The tension between Hanna and Elordi was palpable as they sat across from each other, the gravity of their conversation sinking in. Hanna’s heart raced at the thought of what Elordi was suggesting. She couldn’t deny the intensity of the situation, but this? This felt like a step too far.
Elordi leaned forward, his eyes glinting with something dangerously close to excitement. “We need to draw him out,” he said, his voice low and purposeful. “Make him come to us.”
Hanna frowned, not fully understanding. “And how do we do that?”
Elordi’s smirk appeared again, but it was tempered by a seriousness she hadn’t seen before. “By giving him exactly what he wants.”
Hanna’s stomach churned. She could already feel where this was headed. “And what’s that?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Elordi’s gaze locked onto hers, his words simple, yet terrifying. “You.”
Her breath caught in her throat. “Me?” she repeated, her heart pounding in her chest.
He nodded, his expression unflinching. “He wants you, Hanna. He’s been watching you, studying you. If we give him what he wants, he’ll come to us. We can catch him in the act.”
The idea made her stomach turn. She didn’t like this—didn’t like the thought of baiting him like some kind of trap—but she knew deep down that they had no other choice. The stakes were too high.
“I don’t know if I can do that,” she whispered, her voice shaking. “This is dangerous. What if he… What if he goes too far?”
Elordi’s eyes softened, a rare moment of seriousness flickering in his expression. “He will. He already has. But if we don’t take control now, he will keep coming for you. And for everyone you love. We have to draw him out. It’s the only way to stop him.”
Hanna’s mind raced, her thoughts a whirlwind of fear, doubt, and a desperate desire to protect those around her. She had never wanted this life—never wanted to be caught in a battle like this—but she knew, deep down, that if she didn’t fight back, there would be no end to the nightmare.
“I don’t like this, Elordi,” Hanna said, her voice barely above a whisper. “But I don’t know what else to do.”
Elordi’s smirk returned, this time more reassuring. “You don’t have to like it. You just have to trust me. And once we have him, it’ll all be over.”
Hanna nodded slowly, her chest tightening with anxiety. She hated the idea of using herself as bait, but she knew that she had no other choice. The web that Mark had spun around her and her friends was too tangled, too dangerous.
“Okay,” she said quietly, her voice shaky but resolute. “Let’s do it.”
As the days passed, Hanna couldn’t shake the feeling that they were walking on a razor’s edge. Every glance, every shadow felt like a threat—like Mark was waiting, watching, just out of sight. The plan was set in motion, but even as she prepared to confront him, she didn’t feel ready. She didn’t feel safe.
It was a dangerous game they were playing, and they were about to find out just how far Mark was willing to go.
The night before everything was set to unfold, Hanna lay in bed, her mind racing with fear and determination. She thought of Finn, of Emily, of everyone she loved—and she knew that no matter what, she had to do this. For them. For herself.
But as she drifted off to sleep, the haunting words from Elordi echoed in her mind: You just have to trust me.
The line between ally and enemy was beginning to blur, and Hanna wasn’t sure if they were walking into a trap—or if they were already caught in one.
To be continued…
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