Chapter 7 A love triangle

The cabin walls felt like they were closing in.

Maya paced the dusty floor, every step echoing in the silence Chase had left behind.

Betrayed. Lied to.

And yet, despite everything, her heart still ached for him.

Pathetic, she thought bitterly.

But emotions weren't logical.

Not when it came to Chase Reynolds.

A sudden knock at the door jolted her from her spiraling thoughts.

Maya froze.

Her heart raced.

Was it Chase? Had he come back?

Slowly, she crept toward the door and peeked through the crack.

Not Chase.

Someone else.

Someone she never expected to see again.

Nathan Blackwood.

The source.

The man who had first warned her about Chase's family. The man who had given her information - and had clearly been hiding secrets of his own.

Maya hesitated only a moment before unlocking the door.

"Nathan," she said cautiously.

He smiled - that same easy, charming smile that had first drawn her in during their meetings at the crowded coffee shops.

"Surprised to see me?" he said.

"How did you find me?" Maya asked, suspicious.

Nathan leaned casually against the doorframe.

"I have my ways. Let's just say you're not as invisible as you think."

Maya swallowed hard.

"What do you want?"

Nathan's expression turned serious.

"You're in danger, Maya. Chase Reynolds is not who you think he is."

A bitter laugh escaped her lips.

"Trust me, I know."

Nathan stepped closer.

"I mean it. He's playing you. He always was. If you stay with him, you'll end up dead - just like the others."

Maya's stomach twisted.

"The others?"

Nathan hesitated, as if realizing he had said too much.

"There are things you don't know," he said softly. "Things Chase can't tell you. Won't tell you."

Maya's mind raced.

Could Nathan be telling the truth? Or was this another web of lies?

And then another thought, more dangerous, more terrifying.

Could Nathan have his own agenda?

She studied him carefully.

His intense gaze. His protective stance.

The way he looked at her, not like a source helping a journalist but like a man seeing a woman he wanted to save.

The realization hit her like a punch:

Nathan wasn't just here to warn her. He was here because he wanted her.

Just like Chase.

Two men.

Both dangerous.

Both hiding truths. Both fighting for her loyalty and maybe her heart.

Maya's hands trembled slightly at her sides.

She was trapped between them - two powerful men with blood on their hands, secrets in their eyes, and the ability to ruin her completely.

Nathan reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

"You don't have to be afraid," he said.

"I'll protect you, Maya. From Chase. From everything."

Maya closed her eyes for a moment.

Part of her wanted to believe him.

Part of her needed to believe him.

But deep down, she knew the truth:

In this world of lies and betrayal, there were no heroes.

Only survivors.

And she would have to choose who to trust and who to destroy.

Before it was too late.