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The Last Ledger

Chapter 10 SHADOWS AT THE DOOR

Word Count: 2310    |    Released on: 29/11/2025

- SHADOWS

nt felt unu

chaos started. She thought it would be safe, a temporary reprieve from the constant shadows and threats. But

ense alert. The faint hum of the refrigerator, the distant sounds of tra

e last encounter at the pier, the figure in the fog, and the chilling words that threatened Donovan. She

gain. A text from

of time. They're clo

words weren't just a wa

of clothes, and a few basic supplies. She had learned early on that in her situation

a deep breath. I ca

the faintest clic

art st

d-wait. A click. The sound

instinct screamed danger. She grabbed a heavy umbrella

rve in her body screamed to run, but she knew the

louder this time. Some

through the crack of the doo

. "Who is it?" she demanded, t

scraping sound, like a

y calm. She needed to think, to act. She co

r, escape through the fire exit, or-if it came to it-fight.

peared beneath the crack at the bott

ve fo

ley below was dark, deserted. If she timed it right, she could make the j

or. The lock clicked again. Som

the umbrella. She moved toward the fire escape,

hole in the door. They w

raced. Now

bit into her fingers. She inched her way down, careful not to make a sound.

r behind her burst open. Footst

houted, authoritative,

d. They knew her.

pe and into the alley. Shadows stretched along the walls

uscle ached. But she didn

e shadows. Her fingers clutched the flash drive, the s

ley, she saw a figure approachi

ld her

e stopped. Pul

ood ra

one who had sent the chilling texts, t

"You really shoul

umbrella like a lifeline. "Why are

p closer, shadows flickering across his face. "To he

ouldn't read him. Couldn't

d it-a low hu

mehow... it was sig

ey had a tracker. Someo

hispered, p

e dim alley. "Oh, you're cle

taying put was not an option. S

sters and crates, desperate to throw off whoever was following her. The

ay leading to a construction site. Dust and debris littere

rolling to avoid a

eping over the obstacle course she had entere

nough," he

her breath. The construction site was dark, sprawling, and chaotic

he site. Another figure. Someone she didn't recogn

nded. There's no safe place. No

e had survived so far-barely-but every step f

d of the site. Footsteps pound

head sn

ore figures emerging-fast, pr

ming for me. They won't stop un

ng every second counted. But a cold, deliberat

.. you can't

weaving through the labyrinth of

-footste

ffolding. And they were com

ame in ragged gasps. The flash drive

as tr

, a figure dropped silentl

blood r

adows swallowed its form, but she could see the outline-a man, tall, broad

ery instinct screamed to run, to fight, to dis

said, voice low, almost casual, yet edged w

dry. Her mind was a frantic storm of fear, str

cho across the empty construction site. "I've bee

need a plan. I can't get caught. Not

g her voice steady, "I do

off his sharp features. "You want survival. But surv

wed hard. "

help you survive. Refuse... and, well... you've alre

reamed: Don't trust him. He's par

ite meant risking injury-or worse, being cornered. Fighting

he flash drive. It's all

tation. "Decide quickly," he said. "Time

ic click echoed-a sound she immediately recognized. Mercenaries. Som

dropped. They w

no choice. She ha

umber and concrete blocks. He moved with her, surprisingly fast, but didn't str

om a beam, landing just ahead of her path. Kira's hear

pressed against her pocket, a weight heavier than any

lded, his gaze calm and unyielding. "You're

the open side of the site, the crates of materials stac

andoned near a pile of metal rods. An idea

ward the man's legs. He stumbled slightly, not enough

ction site where the ground sloped toward a half-built loading do

felt like running through fire

ng up to a maintenance catwalk above. She leaped, fingers

r the scraping of boots against concrete,

y along it, the flash drive pressing into her chest like a lifeline

ther figure-tall, broad, the same ma

lse surged. There'

ing won't help," he said

, she grabbed a loose piece of pipe fr

can't fight me, Kira.

from below. Footsteps pounded across the sca

ped down. And he

no

died, but alive. His eyes locked on hers, and

Behind him, more figures emerged, all

intly. "Ah... so your friend has ar

nd fled, dodged death at every turn-but now, the sta

ve. Donovan's presence gave her hop

shadows below. Kira barely dodged,

de, almost teasingly. "Go ahead. Ta

tested. Pushed. Manipulated. The empire, the mercenaries, this s

ght, the city seemed to hold its

aced. Survival was no longer enough. She had to fight. She

ep breath, he

ws above, a faint me

omach

st from the men surrounding her-it was something far closer.

ng shook bene

e she cou

kway co

ling as she and Donovan plun

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The Last Ledger
The Last Ledger
“The Last Ledger ‎ ‎Kira Bennett had spent her entire life in the quiet margins. A meticulous, introverted accountant, she preferred the certainty of numbers over the unpredictable tangle of human emotions. Her days were predictable, her nights uneventful, and her world small by design. Until one ordinary evening-one misplaced flash drive-shattered the safety she thought would last forever. ‎ ‎It arrived by mistake, slipped into her files as casually as a memo. But the contents were anything but ordinary. Inside that unassuming drive lay the kind of evidence that could topple an empire-financial trails of corruption, coded transactions, offshore accounts, and the darkest revelation of all: murder. Kira understood numbers better than anyone. But these numbers told a story of greed, blood, and betrayal on a scale she'd never imagined. ‎ ‎Before she could make sense of what she'd uncovered, the threat came knocking. A silent team-merciless, efficient, and trained to erase problems-was dispatched to eliminate her. Kira had always believed preparation and order could protect her from chaos. But rules and caution meant nothing when hunted by ghosts who moved with lethal precision. ‎ ‎Then came Donovan Hale. ‎ ‎Handsome, reckless, and infuriatingly charismatic, Donovan was the last person she expected to crash into her life-and the only person capable of keeping her alive. As the estranged son of the corporation whose secrets the flash drive threatened to expose, Donovan had spent years rejecting his father's empire. He carried his own battle scars, his own buried fury at the rot beneath the polished corporate surface. Bringing the empire down wasn't just rebellion-it was justice. And Kira's accidental discovery was the weapon he'd been waiting for. ‎ ‎Their partnership formed out of necessity, but it was far from seamless. Kira, methodical and cautious, struggled to keep pace with Donovan's impulsive, risk-driven strategies. Donovan, who thrived in chaos, found himself both amused and frustrated by her rigid logic and quiet determination. Yet beneath their clashing styles, an unexpected respect began to grow-a recognition of strength in each other neither had anticipated. ‎ ‎Danger pushed them closer. Every narrow escape, every tense hideout, every shared secret deepened a connection neither of them was ready for. Attraction simmered between them-sharp, undeniable, and every bit as dangerous as the mercenaries chasing them. Kira had never imagined desire could feel like a second heartbeat; Donovan had never imagined he could care for someone who didn't come wrapped in adrenaline and trouble. But love thrives in the shadows where fear and trust collide. And for the first time, they both found something worth fighting for beyond survival. ‎ ‎As they raced through underground networks, abandoned warehouses, and the hidden corners of a city built on deceit, the truth behind the crime ring grew clearer-and more terrifying. The empire's reach was long. Its enforcers were merciless. Allies turned into liabilities. Safe houses became traps. Every step closer to justice carried a heavier cost, and every choice demanded sacrifice. ‎ ‎For Kira, the transformation was profound. The woman who once sought safety in routine discovered a resilience forged in fire. For Donovan, the battle became personal in ways he'd never expected, as protecting Kira forced him to confront the ghosts of his family's legacy-and the man he wanted to become. ‎ ‎Their enemies closed in with suffocating precision, determined to silence them before the truth could surface. But Kira and Donovan were no longer running-they were fighting back. Armed with the damning evidence on the drive, a strategic mind sharpened by terror, and a partnership burning with equal parts adrenaline and longing, they pushed toward the heart of the conspiracy. ‎ ‎The Last Ledger is a gripping fusion of suspense, danger, and electrifying romance. It follows two unlikely allies thrust into extraordinary circumstances-one seeking escape from chaos, the other born from it. Their journey weaves through betrayal, hidden agendas, and high-stakes confrontations, all while exploring the fierce, fragile bond that grows between them. ‎ ‎In the end, their mission is not just to expose corruption but to survive long enough to see justice delivered. And along the way, they discover that the most powerful force in a world built on lies isn't money, secrecy, or control. ‎ ‎It's the unexpected bond between a woman who never wanted the spotlight ‎and a man who'd spent his life running from it. ‎ ‎Together, they are dangerous. ‎Together, they are unstoppable. ‎Together, they are the last hope to bring an empire to its knees. ‎”
1 Chapter 1 THE ORDINARY LIFE2 Chapter 2 A MISTAKEN PACKAGE3 Chapter 3 NUMBERS THAT LIED4 Chapter 4 THE FLASH DRIVE5 Chapter 5 HIDDEN CRIMES6 Chapter 6 THE FIRST THREAT7 Chapter 7 PANIC IN THE SILENCE8 Chapter 8 ESCAPE PLAN9 Chapter 9 UNWANTED ATTENTION10 Chapter 10 SHADOWS AT THE DOOR11 Chapter 11 DONOVAN'S ENTRANCE12 Chapter 12 THE BLACK SHEEP13 Chapter 13 UNEASY PARTNERSHIP14 Chapter 14 RULES AND RECKLESSNESS15 Chapter 15 THE FIRST CHASE16 Chapter 16 SECRETS SHARED17 Chapter 17 A GLIMMER OF TRUST18 Chapter 18 SAFE HOUSES AND CLOSE CALLS19 Chapter 19 UNLIKELY TACTICS20 Chapter 20 THE FIRST KISS IN DANGER21 Chapter 21 CORPORATE MERCENARIES22 Chapter 22 A CLOSE CALL23 Chapter 23 THE TRAIL TIGHTENS24 Chapter 24 BETRAYAL WITHIN25 Chapter 25 FLASH OF DESIRE26 Chapter 26 HIDDEN IDENTITIES27 Chapter 27 FRACTURED TRUST28 Chapter 28 CODES AND CLUES29 Chapter 29 SHADOWS OF THE PAST30 Chapter 30 THE IMPOSSIBLE ESCAPE31 Chapter 31 EVIDENCE IN DANGER32 Chapter 32 CONFRONTING THE EMPIRE33 Chapter 33 DANGEROUS CONFESSIONS34 Chapter 34 THE ENEMY WITHIN35 Chapter 35 THE PLAN TAKES SHAPE36 Chapter 36 RISKING EVERYTHING37 Chapter 37 SECRETS REVEALED38 Chapter 38 PASSION UNDER FIRE39 Chapter 39 BREAKING POINT40 Chapter 40 THE TRAP41 Chapter 41 FACE TO FACE42 Chapter 42 BETRAYAL EXPOSED43 Chapter 43 LIVES ON THE LINE44 Chapter 44 FINAL STAND45 Chapter 45 JUSTICE AND LOVE46 Chapter 46 VICTORY IS A LIE47 Chapter 47 THE MAN WHO WALKED FREE48 Chapter 48 PROTECTED, BUT EXPOSED49 Chapter 49 BLOOD ISN'T LOYALTY50 Chapter 50 THE ACCOUNTANT'S BLIND SPOT51 Chapter 51 LOVE UNDER FALSE PRETENSES52 Chapter 52 THE SECOND EMPIRE53 Chapter 53 THE WOMAN WHO NEVER EXISTED54 Chapter 54 CHOSEN TARGETS55 Chapter 55 WHEN THE PROTECTOR BECOMES THE HUNTER56 Chapter 56 BURN THE PAST57 Chapter 57 BETRAYAL BY DESIGN58 Chapter 58 THE NUMBER THAT ENDS IT ALL59 Chapter 59 NO INNOCENT SURVIVORS60 Chapter 60 THE SILENCE AFTER THE TRUTH