No flowers for the dead - Chapter 13: Chapter 13
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They didn’t blindfold her.
They didn’t need to.
Alina knew this was still a game—and she was still the piece meant to pull Elias to his knees.
But something had changed.
The energy in the air buzzed differently now.
There were more guards. Tighter formations. Tension sharp enough to bleed on.
Whoever had ordered her release wasn’t doing it from a place of power—but fear.
She watched carefully as they loaded her into another black SUV. The same woman from before sat in the front, silent, fingers tapping on the wheel.
“You’re letting me go,” Alina said flatly.
The woman didn’t respond.
“I want to speak to Elias.”
“You’ll see him soon.”
Alina stared out the window, jaw tight. “You don’t get to break me into silence and then pretend you’re the one saving me.”
Still, no response.
Only the hum of the road beneath them.
⸻
Elias was waiting when the car pulled into the underground garage beneath one of his private properties—far from the tower, far from the eyes of the city.
He looked different.
Tired.
Harder around the edges.
Like something had been carved out of him while she was gone.
But when she stepped out of the car and their eyes locked—
The rest of the world stopped.
She ran to him, and he caught her, lifting her off the ground, burying his face in her neck as if he needed her to breathe.
“I thought—” he began, voice breaking.
“I know,” she whispered, arms tightening around him. “So did I.”
He didn’t let go for a long time.
Neither did she.
⸻
Later, inside the penthouse, she sat curled on the couch in one of his shirts, warm tea untouched in her hands.
“Tell me everything,” she said.
Elias leaned against the wall, arms crossed, eyes unreadable. “They wanted to remind me I don’t get to choose who I love.”
“You do.”
“I did. And now they’re afraid of what that means.”
He walked to her, kneeling in front of her, taking the mug from her hands.
“Alina, I don’t want you to spend your life looking over your shoulder.”
She reached out, touched his cheek. “You’re the only thing I ever chose for myself. You think I regret that?”
His voice dropped, raw. “They’ll come back.”
“Then let them.”
She leaned in, pressing her forehead to his.
“We’re not alone anymore. You forget how many people we’ve helped. How many owe you. How many love you, Elias, even if you’ve never let them say it out loud.”
He closed his eyes.
“Let me fight for you now,” she whispered.
⸻
Across the city, the board was in chaos.
Elias’s attack on the family’s offshore accounts had triggered a financial quake, and internal loyalty was cracking.
Some whispered defection.
Others whispered fear.
But all of them knew one thing:
The war had already begun.
And the boy they thought they owned was now the man they couldn’t contain.
Not because of what he had.
But because of who he refused to lose.
They didn’t need to.
Alina knew this was still a game—and she was still the piece meant to pull Elias to his knees.
But something had changed.
The energy in the air buzzed differently now.
There were more guards. Tighter formations. Tension sharp enough to bleed on.
Whoever had ordered her release wasn’t doing it from a place of power—but fear.
She watched carefully as they loaded her into another black SUV. The same woman from before sat in the front, silent, fingers tapping on the wheel.
“You’re letting me go,” Alina said flatly.
The woman didn’t respond.
“I want to speak to Elias.”
“You’ll see him soon.”
Alina stared out the window, jaw tight. “You don’t get to break me into silence and then pretend you’re the one saving me.”
Still, no response.
Only the hum of the road beneath them.
⸻
Elias was waiting when the car pulled into the underground garage beneath one of his private properties—far from the tower, far from the eyes of the city.
He looked different.
Tired.
Harder around the edges.
Like something had been carved out of him while she was gone.
But when she stepped out of the car and their eyes locked—
The rest of the world stopped.
She ran to him, and he caught her, lifting her off the ground, burying his face in her neck as if he needed her to breathe.
“I thought—” he began, voice breaking.
“I know,” she whispered, arms tightening around him. “So did I.”
He didn’t let go for a long time.
Neither did she.
⸻
Later, inside the penthouse, she sat curled on the couch in one of his shirts, warm tea untouched in her hands.
“Tell me everything,” she said.
Elias leaned against the wall, arms crossed, eyes unreadable. “They wanted to remind me I don’t get to choose who I love.”
“You do.”
“I did. And now they’re afraid of what that means.”
He walked to her, kneeling in front of her, taking the mug from her hands.
“Alina, I don’t want you to spend your life looking over your shoulder.”
She reached out, touched his cheek. “You’re the only thing I ever chose for myself. You think I regret that?”
His voice dropped, raw. “They’ll come back.”
“Then let them.”
She leaned in, pressing her forehead to his.
“We’re not alone anymore. You forget how many people we’ve helped. How many owe you. How many love you, Elias, even if you’ve never let them say it out loud.”
He closed his eyes.
“Let me fight for you now,” she whispered.
⸻
Across the city, the board was in chaos.
Elias’s attack on the family’s offshore accounts had triggered a financial quake, and internal loyalty was cracking.
Some whispered defection.
Others whispered fear.
But all of them knew one thing:
The war had already begun.
And the boy they thought they owned was now the man they couldn’t contain.
Not because of what he had.
But because of who he refused to lose.
End of No flowers for the dead Chapter 13. Continue reading Chapter 14 or return to No flowers for the dead book page.