The dim light of the warehouse seemed to flicker with each passing second, casting eerie shadows across Zara's face as she processed the truth. Rev's eyes were fixed on her, the vulnerability and remorse in his gaze unmistakable. For a moment, it felt like the world had slowed, the weight of the past crashing down between them.
Zara couldn't find her words, the shock from the revelation about the crash and Rev's role in it knotting her chest. Everything she had believed about him—the man who abandoned her, the one who vanished without a trace—was shattering before her eyes.
She took a steadying breath, pushing back the emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. "So, you were there... and you just let me think you were gone? You didn't try to reach out? Didn't try to find me?"
Rev's hands balled into fists, but he didn't back away. He took a step toward her, but his voice remained strained. "I tried, Zara. You have no idea how much I wanted to be there for you. But I was pulled into something I couldn't escape. And I thought, if I stayed—if I tried to reach you—it would put you in more danger. I thought... I thought I was protecting you."
She shook her head, the anger still simmering under the surface, but something in her softened. The confusion and the resentment were still there, but there was also a lingering trace of the bond they once shared—a bond that, for better or worse, still tethered them together.
"But you should've told me the truth," she whispered, the words heavy with years of unanswered questions.
Rev's jaw clenched, and for a brief moment, the facade of composure cracked. "I couldn't. I was running. But I wasn't running from you, Zara." His eyes locked onto hers, his gaze raw. "I was running for you. For both of us."
She wasn't sure if she was ready to believe him, but there was a flicker of sincerity in his voice. She couldn't dismiss it—not entirely.
The man in the shadows watched their exchange quietly, as though he was savoring the quiet, emotional clash between the two. When neither of them spoke, he finally stepped forward, breaking the silence.
"You think it's over now, don't you?" The man's voice was cold, detached. "You think knowing the truth about the accident will make everything better? Let me tell you—this is only the beginning. There's a reason you're both here now, and it's not just because of some old race or unfinished business. Someone is still watching. Someone who has plans for you. And you won't survive if you don't learn to trust each other."
Zara turned her gaze toward the man. "Trust each other?" she repeated, the words tasting foreign. "After everything that's happened, you expect us to just trust each other?"
"Yes," he replied simply. "You'll have to. Because if you don't, you won't get out of this alive. And neither will anyone you care about."
The weight of his words hung in the air, and Zara felt the cold hand of fear clutch at her chest. She glanced at Noor, whose face had hardened into a mask of determination, and then back at Rev. His expression was unreadable, but she could see the tension in the set of his shoulders, the strain in his jaw.
"You need to understand something," the man continued, "The accident wasn't just an accident. There were people involved. People who orchestrated everything to keep you apart. To keep the truth hidden. And if you want to get to the bottom of it, if you want to know who's pulling the strings, you have to trust each other. You can't keep running."
Zara's stomach tightened. The man was right, she knew that. But trusting Rev—trusting anyone—wasn't as easy as it once had been.
"You're asking for a lot," Zara said, her voice steady but laced with bitterness. "After everything. After all this time."
Rev met her gaze, his eyes pleading. "I know I don't deserve your trust. But I'll spend the rest of my life trying to earn it, Zara. Please. I know it's not enough, but it's all I have."
Her heart ached at his words, the sincerity bleeding through his anger and regret. The old Zara, the one who had once loved him fiercely, would have believed him without hesitation. But the years of abandonment, the loneliness, the hurt—they weren't so easy to forget.
Noor's voice cut through the tension. "We don't have time for this," she said, her tone firm but caring. "The man's right. We need to move forward. The past will destroy us if we stay stuck in it."
Zara nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. She couldn't afford to let the past define her, not anymore. But she wasn't sure she was ready to let go of the pain, either.
"Alright," Zara finally said, her voice quiet but resolute. "What do we need to do?"
The man in the shadows stepped closer, revealing a faint smirk. "There's a place. A location that will give you the answers you need. But it's dangerous. You'll have to work together. You'll have to trust each other."
Zara exchanged a look with Rev, her heart still heavy with uncertainty. But something inside her told her that this was the only way forward. If she was ever going to understand the full extent of the crash, of everything that had happened, she would have to face it. And, somehow, Rev would be a part of that. Whether she was ready or not.
As she turned to face the man, he tossed her a set of coordinates. "Get there before they do," he warned. "And remember—you can't outrun your past. But you can make it right."
Zara's fingers clenched around the paper, her resolve hardening. She would face whatever was coming. For herself. For Noor. And maybe—even for Rev.