Chapter 115 CHAPTER 115
Crossfire at Deez
“Didn’t expect to see me, did you?”
Ayisha froze. The voice, calm and sharp, sliced through the low hum of chatter and clinking coffee spoons inside Deez Café. When she looked up, Chloe was already sliding into the chair across from her, her red nails tapping the table like a slow drumbeat.
“Chloe?” Ayisha blinked in disbelief. “What—what are you doing here? Where’s Tessa?”
Chloe smiled faintly, that kind of smile that never reaches the eyes. “You really think Tessa would come here herself? She sent me instead.”
“That’s not true.” Ayisha’s throat tightened. “Tessa doesn’t send people. She shows up. And of all people, she doesn’t like you.”
“Oh, you know her so well?” Chloe tilted her head, eyes gleaming with a trace of mockery. “Tell me, Ayisha, do you really think she’s on your side?”
Ayisha smiled. The café was dimly lit, golden light pouring from the pendant lamps overhead. Outside, the street glistened from a recent drizzle, catching reflections of car lights and silhouettes moving fast. Somewhere in that blur, Ethan’s figure lingered, a shadow with purpose.
He stood across the street, his hands buried in his jacket pockets, watching through the glass as Ayisha leaned closer to Chloe. He didn’t like it. None of it.
Chloe lowered her voice. “I know what she told you, about loyalty, about trust. But what has she given you in return? Pain. Risk. Fear. That’s all Tessa knows how to do, destroy.”
“That’s not true,” Ayisha shot back. “She’s trying to fix what you ruined.”
Chloe chuckled, brushing invisible dust off her sleeve. “Fix? She can’t even fix herself.” She leaned forward, voice almost a whisper. “You think she’d ever choose you over her pride? You’re just a means to an end, Ayisha. You always were.”
Ayisha’s fingers tightened around her coffee cup. “If you came here to poison me against her, you’re wasting your breath.”
“I came here to save you.” Chloe’s tone softened suddenly. “You’re walking into a trap, and Tessa’s going to be the reason you get caught in it. I can help you. Work with me, not against me. We can both win.”
Ayisha stared at her, confusion and anger tangled in her chest. “Work with you? You framed her. You’ve hurt everyone she’s ever tried to protect.”
“I did what I had to do,” Chloe said simply, eyes glinting like glass. “And I’m giving you a chance to do the same.”
Ayisha shook her head. “No.”
Ethan’s pulse thudded in his temples. He could hear faint sirens echoing somewhere in the distance, getting closer. He didn’t know yet that they were coming for him.
Two black police cars turned the corner, headlights blazing, tires screeching against the wet road.
“Shit,” he muttered, backing away from the glass.
Inside, Chloe noticed the panic ripple across Ayisha’s face. She turned her head just in time to see the lights. “Oh,” she murmured. “Looks like your knight in shining armor just got caught in his own story.”
“What are you talking about?” Ayisha whispered.
Chloe’s smirk widened. “You didn’t think I came here without backup, did you?”
Ayisha’s stomach dropped. “You called the police?”
Chloe’s voice was soft, almost apologetic. “A girl’s gotta protect herself.”
Ethan was already moving, cutting through the alley beside the café. His phone buzzed in his pocket. He didn’t pick up. Not now. Not when everything was closing in.
Through the glass, Ayisha’s hands trembled. She turned to Chloe, anger flashing through her confusion. “You...”
“I set everyone up, sweetheart,” Chloe said, rising from her seat. “That’s the difference between me and the rest of you. I plan ahead.”
“Chloe—”
But Chloe was already walking toward the door, her heels clicking against the tiles.
Outside, the sirens cut through the air, tires screeching as officers jumped out with flashlights and guns drawn.
“Freeze! Hands where we can see them!”
Ethan didn’t freeze. He bolted down the alley, his boots splashing through puddles. The air was sharp with smoke and adrenaline.
Inside the café, customers began screaming, ducking under tables. Ayisha stood frozen, her body rooted to the floor as the blue and red lights painted chaos across the walls.
Chloe turned at the doorway, watching the scene unfold with cold satisfaction. “Should’ve stayed quiet,” she murmured.
Ayisha walked oward her. “What is your problem?”
Chloe laughed softly, side stepping her. “Work with me.”
She disappeared into the night just as officers stormed into the café, shouting commands.
“Down! Everyone down!”
Ayisha raised her hands, tears burning behind her eyes. “Yes..!”
But the officers didn’t listen. They were focused on the man walking down the alley, the one whose name had been whispered in too many reports lately.
Ethan darted behind a parked van, chest heaving, mind racing. He could hear the crunch of boots behind him, the shouts echoing closer.
“Suspect headed east! Cut him off!”
He ducked low, cutting across the street into a narrow lane, his jacket catching on a metal wire. He yanked it free, heart hammering.
The city around him blurred, lights, noise, movement, everything collapsing into survival instinct.