Building Her Throne Burying My Heart (Claire) novel Chapter 63

The mountain road twisted and turned, rough beneath my tires. As I started down a steep stretch, I eased up on the gas and pressed the brakes, but nothing happened. My foot slammed all the way to the floor, but the car just kept picking up speed, flying faster and faster down the slope. I stomped on the brake again, praying for any sign of resistance, but it was useless.

That’s when it hit me. The brakes were gone.

Panic shot through me. I’d just had the car serviced before this trip. How could the brakes fail now of all times? If I couldn’t slow down, I wouldn’t make the next turn. I’d go straight off the edge.

The drop beside the road was terrifying, a slope that plunged dozens of meters down, jagged rocks waiting below. Even if it wasn’t a sheer drop, one wrong move and I’d be done for.

I couldn’t let that happen. I had to find some way to stop the car, or at least slow it down. If I couldn’t save myself, maybe I could at least make the crash survivable.

The car bounced and rattled over the uneven mountain road. I gripped the wheel tight, eyes locked on the road ahead, searching for any chance to survive. There were no guardrails, no safe spots, just sharp turns and the endless drop on one side. Even if I aimed for one of those stone markers at the edge, I could just as easily tumble over the side.

My best shot was to steer into the mountainside itself. If I hit the slope, maybe the airbags would save me. Maybe I’d be lucky. Or maybe this was it.

I fumbled for my phone, but it had slipped between the seats. No time to dig it out. I used the car’s Bluetooth, voice shaking.

“Call Claire.”

Her voice came through almost instantly, worry already coloring her words. “Did you get the fever medicine? If you did, please hurry home. Garrison’s burning up and he feels awful…”

She sounded so anxious, so desperate, but I cut her off.

“Sorry?” she spat. “What good is that now? Why didn’t you say it before? You’re just jealous of Garrison, that’s all this is. You’re pathetic. Not only am I going to marry him, I’m going to make sure you’re there to watch me do it.”

Her voice was so cold, so determined, it froze me inside.

I stared hard at the road ahead, barely keeping my voice steady. “If I died, would that finally be enough for you?”

She hesitated, then answered without a hint of mercy. “What, you think dying will make me forgive you? No chance. If you don’t die by my hand, I’ll dig you out of your grave myself. I want you to feel every bit of the pain I did. Don’t even think about running away.”

Her words felt like that nightmare I’d had, a knife straight to the heart. But even that wasn’t enough to melt the fury in her eyes.