’s eyes flicked toward me — fear, guilt, and something darker flashing within them.
“I can’t,” she whispered. “Victor will kill my brother if I don’t do this.”
My finger tightened on the trigger. “Then let me deal with Victor. But if you hurt her, Sofia, I swear to God—”
“Don’t!” Aria shouted, her voice trembling. “Don’t shoot her, Damian. Please.”
---
Aria’s POV
I didn’t understand what was happening.
Sofia. Victor. My father. Damian.
Every thread of my life was tangling into one suffocating knot, and I couldn’t breathe.
“Sofia,” I pleaded, stepping closer despite Cole’s warning growl behind me. “Talk to me. Whatever Victor promised you, whatever he threatened you with — we can fix this. Together.”
Her shoulders shook violently, her breath ragged.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered again.
Then she c****d the gun.
---
Damian’s POV
Everything slowed.
I saw Sofia’s finger twitch on the trigger. I saw Aria’s body tense, ready to dive. I saw Cole aiming at Sofia, his expression grim and unflinching.
And in that split second, I made a decision.
I lunged.
The gunshot exploded, deafening and sharp, but the world was chaos and motion — Sofia screamed, Aria gasped, and we crashed into the marble floor.
Pain seared through my shoulder as I dragged Aria behind cover.
“Damian!” she cried, hands pressing against the blood soaking through my suit.
“I’m fine,” I gritted out, though the fire in my shoulder said otherwise. “Stay down.”
---
Aria’s POV
I wanted to scream.
Gunshots. Shouts. The acrid sting of smoke filling my lungs.
Damian was bleeding, but he kept moving, his eyes locked on Sofia, who had dropped her weapon and was sobbing against the wall.
Victor’s voice cut through the chaos, calm and cold, like a blade sliding between ribs.
“Well, well,” he drawled from the shadows, stepping into view with three armed men behind him. “The infamous Damian Blackwood, bleeding for a woman. Didn’t think I’d live to see the day.”
---
Damian’s POV
Victor.
The sight of him lit every violent instinct in my body aflame.
I stepped forward, ignoring the pain tearing through my shoulder.
“You made a mistake coming here,” I growled, aiming my gun squarely at his chest.
He smiled — slow, cruel, taunting.
“No, Damian,” he said softly. “You did.”
At his signal, one of his men grabbed Sofia and yanked her into their ranks. She didn’t fight. She didn’t scream. She just… went with them.
Betrayal burned like acid in my veins.
---
Aria’s POV
“Victor, please,” I said before I could stop myself, stepping forward despite Damian’s warning glare. “Leave Sofia out of this. Leave me out of this.”
He tilted his head, studying me like I was prey.
“Oh, Aria,” he murmured, voice smooth as poison. “You think you’re not already in the middle of it? Sweetheart, you’re the reason this entire war exists.”
I frowned, confusion slicing through my fear. “What are you talking about?”
Victor smirked, eyes flicking to Damian.
“You didn’t tell her, did you?”
---
Damian’s POV
My grip on the gun faltered for a fraction of a second.
“Victor,” I warned, my voice low and lethal. “Don’t.”
He laughed. “What, you’re afraid she’ll hate you even more? Go on, tell her the truth about her father. Tell her who ordered the hit.”
Aria’s gaze snapped to me, wide and searching.
“Damian?” she whispered, her voice breaking. “What is he talking about?”
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t.
Victor stepped closer, enjoying every second of my silence.
“Oh, sweetheart,” he said softly, mockingly, “it wasn’t me who killed your father.”
---
Cliffhanger Ending
Victor’s smile widened, cruel and deliberate.
“It was Damian’s mother.”
The words hit me like a grenade.
Aria’s lips parted, shock freezing her in place.
Damian’s face went pale, his grip on the gun trembling for the first time.
And in the silence that followed, Victor raised his weapon…
…and pulled the trigger.
- Writer
