Chapter 106

SHADOWS OF THE PAST 

CHARLES' POV

I had an idea where Axel might be holed up. A gnawing instinct told me he was there, lurking like a shadow waiting for my arrival. Of course, it made perfect sense. Axel was smart— very smart, and cruel enough to know the emotional chess game he was playing. He was good at playing these mind games. Even if he didn’t know we were already on our way, that house would be the first place he would go. 

The car hummed as it glided over the uneven road, and I could hear the faint purr of the tires against gravel. My chest felt tight, and I wiped my sweaty palms on my pants. I swallowed hard, my throat dry despite the dampness on my palms. 

Axel’s game wasn’t just about hurting me physically; no, he wanted to break me from the inside out. Slowly, deliberately. Bit by bit. From Audrey to Bianca, to Mom, and now this—the house. The place that started ev