Arianas eyes blazed with determination as she applied more pressure on the whip.
She was clueless about the mans identity or if the person on the raised platform would step in to help the man in black.
The crowd paused, and even those who had reached for their guns shared unsure looks.
Feeling a bit relieved yet still on edge, Ariana realized the man she held must have some influence. However, with no clear instructions from the person on the platform, she remained catious.
Her primary goal now wasnt necessarily escape but survival.
She maintained a tight grip on the whip, her hands reddened from the strain, using the man in black as a shield against the others.
The man in black, his face reddening from the pressure, struggled as Ariana eased her hold enough for him to say, Dont move. Help me.
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Ariana was trapped with no escape in sight. It was a do-or-die moment, and she chose to gamble everything.
Her gaze was piercing, swiftly scanning the encircling crowd for any hint of movement, her nerves tense.
Deep inside, Ariana was terrified, yet she constantly reassured herself that there had to be a way out, a chance to survive and return home. She was determined not to meet her end here, not with Melon and Holden waiting for her return.
As she tightened her hold on the man she had captured, she stayed on high alert, watching for anyone attempting to get close.
Her throat felt scorched by stress, her mouth so dry that it felt like it was burning. She kept her lips tightly sealed while the man in black gasped for breath.
Suddenly, loud applause burst from the arenas upper levels.
Arianas head snapped up instantly.
The man in the black coat, who had been seated on the high platform before, stood up, clapping. The arena fell silent around his solitary applause.
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Bennett looked down at Ariana, his face wearing what appeared to be a smile, yet Ariana wasnt deceived. His very presence set her on edge.
She kept her eyes Locked on him. Moments later, he casually drew a gun and pointed it at her, his tone calm but sinister as he said, Did you really think I care about him?
The next second, a gunshot rang out.
Arianas body recoiled, and she instinctively closed her eyes, a tear of frustration trickling down.
Her mind went blank, overwhelmed by the sudden, sickening odor of blood. She feared this was her final moment.
Dying here felt incredibly unfair.
Images of her life before raced through her mind; Melon as a newborn, his first steps, the first time he called her mom, the highs and lows with Theodore, and every moment with Holden since they got back together.
She couldnt believe she might never return home.
Yet, the expected pain didnt come.