Chapter 10
"Five seconds," Ethan said.
Victoria fired.
The bullet hit me in the shoulder. I spun, hit the ground. Pain exploded through my body like lightning.
But I didn't die.
Three seconds.
Victoria aimed again—this time at my head.
Ethan threw himself at her. They crashed to the ground, the gun skidding across the concrete.
Two seconds.
Victoria screamed, fighting beneath him.
One second.
Midnight.
The clock tower in the distance began to chime.
One. Two. Three...
I lay on the rooftop, bleeding, gasping, staring at the stars.
Twelve chimes.
June 16th.
I was alive.
The pain was real—not a dream, not a reset. The bullet in my shoulder was real. The blood pooling beneath me was real.
And for the first time in what felt like an eternity, tomorrow existed.
Ethan pinned Victoria down, his knee on her back. She was still thrashing, screaming obscenities.
"It's over," he said. To her. To me. Maybe to himself. "It's over."
I heard sirens in the distance—someone at the reception must have called the police after the blackout and gunshot.
"Ethan," I whispered.
He looked at me, and for the first time, I saw his composure crack. His eyes were wet.
"You made it," he said.
"We made it."
I closed my eyes. Not to die. Just to rest.
When I woke up, I was in a hospital room. The morning sun was warm on my face.
I grabbed for my phone on the bedside table. My shoulder screamed in protest, but I didn't care.
June 16, 2024.
I stared at those numbers until they blurred with tears.
A new day. A real, new day.
There was a knock on my door. Ethan stepped in, looking like he hadn't slept—but he was smiling.
"Welcome to tomorrow," he said.
"Is it really—"
"Really real. I checked. Seven times. The loop is broken."
I laughed. It came out as a sob.
"Victoria?" I asked.
"Arrested. She's been talking, trying to cut a deal. Throwing Ryan under the bus."
"Ryan?"
"In custody. The evidence you pulled from the safe—the police have it now. Combined with Victoria's confession, he's done. They're reopening Megan's case."
Megan. His first wife. Natasha's sister.
"Natasha—in this timeline, is she—"
Ethan's smile faded slightly. "She's alive. She's safe. She was never at the hotel this time because I warned her not to come."
The loops had given us that, at least. The chance to save someone.
"And Sophie?" I asked quietly.
"Being questioned. She claims she didn't know about the murder plot—just thought she was helping Ryan leave you for her."
"Do you believe her?"
Ethan shrugged. "That's not for me to decide."
A nurse came in and shooed Ethan out so she could check my vitals. But before he left, he paused at the door.
"Bella. I lived this day over four hundred times. Watched you die in ways that—" He looked at the ceiling. "I'm glad it's over."
Four hundred times.
"How did you not lose your mind?" I whispered.
He looked at me with those dark, steady eyes.
"Because every loop, there was a chance. And you were worth every single one."
He left before I could respond.
Victoria fired.
The bullet hit me in the shoulder. I spun, hit the ground. Pain exploded through my body like lightning.
But I didn't die.
Three seconds.
Victoria aimed again—this time at my head.
Ethan threw himself at her. They crashed to the ground, the gun skidding across the concrete.
Two seconds.
Victoria screamed, fighting beneath him.
One second.
Midnight.
The clock tower in the distance began to chime.
One. Two. Three...
I lay on the rooftop, bleeding, gasping, staring at the stars.
Twelve chimes.
June 16th.
I was alive.
The pain was real—not a dream, not a reset. The bullet in my shoulder was real. The blood pooling beneath me was real.
And for the first time in what felt like an eternity, tomorrow existed.
Ethan pinned Victoria down, his knee on her back. She was still thrashing, screaming obscenities.
"It's over," he said. To her. To me. Maybe to himself. "It's over."
I heard sirens in the distance—someone at the reception must have called the police after the blackout and gunshot.
"Ethan," I whispered.
He looked at me, and for the first time, I saw his composure crack. His eyes were wet.
"You made it," he said.
"We made it."
I closed my eyes. Not to die. Just to rest.
When I woke up, I was in a hospital room. The morning sun was warm on my face.
I grabbed for my phone on the bedside table. My shoulder screamed in protest, but I didn't care.
June 16, 2024.
I stared at those numbers until they blurred with tears.
A new day. A real, new day.
There was a knock on my door. Ethan stepped in, looking like he hadn't slept—but he was smiling.
"Welcome to tomorrow," he said.
"Is it really—"
"Really real. I checked. Seven times. The loop is broken."
I laughed. It came out as a sob.
"Victoria?" I asked.
"Arrested. She's been talking, trying to cut a deal. Throwing Ryan under the bus."
"Ryan?"
"In custody. The evidence you pulled from the safe—the police have it now. Combined with Victoria's confession, he's done. They're reopening Megan's case."
Megan. His first wife. Natasha's sister.
"Natasha—in this timeline, is she—"
Ethan's smile faded slightly. "She's alive. She's safe. She was never at the hotel this time because I warned her not to come."
The loops had given us that, at least. The chance to save someone.
"And Sophie?" I asked quietly.
"Being questioned. She claims she didn't know about the murder plot—just thought she was helping Ryan leave you for her."
"Do you believe her?"
Ethan shrugged. "That's not for me to decide."
A nurse came in and shooed Ethan out so she could check my vitals. But before he left, he paused at the door.
"Bella. I lived this day over four hundred times. Watched you die in ways that—" He looked at the ceiling. "I'm glad it's over."
Four hundred times.
"How did you not lose your mind?" I whispered.
He looked at me with those dark, steady eyes.
"Because every loop, there was a chance. And you were worth every single one."
He left before I could respond.