Chapter 27 Ava
Ava
Pain drags me back.
Cold ground presses into my shoulder blades. Something rough digs into my wrists. My head throbs in slow, heavy pulses, like my skull took the hit and hasn’t forgiven me yet.
I inhale.
Too sharp.
Air burns on the way in.
My vision comes back in pieces—blurred edges, dim light, shadows shifting.
I push up.
My arms don’t move.
Bound.
Of course.
“Easy.”
The voice slides through the haze.
Familiar.
I go still.
I don’t look at him right away.
I won’t give him that.
“Still dramatic, I see,” I mutter, my voice rough.
A soft chuckle answers me.
“Still defiant.”
I lift my head.
Director Hayes stands a few feet away, hands behind his back like he’s observing something routine.
Like I’m not tied to the floor.
Like he didn’t have me dragged here.
Like this isn’t war.
“You took your time finding me,” I say.
He tilts his head slightly, studying me.
“You ran.”
“I survived.”
That earns something—a flicker in his eyes. Not warmth. Not pride.
Approval.
I hate that more than anything.
“I always knew you would.”
I don’t respond.
Because from him, that’s not praise.
That’s ownership.
“You should have stayed gone,” he says.
“Yeah,” I shoot back. “You should’ve stayed dead.”
His mouth curves, just slightly.
Not quite a smile.
Then it’s gone.
“You interfered.”
“You kidnapped me.”
“We recruited you.”
The laugh that leaves me is sharp.
Cold.
“You experimented on me.”
Silence drops.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
There it is.
The truth sitting between us.
He doesn’t deny it.
Doesn’t even try.
“You made me into something I didn’t ask for,” I say, leaning forward just slightly, ignoring the pull of the restraints.
His gaze sharpens.
“We made you stronger.”
My jaw tightens.
“You made me dangerous.”
“Yes.”
No hesitation.
No remorse.
Just fact.
That’s the worst part.
“You should thank us.”
I lean forward more this time.
Chains biting into my wrists.
Pain flaring.
I don’t care.
“You should run.”
That gets his attention.
A real shift.
Small—but there.
Because I mean it.
Because Ethan is coming.
And when he does—
there’s nothing in this world that’s going to stop him.