As Layla and Aidan stood in the derelict warehouse, the silence was deafening. The tension in the air was palpable, and Layla could feel the burden of all of her choices too. A gory confrontation that she had been preparing for—and obsessively imagining in her head for weeks—was finally here. It was awkward, very awkward to be specific. Nothing ever was when it came to Kamal, and now, Aidan was in her way.
For quite some time, Aidan's presence had always been supportive but now he felt like a dark cloud looming over her. Allies were allies until they weren't, and the truth slapping her mercilessly when she realised Aidan was just another piece in Kamal's chess game was nothing short of eye opening. Yes, his betrayal had hurt, but these days had been coloured with peace of mind knowing if she wanted to take down Kamal, Aidan would have to be exposed for what he really was - a manipulator and a player in whatever sick game she hadn't fully understood until now.
"You really thought you could take down everything I've built, didn't you," Aidan said, his voice impeccably cold. "You've played every card in the right order and done everything by the book. But this is where it ends, Layla."
Layla stood tall, maintaining her composure even in the face of Aidan's intimidating claims. She had come much too far for him to intimidate her now. "It ends when I say it ends, Aidan. My goal is to expose Kamal, and make no mistake, I won't let you stand in my way."
Aidan narrowed his eyes as he studied her for a brief moment. "You've always had a choice, Layla," he said. "You didn't have to get tangled up in all of this. The choice to go after Kamal was yours. But suddenly, you're out of your depth. There's no winning for you but pain."
Stand your ground, Layla reminded herself repeatedly while her heart raced. "What are you even talking about? This is not about defence at all, Aidan. Do you understand what this is about? This is about stopping a man who has single-handedly destroyed everything. He has taken lives. My family's life. Lives of innumerable people. There is no retreat from this. Ever."
While Aidan's expression softened, it was evident he felt no sympathy.
It was more like a moment of epiphany, where he recalled the magnitude of her fury and the magnitude of his slip ups. A deep voice escaped his lips, "Do you really think you're the only one to lose everything? You think that Kamal is the only one who has been playing this game for years? The reality is, you have no idea how it feels to be stuck in the middle of nowhere, with absolutely no option other than this brutal extraction to keep you alive."
Her gaze was no longer a gaze that trusted him, rather, she was looking at a reality where for the longest of time, a shadow had been living off of her trust and tricking her. "Aidan, you made your decisions. You are as elaboratively involved in Kamal's empire just as he is. And the truth is, the real judgement is yet to come. You are not the classic, gut-wrenching voyeur that you consider yourself. No, it is you who was in tandem with him at the reins."
Layla pointed out, meticulously observing how Aidan had blanked out. The change of sight bore new experience for her. There, for the first time, she spotted a glimpse—granted it may be a trifling amount, a flicker of something. Wondering what it was crossed her mind as doubt, maybe even regret amongst the abundance of fury that has brewed in her for so long. No, this is reality, she reminded herself. The side had gotten chosen, turning back is no option.
"I never meant for you to uncover the truth in this manner," Aidan's tone was apologetic, perhaps betraying emotion. "But I had no other option. I withheld information for far too long and worked alongside Kamal. If you think everything will just tear apart on its own without any ramifications, then you are gravely mistaken. Kamal will make sure you will never win this."
With an unwavering stance and unshaken resolve, Layla's fists were at her sides. "Kamal can try, but let's be honest. I am not scared of him and never have been."
For Aidan, the expression from her was unfathomable and he said nothing. "You think hope and sheer determination is all that's going to propel you to win the battle against Kamal? Not going to lie, that won't cut it, Layla. You'll need more than that. You'll need backup, resources, allies—everything you sorely don't have."
"You are so mistaken." She defied, taking another step forward. "What I possess is something you are incapable of grasping. Kamal's empire was built on a foundation of lies, and I am bound to expose them all. He will be stripped of everything because guess what? I have everything needed to obliterate him. With all due respect, you are the last piece to the puzzle."
Aidan was still frustrated and contorted, but this time around, it was clear to see that confidence from Aidan was slowly but surely chipped away.
He had never anticipated that she would come so close to destroying everything he had worked on for the longest time. Now, Layla was just about ready to reveal the truth behind his façade and the extent of his betrayal.
"What is it you desire Layla?" Aidan queried softly, an undertone of resignation apparent in his voice. "You think you can eliminate me, finish off Kamal, and just stroll away unscathed? You're sadly mistaken. This is a contest for control, and you have no chance of winning."
Despite the heart thumping inside her chest, she maintained his gaze. "I will not bend, not now," she firmly declared, not sparing him even a moment's reprieve. A pawn no longer, "Aidan, I am done being strung along."
"You're still sorely mistaken," he said coldly before letting out a low, incredulous chuckle. "You should get credit for one thing. Right now, it's your game, but try to take a guess. You have only two chances: it's not finished, and not for the two of us."
As he began to walk away, a crashing wave of something indescribable caught in the depths of Layla—maybe sorrow, or the sobering acknowledgment that she was finally crossing a drawn-out and tangled culmination, but the concoction was causing worry. With empty threats, Kamal's empire was steadily crumbling piece by piece and Layla intended to expedite the process, ensuring scattered debris.
Having laid bare Aidan's deceit, and with the remaining components of her strategy materializing "…the truth, the determination, and the strength to demolish her opposition." Layla could perceive that the next stage of this fight had begun at this stage. The loss that she had gone through was too much, however at
this moment, everything was within reach.