Novel-novel oleh Censia

The door to the black car shut with a solid slam.RAyNe exhaled sharply, blood still drying beneath the fresh bandage on his arm.Gianni glanced at him through the rearview mirror."Begin the search," RAyNe muttered. "Whoever took her... it has to be someone who knows me. Or someone who knows her.""Yes, boss," Gianni replied, already tapping into the secure satellite interface wired through the dashboard. "I'll mobilize all local trackers. If she's breathing, we'll find her."RAyNe leaned back, knuckles whitening.He wasn’t going to wait for fate to be kind.He was going to force its hand.The estate gates groaned open, and RAyNe stormed into the mansion with the rage of a god on the brink of destruction.Guards stepped aside.Siara was descending the stairs in a silky robe, holding a wine glass with her usual arrogance.She didn’t even flinch as he approached.Until his hand wrapped around her throat."RAy…!" she choked, glass dropping and shattering against the marble.He slammed h

"Fuck! They’re circling left!"Lucian’s voice thundered over the deafening sound of gunfire. RAyNe ducked behind a burnt-out SUV, blood spraying the side mirror as bullets ricocheted everywhere."I see them!" RAyNe growled, lifting his weapon and taking down two men with clean shots to the chest. "Move!"The deal had gone sideways the moment they’d stepped foot on the compound.A rival cartel had set a trap, and now, RAyNe and Lucian were knee-deep in blood, gunpowder, and chaos.His phone vibrated in his pocket. Again.Then again.He ignored it, too focused, too sharp…Until the last man dropped.Silence. For a second.RAyNe exhaled, panting. Then pulled out his phone.Gianni’s name flashed across the cracked screen.He answered."Miss Castillo... she jumped off the balcony."That was all he heard.A gunshot split the air.His body jerked.His phone flew from his hand and shattered against the pavement.Lucian shouted his name as blood poured from his shoulder."RAyNe!""I’m fine!"L

The silver tray clinked lightly in his hands.RAyNe stood at the threshold of the cold room where she was being kept…this time, not with anger, but something far worse.Uncertainty.His fingers flexed around the handle of the luxury breakfast platter, steam curling from golden pancakes, exotic fruits, poached eggs, and freshly pressed juice in crystal glasses.But Nirvana didn’t even lift her head.She was seated on the floor, back pressed against the wall. Her legs drawn to her chest. Her eyes were hollow, dry, empty.She looked like she hadn’t slept at all. Her skin looked pale against the oversized shirt someone had left her with. She didn’t even glance up when he stepped in."You haven’t eaten in three days," he said finally, placing the tray down on the small table near the door.No response."You need to eat."Still nothing.He took two slow steps forward, stopping when he saw her flinch—just the smallest twitch of her shoulder."Nirvana."Her head didn’t move. Her gaze stayed f

"She may never walk again."The words echoed like a bullet through marble.Lucian stood frozen beside RAyNe, jaw tightening as Dr. Elias Monroe exhaled heavily and removed his surgical gloves.RAyNe didn’t blink.He stared straight ahead. Blank. Cold. Still."Say that again," he whispered.Elias looked at him with a mixture of sympathy and fear. "The trauma to her spine is severe. It’ll take weeks…months..to even know the full extent. But from what we’ve seen... she may never walk again."Lucian stepped forward. "What about therapy? Transplants? We can afford anything…""We’ll do everything," Elias cut in gently. "But we need to be realistic. Sienna’s been through too much. Her body’s fragile. She’s still in a coma, RAyNe."RAyNe’s fists curled so tightly, his knuckles cracked."I just found her," he muttered.Lucian lowered his head.Sienna hadn’t been kidnapped.She had been lost.When RAyNe was ten and Sienna only four, after their parents were killed in a tragic car accident, thei

"You’re late," Adrian snapped, slamming the door shut as soon as Siara walked in.She tossed her clutch on the glass table, unbothered. "And you’re still breathing. Lucky you."Adrian poured himself a drink, hands slightly shaking. He hadn’t been the same since RAyNe stormed that warehouse. Since Nirvana disappeared from their radar. He paced more now. Slept less. Paranoia was seeping into his bones."You shouldn't have come here. Not with everything so hot.""Relax," Siara rolled her eyes. "I’m not stupid. I wasn’t followed.""He’ll come for us.""No," she said coolly, taking the glass from his hand and drinking it herself. "Not anymore. I’ve taken care of it."Adrian frowned. "What the hell are you talking about?"Siara’s lips curled into a smile as she sat on the armrest of his couch. "I gave him something else to worry about.""What did you do?""I made Nirvana the villain."Adrian blinked. "You what?""She’s locked up. Confined like a dog. Everyone thinks she tried to kill RAyNe’

"SOMEONE CALL FOR HELP!!"The shriek cut through the upper floor like a razor. One of the younger maids was screaming from the hallway outside the guest wing, her face white with panic.RAyNe's head snapped up.Nirvana's heart dropped.She hadn’t moved from the top of the stairs since finding Sienna’s bloodied body. Her limbs had gone stiff, her voice frozen in her throat."What happened?!" Elias's voice boomed as he sprinted up the steps with RAyNe and Lucian close behind."I…I don’t know, she just…""Move!" RAyNe barked, shoving past them. He saw Nirvana frozen in place, and then…His eyes landed on Sienna at the bottom of the stairs."Sienna!" he roared and bolted.Elias dropped to his knees beside her, checking her pulse, tilting her head carefully."She’s alive," he murmured, "but she needs to get to the hospital immediately. Head trauma. Possible spinal injury."RAyNe turned his gaze up the stairs slowly…locking eyes with Nirvana.His chest heaved. His stare darkened."What the

“Noel!”The voice made him pause at the bottom of his building steps. His key had just locked the door behind him when he heard it.Slowly, he turned.Vincenzo stood across the pavement, hands in his coat pockets, face taut. Dark circles under his eyes. Hair tousled like he hadn’t slept. There was no security flanking him. Just raw, stripped-down presence.Noel exhaled.He didn’t smile. He didn’t move.Vincenzo took a tentative step closer.Noel took one back.“How may I help you, Mr. De Luca?” he asked, cold and formal, eyes pointedly avoiding his.Vincenzo flinched. “Don’t call me that.”“I don’t recall calling you anything else.”“Can we talk?” Vincenzo asked softly.“I’m running late for work.”“You… work?” That caught him off guard.“I wasn’t born with a silver spoon,” Noel replied. “I’m not the favored heir of any empire. So yes, I work, Mr. De Luca.”“Noel…”“I don’t have time for this.”He tried to move past him.Vincenzo’s hand caught his wrist. Gently, not forcefully.“I mis

“Thirty minutes,” Lucas said from the driver’s seat, checking his watch.Vincenzo didn’t respond. He sat back, sleeves rolled, forearms veined, black gloves tight over his hands. His eyes were fixed ahead.The Santa Monica Pier glowed faintly ahead, the ocean dark behind it.“You good?” Lucas asked.“No,” Vincenzo muttered. “Let’s get this shit over with.”They pulled up to the end of the pier. Two large black SUVs were already parked. Russian guards with rifles. Greek smugglers in pinstriped coats.Vincenzo stepped out first.One of the Russians nodded. “Mr. De Luca.”“Where’s the shipment?” Vincenzo asked flatly.“Coming down now.”Lucas unloaded the duffel bags from the trunk…clean money, hard drugs, stacked weapons, all sealed tight.They met in the center of the pier, containers opened. Everything seemed smooth…until a single shot cracked the air.POP!Then all hell broke loose.“DOWN!” Vincenzo yelled, pulling a gun from his back holster.More shots. Muffled screams. One of the

“You did it!” Aria squealed, throwing her arms around Noel’s neck as they spilled out of the auditorium. “Officially a graduate, Mr. Laurent!”Noel managed a faint smile. “Yeah… guess I did.”Nico clapped him on the back. “Top of the class, too. Don’t act like that doesn’t feel good.”“It feels…” Noel exhaled. “Surreal.”And heavy.They knew.That smile didn’t touch his eyes.But Aria wasn’t letting him slip. “No sulking. Tonight, we’re drinking. Bar. Loud music. Zero regrets.”Noel hesitated. “I don’t...”“You’re coming,” Nico said, hooking an arm around his shoulders. “One drink. You owe us.”The bar pulsed with bass. Classmates filled every booth and corner, celebrating freedom like it was a religion. Aria dragged Noel toward the center.“C’mon, dance floor!”Noel shook his head, already settling at the counter. “Not tonight.”“Live a little!” she yelled over the music.“I’ll be here.”Nico raised a brow. “You good?”Noel nodded. “Just… need a drink.”Aria pouted but didn’t push. S

“You sure about this?” Nico asked as they stepped out of the car.“I need to see him,” Noel said, clutching the sleeves of his hoodie. “If I don’t… I’ll go insane.”The neon-red glow of the sign above them pulsed against the black sky: UNDERWORLD.Nico led the way through the doors like he owned the place. Music throbbed, bass heavy, the scent of sweat, smoke, and sex saturating the air.They walked down the staircase, past the velvet ropes, straight toward the private wing…until Lucas appeared.He froze the moment he saw Noel.“Noel?” Lucas blinked, visibly startled. “What the hell are you doing here?”Noel narrowed his eyes. “Why do you look surprised?”Lucas opened his mouth, then shut it again. “I…Vincenzo’s not available.”Nico stepped in, smirking. “Come on, Lucas. Don’t be so stiff.” He placed a hand lightly on Lucas’s arm. “You always play the good soldier, don’t you?”Lucas stiffened. “Nico…”Nico leaned in close. “Just… take a little break. Five minutes.”Lucas hesitated..ey

“Please… just one day of peace.”Noel muttered it to himself as he flipped to the next page in his exam prep book, highlighter dangling from his fingers. His eyes burned. His brain ached. But he’d refused to take any calls. No texts. No visits. Not even from Aria or Nico.Graduation was around the corner.One last final exam and he was done.One tiny step toward a normal life…his own life.Then came the knock.Sharp. Measured. Intentional.Noel stiffened, eyes flicking to the clock. 10:12 AM. He wasn’t expecting anyone.He rose slowly, setting his book aside. His heartbeat quickened. Maybe it was Nico. Or Aria. Or even…He opened the door.And nearly choked.“Hello, sunshine.” Matteo Rossi stood there with the smile of a prince and the soul of a devil. Black suit, black shirt, bouquet of crisp white peonies in his hand. His cologne was expensive and suffocating.Noel’s face dropped. “What the hell are you doing here?”Matteo raised an eyebrow. “That’s not how you greet your fiancé.”“

“You’re a big disappointment.”The words struck like a whip the moment Noel stepped into the room. Carlton didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t have to. The cold finality in his tone froze Noel where he stood.The morning sun filtered through the tall windows of the Laurent estate, but there was no warmth in the room.Noel shut the door quietly behind him. “Dad, I…”“Save it,” Carlton snapped, holding up a sleek black tablet. “Sit.”Noel didn’t move fast enough. Carlton’s voice dropped colder. “I said sit.”He sat.Carlton walked over and set the tablet down on the coffee table with a slow, deliberate motion. Then, without a word, he tapped the screen.The video started playing.Noel blinked once.And then everything inside him shattered.It was him. On the bed in Julian’s room. Crying. Naked. Writhing.Julian’s voice, sick and low.Noel’s own voice, panicked and pleading…“Julian, stop…stop..please…”The sound of the mattress creaking.The slap of skin.Noel’s choked sobs.He jerked bac