Total pages in book: 33
Estimated words: 30287 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 151(@200wpm)___ 121(@250wpm)___ 101(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30287 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 151(@200wpm)___ 121(@250wpm)___ 101(@300wpm)
The closer we get to the trailer, the harder it is to breathe. The circus has always been chaotic, filled with misfits and outcasts, but it was family, a place where I thought trust still meant something. Now, that trust feels fragile, like the thin veneer of happiness we project during our performances. I glance at Alex, his face set in determined lines, and even though we’re not talking, I can feel the same weight hanging between us.
It’s all about to change.
We reach the trailer, the door cracked open just enough for us to slip inside. My hands tremble, a mix of anger and disbelief bubbling in my chest. I’ve laughed with this person, worked side by side with them. And now… now I have to accept that it was all a lie.
Alex gestures for me to stay close, his movements quick and calculated. He’s in detective mode, and for the first time, I’m grateful for it. I need that detachment from him right now. If I let myself feel too much, I’m not sure I’ll be able to hold it together.
Inside, the trailer is dimly lit, the air stale. Papers are scattered across the small table, ledgers, contracts, and what looks like animal transport records. My breath catches in my throat as I scan the documents, my eyes landing on something that makes my blood run cold: a detailed plan for selling off more animals. There, in black and white, is Zeus’s name.
Zeus.
I freeze, my mind racing, the horror of it crashing into me like a wave. My hands grip the edge of the table, knuckles white. If we hadn’t uncovered this, if we had been just a day later… Zeus could’ve been gone. Sold off like some object, reduced to nothing but a number on a ledger.
The thought sends a sharp jolt of rage through me, stronger than anything I’ve felt in a long time. My vision blurs for a second as I struggle to keep it together. I can’t lose him. Not him. I’ve already lost too much.
I turn to Alex, and for the first time, I see the same shock mirrored in his eyes. He’s usually so composed, so controlled, but even he’s rattled. This betrayal isn’t just about the animals—it’s about the circus, about everything we’ve built here. And it’s about trust. My trust.
I feel sick.
“How… how could they do this?” I whisper, my voice trembling. “How could someone I know… someone I’ve trusted…”
Alex shakes his head slowly, his expression dark. “I don’t know, but we need to move fast. They’ll know we’ve found this.”
I swallow hard, trying to push down the surge of emotions threatening to break free. There’s no time for that. We have to act. But all I can think about is how close I came to losing Zeus, how I never saw this coming. The betrayal stings, raw and unforgiving, and it’s like a wound I don’t know how to heal.
I step back from the table, the documents still burning in my mind, and the room tilts for a second. How did I not see it? How did I not realize that someone close to me was capable of this?
Suddenly, the anger flares up again, hot and fierce. I clench my fists, my body shaking with the force of it. “We trusted them,” I say, my voice tight. “We let them into our lives, and they used us. They used the animals.”
Alex steps closer, his presence grounding me, even though I don’t want to admit it. “Sophia, I know this hurts, but we can’t let this stop us. We’ve got what we need. Now we stop them before they can do more damage.”
I meet his gaze, and for a moment, the anger recedes, replaced by something else. A flicker of understanding, of shared fury. We’re in this together, whether I want to be or not. And despite everything—despite the lies and the betrayal—Alex has been the one person I can rely on through all of this.
It scares me how much I need him right now.
I take a deep breath, forcing myself to focus. “We need to get Zeus out of here,” I say, my voice steadier now. “We need to protect him. I can’t… I can’t let them take him.”
“We will,” Alex says, his voice firm. He reaches out, his hand brushing against mine for just a moment. The contact is brief, but it sends a ripple of heat through me, cutting through the cold anger that’s been holding me together. “We’ll protect him, and we’ll stop them.”
There’s something in his voice, something more than just determination. And in that moment, despite everything that’s happened, I feel a flicker of trust again. Maybe it’s because we’re in this together, or maybe it’s because, after all the lies, he’s the only one who’s been honest about what’s at stake.