No strings attached / Leon s. Kennedy

Chapter 33

Amber

Footsteps echo outside the room, heavy and deliberate, and my stomach knots with panic. Fuck. Someone's coming. My mind races, trying to figure out my next move, but every second feels like it's slipping away faster than I can think.

"Please," I say, the word tasting bitter on my tongue. I hate that I have to say it, hate that I'm even in this position. "Give it to me. That file... it's mine." My voice wavers, but I force myself to stay steady, to keep my composure, even though my chest feels like it's caving in. "Please."

Ada's smirk falters just slightly as she takes a step back, her gun still pointed at me, but now there's a flicker of something else in her eyes. Nervousness? She glances toward the door, the sound of footsteps growing louder. "Don't come any closer," she snaps, her voice sharp and commanding. She takes another step back, her movements quick and deliberate.

I freeze, torn between desperation and fear, my heart pounding so loudly I can barely think. The handle of the door begins to turn, and my breath catches in my throat. The door swings open, and I feel my stomach drop as two figures step inside.

Leon.

The sight of him hits me like a blow to the chest, and for a moment, I can't breathe. His eyes flick to me, then to Ada, and finally to the gun she's holding. The file in her hand. The scene in front of him. His expression hardens, and it's like a knife twisting in my gut. He sent her. He sent her to take what's mine, to steal from me. He didn't trust me. Of course, he didn't.

The betrayal burns, sharp and raw, but what hurts even more is the weight of my feelings for him—feelings that refuse to fade, no matter how much I want them to. Seeing him now, after everything, tears me apart all over again.

"Amber," Leon says, his voice steady, but there's something in it—an edge of concern, hesitation, guilt. I can't even look at him. It's too much. I feel exposed, vulnerable, and completely shattered.

The other man steps forward, his eyes narrowing as he takes in the scene. "What the hell is going on here?" he demands, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade.

Ada tilts her head, her smirk returning, but it's thinner now, like even she can feel the weight of what's happening. "Just tying up loose ends," she says lightly, though her grip on the file tightens.

Leon's eyes flick between us, lingering on me for a moment too long. I see the conflict in his expression, the hesitation, and it only makes the pain sharper. He made his choice—he sent her. And now, here I am, caught in the fallout of whatever game they're playing, left with nothing but the pieces of my life they've scattered in their wake.

Leon steps forward, his expression hard, voice sharp. "Ada, that's enough. The deal's off. Hand over the file."

Ada shakes her head, the calm control in her demeanor cracking as she tightens her grip on the gun. Her eyes dart between the three of us, a manic edge creeping into her smirk. "Oh no, Leon. I need this. You have no idea how much I need this." Her voice is strained, like someone hanging onto the last thread of something vital. "This isn't about you, or her. It's about what's in here." She holds up the file, her knuckles white against the folder's edge. "The truth."

"Give it to me," Leon demands, stepping closer.

But Ada laughs—a sharp, almost bitter sound that cuts through the room. She glances at me, and I feel the weight of her gaze like a knife pressing into my chest. "Oh, Amber, you really want this file, don't you? You think it'll set you free?" She shakes her head, her laugh softening, almost pitying. "Do you even know what's written in here? Do you really want to know?"

My fists clench at my sides, my nails digging into my palms as she flips open the file. "Don't," I whisper, my voice trembling. "Stop."

But Ada ignores me, her eyes scanning the first page. "Let's see," she says, her voice taking on a sing-song quality as she begins to read.