CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
DANIEL'S POV
The night after I overheard Tanya's plans, sleep never came to me.
Her words kept echoing in my mind—her cold promise to destroy her enemies, her vow to take revenge not only on her family but also on my kingdom.
I had seen many sides of Tanya…
Cruel.
Proud.
Merciless.
But what I heard that night was something far more dangerous.
It wasn't just anger.
It was calculated revenge.
And for the first time, I didn't know whether I should fear her… or try to save her from herself.
---
The next day, I followed her.
Carefully.
Silently.
She moved like nothing had happened, as if the darkness inside her had already made peace with her decisions.
When she arrived at Zarion Global Enterprises, I stayed at a distance, watching everything unfold.
By the time she walked out of that building…
Her family was already destroyed.
Not dead.
Not yet.
But everything they had ever built… was gone.
And I knew—
That was only the beginning.
---
After being thrown out of the company, Tanya's uncle and his family had lost everything overnight.
Their power.
Their pride.
Their control.
But not their hatred.
Inside a small rented house on the outskirts of the city, the atmosphere was filled with rage and desperation.
"This is not over!" the uncle shouted, slamming his hand on the table.
Marah sat quietly, her face pale but her eyes burning with anger.
"She took everything from us," she said bitterly. "Everything that was supposed to be mine."
Her mother leaned closer, her voice low and venomous.
"Then we take her life."
Silence filled the room.
Heavy.
Deadly.
The uncle slowly nodded.
"If she is gone… everything returns to us."
With the last of their savings, they made a decision that would change everything.
They hired men.
Dangerous men.
Men who did not ask questions.
Men who only cared about money.
---
Back at the company, Tanya stood by the large glass window in her office, staring at the city below.
Her expression was calm.
Too calm.
But inside her mind, something dark was awakening.
"They think being thrown out is enough?" she whispered to herself.
A cold smile formed on her lips.
"No… that is only the beginning."
Her fingers slowly curled as a dark aura flickered around her.
"I will make them suffer."
Her voice dropped into a dangerous whisper.
"I will make them crawl before me… begging for mercy."
Her eyes darkened further.
"And I will watch them break."
In her mind, she could already see it—
Marah running helplessly through the streets.
Desperate.
Crying.
Begging for help that would never come.
Her parents collapsing one by one, their bodies consumed by a mysterious sickness.
A curse.
A slow death.
Tanya closed her eyes briefly.
"I will take everything from them… just like they tried to do to me."
---
But what Tanya did not know…
Was that danger was already moving toward her.
---
I was on my way to the company when I heard voices coming from a quiet corner near the parking area.
Low.
Suspicious.
I slowed my steps.
Careful.
Then I saw them.
A group of men.
Armed.
Dangerous.
"…we wait for her to come out," one of them said.
"And then we grab her."
Another one scoffed.
"Why waste time? Let's just shoot her and finish it."
My heart stopped.
Shoot?
Tanya?
I stood frozen for a moment, trying to process what I was hearing.
But none of that mattered now.
She was in danger.
---
Then I saw her.
Tanya.
Walking out of the company.
Calm.
Unaware.
Everything happened too fast.
There was no time to think.
No time to warn her.
The man lifted his gun.
Pointed it straight at her.
And pulled the trigger.
---
My body moved before my mind could catch up.
I ran.
Fast.
Without hesitation.
Without fear.
---
The sound of the gunshot echoed in the air.
And then—
Pain.
Sharp.
Burning.
Exploding through my body.
I felt the impact as the bullet pierced through me.
My legs gave in.
And I fell.
---
"Daniel!"
I heard her voice.
For the first time—
Not cold.
Not cruel.
But shaken.
---
Tanya appeared beside me in an instant.
Her eyes wide.
Her expression filled with anger… and something else.
Something I had never seen before.
"Why would you do that?" she demanded, her voice trembling.
I tried to speak, but no words came out.
My vision blurred.
Darkness slowly closing in.
---
The men ran away in panic.
But Tanya didn't chase them.
She didn't even look at them.
Her focus was only on me.
---
"You fool…" she whispered.
"You dare risk your life for me?"
Her voice cracked slightly.
"You don't even know what I am…"
---
Before anyone could notice anything, Tanya made her decision.
She couldn't stay.
Not here.
Not where humans could see.
In the next second—
We disappeared.
---
Back in the covenant.
Back where magic ruled.
Back where she could save me.
---
For three days…
I knew nothing.
No sound.
No light.
No pain.
Only darkness.
---
But Tanya…
She never left my side.
Not once.
She ignored everything else.
The covenant.
Her revenge.
Her plans.
Everything.
---
She sat beside me, watching over me in silence.
Her usual cold expression was gone.
Replaced by something fragile.
Something broken.
---
"You idiot…" she whispered softly one night.
"You were never supposed to matter to me."
Her hand hovered over mine before finally holding it.
Gently.
Carefully.
As if I would disappear.
---
"I was supposed to hate you," she continued.
"But now…"
Her voice trembled.
"I don't even understand what I feel anymore."
---
She looked at my unconscious face, her eyes filled with pain.
"If you die…" she whispered,
"I swear… I will destroy everyone responsible."
A pause.
A shaky breath.
---
"And if you live…"
Her grip tightened slightly.
"I will treat you differently."
---
For the first time since I met her—
The witch who showed no mercy…
Was afraid of losing someone.
---
END OF CHAPTER TWENTY TWO