NOTE: For a better reading, when I point out in the chapter listen to the song "Dusk Till Dawn" by Zayn ft. Sia.

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Narrator's Point Of View

"Get in, goddammit!" One of the police officers exclaimed.

Christopher closed his eyes, trying to control himself in face of such ignorance of the officer who was guiding him, but he was soon enough pushed harshly into the police van. The men, properly armed, handcuffed his wrists and placed him on one of the back seats. After being sentenced to jail, Collins was being transferred to the Downstate Prison, where he'd serve forty-two years in prison for his crimes.

"We could be home, but we have to take this asshole to prison."

"Don't complain so much, Bryan! We'll leave him there and then drive back to the city."

"I heard that you're an important businessman, now just look where you're going to spend the rest of your life." The tall blond police officer, Bryan, mocked as he settled himself on the passenger seat.

"I read about his case. I heard that his wife put him behind bars, can you believe it? I saw her picture in the newspaper and God!" The dark-haired police officer commented, accommodating himself on the driver's seat.

"She's a hottie. I would love to have her all for myself. You'd let me, right, pal? Now that you're going to die in a cell, I can take over your role." The blond laughed mockingly.

Collins remained still on his seat. He seemed lost or too focused on his own thoughts. His psychic state was somewhat frightening, since everything was restricted to his new plans, which would soon be fulfilled. He drummed the tip of his fingers on his thigh as he hummed softly. His troubled mind remembered every moment beside his wife, emphasizing every little detail present in her. Camila had become the sole target of that man's desires, and he wouldn't rest until he had her again.

"Let's go to your new home, king." The police officer sneered, followed by a laugh.

The drive would be long, but Collins didn't seem to care. The time gave the officers a bland traffic, since they were driving late at night. Collins started to knock his feet in the corner of the van, causing a continuous and annoying noise.

"Will you stop that shit?" The blond shouted.

The businessman continued as he stared at the van's dashboard from where he was sitting. It was past 1AM, and the GPS indicated that the car had already left downtown. He continued to knock his foot, increasing the frequency of the knocks in an act of malicious mischief. The path they were driving through was deserted and somewhat dark.

"What does this fucker think he's doing?" The other officer grunted angrily.

"He wants to die before he gets to prison."

Christopher continued knocking his foot harder, making the noise unbearable. He saw partially the light of headlights through the dark window of the vehicle, indicating that the game was still on.

"Shit! Stop now!" The blond policeman pointed his gun at the detainee, who continued with all the disarray. "I'm going to kill this son of a bitch!"

The knocks got louder, now in several places. Collins smiled in a disturbing way, and when the blond officer took impetus to lower the partition between the compartments, the van was violently hit on the side, causing the other police officer on the steering wheel to brake abruptly.

"What the fuck?!" The dark-haired policeman exclaimed, frightened, stopping the vehicle in the middle of the deserted road.

"Speed up and get us the hell out of here, goddammit!" The blond shouted.

"Get out of the car now!" Suddenly, a hooded man opened the passenger door, yanking the blond policeman out of the car forcefully.

The driver widened his eyes and pulled out his gun to shoot the unknown man, when he was hit by two shots to the chest.

"No! Let me go!" The blond shouted desperately as the group of men surrounded him.

"Get the body out of the van!" The same hooded man ordered his men.

Collins got up from the floor of the van, feeling a sharp pain on the side of his head. With the strong impact, his body was hurled to the ground, giving him a small cut on his eyebrow.

"Who are you?" The blond policeman shouted.

The same hooded man smirked and, with his boots, stomped hard on Bryan's chest, making the blond groan in pain.

"It's none of your business, my friend. You better shut up if you don't want to die." The same hooded man said as he pointed the barrel of the gun towards the police officer's face. "Open the van!" The man ordered the lackey who was beside him.

The man of medium height nodded his head and walked to the back door of the van with two other men. With some tools, the door of the van was forced open at once.

"You're late." Collins said as he exited the van, stepping onto the deserted road. "Get this off."

"Don't do that, you sons of bitches!" The police officer shouted before being kicked again. "You all deserve to die!"

With one of the tools, the lackey broke the chain between the handcuffs, freeing Collin's arms. The businessman looked at his own wrists, feeling a subtle pain in the red areas on his skin, and then, with an impeccable posture, he walked slowly to the officer lying on the dusty ground.

"What are we going to do with him?" One of the hooded men asked.

Christopher looked around for a moment before requesting the gun attached to the waist of the man in front of him. The hooded man held out his gun towards the businessman, who grabbed it. Collins had a smirk gracing his mouth, which perfectly matched his psychopathic look.

"Bryan, pal, I have a message for you." Collins said devilishly. "It's over for you."

The sound of the shots sounded steady, just like the brutal impact on the police officer's body. The holes caused by the bullets soon enough gushed blood, which spread on the ground.

"Drive the van through the path indicated on the GPS, the vehicle has a tracking device, and I don't want it to be found before dawn, understand?"

"Yes, sir." The leader of the group answered. "Are you sure it doesn't have security cameras?"

"Absolutely. My lawyer paid one of the cops to put me in one of the older cars, and luckily, this one's security system is deactivated." Collins said tranquilly. "Where is the car? Did you bring my clothes?"

"Yes. It's all over there."

"Perfect. Look for John, he has your payment. I hope you enjoy the amount."

"If you need our services again, just call." The leader said when Collins headed for the car parked on the side of the road.

"I won't, I can finish this with my own hands." The businessman said with a smile.

[...]

The drive seemed short, such was the man's eagerness for that moment. Christopher sped away through the streets of New York until he finally reached his final destination: the so exuberant Collins mansion. The car simply stopped in front of the main gate, which was soon enough opened by one of Christopher's trusted security guards. The man had no idea of his boss' intentions, but he looked the other way in exchange for a nice amount of money. The few savings locked in a safe-deposit box abroad financed the king's final plan.

"Is she inside?"

"Yes, sir. She's alone."

The security guard stared at the businessman's devilish look and feared for his decision, but now he couldn't simply back out, so he just allowed his boss' entry and then left his post, afraid of what was to come. Collins got out of the car, equipped with all the objects left by the group of hooded men, and walked into his house. The man felt powerful and strong, as he had never felt before. It was like returning to the battlefield with a great advantage against the enemy. This time, he had the best strategy.

"Home sweet home." He murmured after taking a deep breath.

The silence forced him to be incredibly careful, he didn't want to wake up the beast before the final show. Christopher walked slowly to the middle of the living room, seeing closely the mess installed there. He grabbed one of the wine glasses, wondering who had drank from it. The options that crossed his mind weren't to his liking, taking into consideration the excessive jealousy that dominated him. He squeezed the glass hard, but soon enough pushed away those thoughts that disturbed him. He put down the empty glass and poured himself a good dose of Whiskey, which he sipped slowly. The liquid flowed down his throat burning, giving momentum to his so vibrant desires.

The man spent a few minutes observing every little detail of that place, as if remembering every moment of all the years that he was perfectly controlled by that woman. Camila, or rather, the devil herself, as he liked to think, manipulated him in a thorough, cunning, and above all, astute way. And even though he was fully aware of that, he still felt hopelessly stuck on her, as if the beautiful woman was the only thing that he had left in his life. Christopher wasn't in love with Camila, he was obsessed with her, and not even all the evil she caused him was able to arouse his contempt, on the contrary, it arouse the sick and wicked feeling that filled him inside.

"You shouldn't have done this to me, honey." He whispered as he slid the tip of his fingers over the portrait resting on the small table in the corner of the living room. "I loved you so much, and you betrayed me."

He shook his head, feeling deeply hurt by such betrayal. He sighed, tired, but soon enough went back to the entrance of the house, where he grabbed the four gallons of gasoline, taking them inside the mansion. Collins knew that there was no hope left for a future in liberty and he didn't care about that anymore. His only desire from the moment he found himself inside a jailcell was to go to his beautiful wife and sentence her life at his side forever, and that was exactly what he would do.

"We'll meet in hell, Camila." He laughed devilishly. "Just as it should be."

The flammable liquid was thrown across the hardwood floor, spreading through every corner as he walked. The feeling of satisfaction consumed him, as if he could finally fulfill his dream, he'd have Camila and all his estate solely for him. No one else would have them, not even Lauren.

"I'm coming, honey." He said after he finished pouring the second gallon over the furniture and curtains scattered around the house.

Christopher grabbed the remaining two gallons and headed to the other rooms. In that instant, all he could think about was for how long Camila has been cheating on him. In how many places she had fucked that cop while he slept? He was enraged, he felt cheated, but someone was going to pay dearly. Lauren would never see or touch his wife ever again.

"Cunts."

After emptying out the gallons of gasoline, Christopher went back to the living room, feeling the smell of fuel spread all over. He smiled in satisfaction, picking up his glass of Whiskey that was beside two small objects. The man headed towards the staircase, stopping on the first step, turning his eyes to the rest of the house, making sure that everything was to his liking. Collins was nervous, deep down fear still dominated him, but he was deeply immersed in hatred, all the consequences of his insane acts summed up to having Camila only for himself. He stuck his hands into one of his pockets, pulling out a small silver lighter, which he briefly lit. The vibrant flame flickered graciously with the wind as Collins stared at it, hypnotized. For him, that would be his great victory, and no one could change that.

"I'm the king, Camila." Those were his brief words before he tossed the object onto the wet floor.

The flammable material soon gave life to an intense fire. The flames spread with an absurd speed, turning the Collins mansion into a perfect image of hell. Christopher smiled excitedly as the fire spread through every inch of that house. He felt his heart beating wildly inside his chest, while his head got lost in frantic thoughts. The businessman turned towards the staircase and slowly went up to the long corridor that would lead him to the master suite. The door was partially open, making his job even easier. Upon entering the big room, he immediately noticed his wife's body resting serenely on the bed. Camila was still in a deep sleep, waiting for Lauren so they could eat breakfast.

He approached, watching the half-naked body covered by a delicate lingerie that was accompanied by a black robe that looked very good on her. A smile graced his mouth as he remembered all the nights he had possessed her body at his pleasure. The noise on the ground floor began to be heard, the objects started to burn gradually, while in that suite everything still looked normal. Christopher placed a lonely rose on the nightstand and walked away, sitting down on one of the armchairs on the other side of the bedroom.

After a few minutes, the noises intensified. The ground floor of the Collins mansion was now completely overrun by a destructive fire. Camila shifted on the mattress, oddly restless. Feeling her heart tight, accelerated. That damn bad feeling had returned, bringing with it the signs of insomnia. She opened her eyes slowly as she stretched out on the bedsheets that still smelled like Lauren. An instant smile appeared on her mouth when she finally saw the lonely flower placed on the nightstand.

"Do you like it, sweetheart?" The hoarse voice echoed through the room, making Camila jump on the bed in a jolt. The dark room prevented her from seeing the person's face, but she didn't need to, she knew who it was.

"What..." Her words seemed to get stuck in her throat. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Aren't you happy to see your husband?" He asked as he got up from the armchair.

"This can only be a nightmare..." She closed her eyes several times in an ineffective attempt to wake up.

"Don't hurt me like that, honey. I came here just to see you. And this is how I'm treated?" He asked, visibly offended, as he walked towards her. She moved back on the bed as she felt her whole body shudder. Camila simply couldn't react, she was paralyzed by the fear that dominated her. "You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment. Did you really think I would let you get away with this? No, love. I came back to show you that people like us should stay together."

"You're crazy! Don't do anything you'll regret, Collins." She threatened.

"I have absolutely nothing to lose, Camila."

Camila felt her chest rise and fall in a heavy and thick breath as her eyes searched for something she could use to defend herself. Suddenly, a brutal bang was heard from the ground floor, making the woman crouch down in alarm. An explosion followed by the shattering of the windows was all that could be heard.

"What the hell did you do?" She shouted.

When the woman took impetus to run far away, the man grabbed her firmly by the arm, pushing her body forcefully to the floor. Camila splayed her hands on the floor, trying to get up.

"You're going to pay for everything you did to me, you bitch! There's nowhere to run, unless you want to die in the middle of the fire."

She crawled across the wooden floor as her heart beat wildly inside her chest. Collins approached quickly, pulling her by the arm again. Camila struggled in an attempt to free herself, but the man's strong arms held her tightly, preventing her from even moving.

"Let me go! Oh my God! Help!" She shouted desperately.

"You can scream all you want, Queen. It's just the two of us." The Latina's body was hurled forcefully against the bed, and when she thought about getting up, Collins approached, trapping her body with his. "You look so beautiful today. It was for your lover that you got all dolled up like this, wasn't it? You fucked that bitch in my bed?! In my house!" He shouted, making her cringe in his arms.

The dark smoke began to invade the bedroom, the fire was now spreading on the first floor.

"Let go of me, goddammit!" She shouted, struggling in his arms.

"I should kill that woman, I should make you suffer again with the loss of another person! But why get my hands dirty when I can have you all to myself, huh? You're mine, Camila." Collins' big and firm hands slid maliciously over the woman's tanned skin.

Camila closed her eyes, feeling her chest tighten. She was running out of strength to fight back. The desperate screams were dying in her throat with every passing second.

"No, no..." She murmured in agony.

Collins held her wrists tightly with one hand while his other hand slowly moved up the Latina's exposed thighs. That couldn't end like that, everything she went through in her life couldn't have been in vain. She closed her eyes as a whirlwind of images ran across her mind. Camila felt like crying in despair, fear, and above all, outrage. The businessman released her wrists to grasp the woman's neck with one hand.

"Motherfucker! Let go of me right now!" She shouted angrily.

He laughed mockingly, tightening his fingers around the woman's neck. Camila choked as she felt the air drain from her lungs with every passing second.

"You can't beat me, Camila. You're going to die by the same hands that took the life of your protector." Karla closed her eyes, feeling the outrage take over her inside. She knew that there was no escape, she was bound to end her reign that night; but she wouldn't go down alone, she was determined to drag Christopher to hell along with her. The Latina inhaled as much air as she could into her lungs with difficulty as her vision started to blur. She tilted her face to the side as she moved her arms up and down the mattress with what was left of the strength she still had in her body. And that was when she found the gleaming golden object. In a breath of hope, she stretched out her arm as Christopher's piercing eyes stared at her in a victorious and sick way. "The game is coming to an end."

With the tip of her fingers, she touched the cold object, briefly pulling the bedsheet so that the gun moved towards her. Upon taking possession of the gun, she held it firmly to then strike it against the criminal's head, making the man groan in pain and move away at once. Camila lifted her body quickly, and when she aimed the gun at her enemy, she was hurled to the floor, causing the gun to fall.

"No!"

"You're crossing the line!" He shouted as he grabbed her forcefully. A scream of pain escaped her throat when he hit a hard slap on her face. Blood trickled down her lips, but she didn't give up. Her arms were still pushing him away, hitting him hard, with the rest of the strength she still possessed. Collins hit her again before pulling his revolver from his waist and pointing it at Camila's face. She gasped as she still tried to free herself. Even from a distance, the Latina could see the flames of the fire invading the corridor. There was no way out, that was the end. "You could have stayed by my side, but you chose to betray me."

Christopher was shaking, totally out of control. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead as his sick, wicked gaze was fixed on Camila's bruised face. The fire had started to invade the room, spreading quickly through the curtains and furniture.

"I'd never stay with a worm like you!" Camila seethed furiously, to then spit on his face.

"Bitch!" He seethed furiously as he pointed the revolver to his wife's face.

"You lost everything to me, Christopher! The checkmate will always be mine."

Camila Collins watched the exact moment in which he rested his finger over the revolver's trigger, cocking it towards her. She remained immobile, staring at him authoritatively, even when her thoughts exploded frantically inside her head. In a way, she felt prepared for that moment, as if she expected the end of her reign. She was aware of the possible consequences of that dangerous game when she started it, and she wasn't repentant. She didn't care about death, but about what it would provoke. In that moment, a single face took hold of her mind, making her chest ache painfully. The moments she had lived alongside Lauren invaded her mind in a sequence of torturous images, making her realize that even with death, she was saved. Lauren had saved her, and consecrated her victory.

"It's over."

An explosion followed by the collapse of a part of the house started the beginning of the end.

[...]

Lauren dragged the computer mouse delicately downward, while her eyes remained attentive to all the models of the object displayed on her computer screen. The woman was incredibly focused on finding the one that would perfectly fit Camila's taste. Even after spending hours with the Latina, she still missed her, as if she would never see her again. She felt odd, but didn't do anything, just sighed, ignoring such thought. It wouldn't be fair to bother the woman's sleep just so she could hear her voice, would it?

"Let me through, it's urgent!"

The Agent frowned, hearing a commotion outside, when Iglesias barged into her office like a hurricane. Lauren was startled, the color vanishing from her face.

"Lauren!"

"Jesus Christ! Do you want to kill me?" Lauren asked with her hand on her chest.

"You have to go..." Iglesias said nervously, as she sought words to utter. "A fire! A huge fire!" Iglesias was shaking as she rambled on and on nonstop.

Lauren lifted her body from her chair quickly, approaching her best friend without understanding. Her best friend was distraught, which made Lauren frown in confusion.

"Vero, calm down! If there's a fire going on, we need to call the fire department." The green-eyed brunette said, trying to calm her friend down.

"You don't understand!"

"I do! But we're not firefighters, that's not our job." The Agent countered, walking out her office. "I'm going to call the fire department, give me the address."

Lauren walked hurriedly down the precinct's corridor, when Veronica's voice echoed through the silent environment to her ears.

"A fire in the Collins mansion!" Iglesias vomited the words at once.

*(Play the song – Dusk Till Dawn by Zayn ft. Sia)*

In that split second, Lauren felt her whole body go cold, as if her blood had stagnated inside her body. She swallowed hard, completely immobile, without reaction. The news hit her like a bomb. Veronica's eyes became melancholic and teary, worried about her friend. When a snap in her mind made Lauren wake up.

"Camila..."

The image of Camila in the middle of the flames awoke the Agent who in a jolt sprinted towards the exit of the police station. Lauren rushed down the stairs hurriedly, approaching a police officer who was brusquely pushed to the side so that she could settle inside the vehicle parked there.

"Lauren! You can't drive like this!" Veronica exclaimed as she exited the police station.

Lauren turned the key in the ignition and sped out of there, driving as fast as possible. She didn't care about what that could entail for her, her only thought right now was how she needed to save the woman she loved.

"No, no, no..." She murmured in disbelief. "Camila, tell me you're alright!"

The car moved at full speed, outstripping everyone without any care. The woman kept her teary eyes steadily staring up ahead, while her thoughts tortured her with all the possible outcomes. She felt her chest burn, accompanied by that damn urge to cry.

"I shouldn't have left you alone! This is my fault..." Lauren said as tears escaped from her eyes. "It's my fault." She punched the steering wheel several times.

The Agent couldn't breath as the sobs from her anguished crying escaped from her throat violently. Her foot was pressing the accelerator, forcing the vehicle to work at full speed, even when it didn't have much potency.

"Fuck! Shit!" She shouted as she punched the steering wheel again.

"The van assigned to take Collins to the penitentiary was found on the east side of town. The detainee Christopher Collins is on the run! Two police officers were shot dead." A fellow police officer said through the police radio that was attached to the dashboard of the car, proving that her thoughts were right. Collins was getting his revenge. "All vehicles, head immediately towards the Collins mansion, we have a full fire."

"Tell me you're alive..." Lauren cried, turning the corner with the car quickly. "Please..."

The cars around her honked in outrage due to the reckless way she was driving the car through the avenues of New York. The vehicle sped away across downtown, totally exceeding the speed limit allowed by law, driving through traffic lights and traffic signs without even caring about what that could cause. Lauren slowed down and closed her eyes for brief seconds, wiping away the stubborn tears that prevented her from seeing, when the shrill sound of tires braking drew her attention, forcing her to brake abruptly. And suddenly, both cars partially collided, causing her car to swerve uncontrollably across the avenue until it crashed against one of the streetlights.

The Agent looked around, completely lost, seeing all the other cars around her. Her eyes landed on the GPS, which indicated the exact distance to the burning house. She sighed, feeling a cut on her eyebrow, but she didn't care, she immediately got out of the vehicle under the enraged protests of those involved in the accident, to run madly through the streets, praying to find Camila alive. She felt her tears wash over her face as she remembered the moments that preceded that tragedy. She remembered precisely Camila's broad smile, followed by the so sincere declaration:

"What do you feel, Camila?"

Her eyes, which until then stared into nothingness, returned to mine, rocking my inside vigorously.

"I feel that I'm hopelessly in love with you, Agent Jauregui."

Lauren was being violently invaded by the memories of Camila, while she sought strength to keep on running. Her chest burned with the lack of air, but nothing would make her stop. She just needed to find her.

"You don't seem tranquil, what's going on?"

"I'm fine, love." Camila answered.

"Love?" I smiled in disbelief.

"Oh no..."

I lifted my body, turning her around on the bed at once. I laughed before I straddled her hips quickly.

"Did the all mighty Queen call me love? Did I hear it right?"

"It was a slip of the tongue." She said amid a laugh. "Don't get used to it."

"Mhm, I know you're counting down the minutes to make our relationship public. You want to go out holding hands and go on double dates with your friends? After you made sweet love to me, you got all romantic."

"You can't leave me now..." Lauren whispered breathlessly amid tears, when at last she stopped in front of the monumental house, which was completely overrun with fire.

"So thank you, for everything. I want you to know that you were the best thing that happened to me ever since I lost Charlie. You're the reason why I want to get out of this story and have a happy life."

"Why are you saying all this now? Don't talk like that, it seems like you're saying goodbye..."

"It's a farewell."

Lauren felt the ground fade beneath her feet as she witnessed the destruction of that place. A part of the house was collapsing, while the firetrucks and firefighters tried to contain the fire that flooded the air with dark smoke. She felt her heart stop and her blood stagnate.

"Camila... it can't be..."

Lauren ran through the crowd of people, ducking under the safety yellow tape to step onto the area where the fire brigade was working. Her eyes remained fixed on the blaze of the fire that still burned inside the house. And without any notion of danger, Lauren walked with determination to the entrance of the house, when one of the firefighters grabbed her by the arm.

"You can't go in there!" He said.

"But I need to! Camila's in there! Please!" She exclaimed nervously.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. But you can't. The house is overrun with fire." He dragged her away as she tried to break free.

"You don't understand!" She shouted. "My girlfriend is in there, I can't let her die! Please, let me in!" She pleaded uncontrollably as tears ran wildly down her face.

"I'm sorry." He answered in a pained way. "I can't risk your life."

"Fuck my life, let me through!" Lauren shouted as she was held by the firefighter. "Let me through, goddammit! You're letting her die, can't you see? She's dying!"

"Ma'am, please." Two other firefighters approached to help the other one, since the brunette was using all her strength to break free. "You can't! Everything inside was destroyed. There's nothing else we can do."

"She can't be dead!" She exclaimed helplessly.

"I'm sorry, ma'am."

"She can't die!" Lauren cried out as she fell down on her knees on the ground in exhaustion. "Please, let me save her! I promised I'd protect her..."

Lauren leaned her body forward, bringing her hands to her head in a desperate act. Her sobs mingled with her cries for help, but no one seemed to listen to her. Everyone seemed completely oblivious to the situation. She felt a piece of her being yanked in cold blood, as if she could see Camila's body being consumed by the fire. The policewoman closed her eyes, hearing Dinah's desperate screams in the back.

"I'm sorry, Camila..." Lauren murmured; as Veronica ran over to wrap her in a comforting embrace.

"I'm here for you."

"I need to save her." Lauren cried out, falling apart in Veronica's arms.

"You did, Lauren."

-----

NOTE: *wipes away the tears* God... I don't even know what to say... I mean, we have to be hopeful, Camren is always endgame in Brazilian fics, AND we can't forget who the writer is and what she has done in other fics, even in this one... Evelin's fics are full of plot-twists. I have no idea what is going to happen next, but I don't think Camila's dead *fingers crossed*. Evelin already wrote most of the next and final chapter. Yup... the next chapter is the last one :( so far the chapter has 16k words fghnmfghn She should be posting it soon, I don't know when exactly, but when she does, I'll translate it and post it as fast as possible.