Chapter 18 Half a month passed quickly , and Elijah showed no signs of letting Zoe go . She , on the other hand , had no intention of playing along with his fantasy of redemption . The moment midnight struck on the 15th day , she pushed open his bedroom door without hesitation . Inside , Elijah was holding one of her photos . " Babe ... " he whispered obsessively , while his other hand moved across his aroused body . When he saw Zoe just standing there , not a trace of embarrassment from being caught crossed his face . Instead , his eyes lit up instantly . " Babe , does this mean you've forgiven me ? " he asked . Hearing that , Zoe remained perfectly calm . " The 15 days are up , so let me go, " she reminded . Elijah froze mid - motion , and the light in his eyes dimmed . " Did these past 15 days mean nothing to you ? Was there not one second where your heart wavered ? " A hollow laugh escaped Zoe . " And what about you ? When you were causing me pain , did your heart ever waver even once ? " At that , Elijah's head dropped . His messy hair shadowed the madness twisting his face . " Alright then . Rest early . Tomorrow , I'll take you home . " II . The next morning , he kept his word and took her on his private jet , just as he had when he first took her away . Stepping onto the garden grounds of the Quinn Manor , Zoe could hardly believe that the same man who had been so violently unhinged now seemed so composed . Before entering the house , she turned to Elijah and said , " Let's not meet again . I wish you happiness . " But he only let out a soft laugh and replied , " Oh , babe , how could I possibly let you leave ? " Just as he finished , he swung the jet's back hatch open . It was packed with explosives inside . Elijah's eyes blazed with a mix of obsession and madness . " Ave , since you refuse to stay by my side , then let's write our final chapter together . A world without you isn't one I care to live in . " Zoe froze where she stood , thunderstruck . Behind her , Rowan and Malcolm rushed out to meet her . Unlike before , they didn't let her face Elijah alone . They stood on either side of her and held Chapter 18 her hands firmly . " Don't be afraid . We'll face this together . " But how could Zoe live with herself if Rowan died for her sake ? A searing pain tore through her chest , giving way to a sudden , mirthless laugh . Perhaps this was her lot in life . She was destined for sorrow and accepted it . Breaking free from Rowan's grip , Zoe rushed toward Elijah . It would be better to live the rest of her life in disgust than to drag her loved ones into the grave . But just as she was a few steps away from him , a strong force shoved her to the ground . Malcolm had charged forward and boarded the jet while everyone was distracted . The roars of the propellers echoed through the estate . Zoe's heart sank , and a horrendous thought struck her . Malcolm intended to fly the jet away and let it explode in mid - air . Sure enough , from inside the cockpit , he gave her a gentle smile before pressing the ignition . " No ! " Zoe screamed , her vision blurring with tears . She collapsed to her knees , clutching her face as sobs poured through her trembling fingers . Elijah stared at her , stunned by her despair . Clenching his fists , the madness in his eyes gradually stilled into calmness . Finally , he realized that she would never have anything to do with him , ever again . " Ave , I suppose I should call you Zoe now . I've kept using your old name because I was deluding myself . I convinced myself that by refusing to accept it , we could go back to how we used to be . " Squeezing his eyes shut , he seemed to finally come to a realization . " But now , I see how wrong I was . You've long since moved on , while I've been stuck in place . We were never meant to meet again . " Zoe also seemed to realize something . Her breath caught , and she stared at Elijah , stunned . Then , he let out a bitter laugh and continued , " I made many mistakes in the first half of my life , and only recently did I realize where my heart truly lies . If fate dictates that only one of us can find happiness , then I want it to be you . " Before she could respond , he turned and sprinted toward the jet , vaulting into the cockpit . With one swift motion , he shoved Malcom out of the seat and took his place , Through the windows , as the jet lifted higher , Zoe saw Elijah's face soften with a tenderness she had never seen before . The roar of the blades drowned out everything , but by reading his lips , she knew what he said . Chapter 18 373 " I love you . " A deafening explosion tore across the sky . The ringing in Zoe's ears dragged her back to the day they first met . Back then , Elijah was an insolent heir who thought the world revolved around him . He couldn't even be bothered to meet her eyes when he spoke to her . " So you're the fiancee Dad picked for me , " he sneered . " You'll do , but that's too bad . There's nothing I loathe more than being coerced . " Yes . Their relationship had been doomed from the beginning . Zoe remembered the one year when things seemed normal . Sitting side - by - side in the attic under the stars , he had murmured to himself , eyes half - closed . " This wouldn't be a bad way to spend the rest of my life . " She remembered him in the hospital , whispering as he touched her face , " I wish it had been you who saved me . " A relationship doomed from the start had no chance of righting itself . Their paths were fated to diverge from the start .