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Chapter 8: A storm draws near
Last Updated:
2024-11-27 03:06:37
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The morning dawned gray and overcast, fitting the heaviness in my chest. Despite Ronan’s reassurances and the heightened security, I couldn’t shake the feeling that David’s visit was just the beginning. His desperation and veiled warnings hinted at something darker lurking beneath the surface.I spent the early hours pacing the estate, my thoughts a whirlwind. Ronan had left for a meeting with his advisors, and while I trusted him to handle things, I couldn’t help feeling exposed. Every shadow seemed more menacing, every sound sharper than it should have been.---“Ma’am?” Matteo’s voice broke through my thoughts as I stood by the living room window, staring at the rain-soaked grounds.“Yes?” I turned to him, my fingers gripping the edge of the curtain.“We’ve traced the breach from last night,” he said, his expression unreadable.My heart skipped a beat. “And?”“It was deliberate,” he said grimly. “Whoever it was, they knew exactly where to look. They avoided the cameras and stayed i
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I woke with a start, the remnants of a vivid nightmare clinging to me like a second skin. The cold sweat dripping down my spine reminded me of the ice cellar where Kate and David had condemned me to die in my past life. Despite the warm safety of Ronan’s bed, the memories were as suffocating as ever.Ronan stirred beside me, his arm tightening around my waist. His presence was my anchor—a steady force reminding me that I wasn’t alone anymore.“Another bad dream?” he murmured, his voice low and gravelly from sleep.I nodded, unable to meet his gaze. “It was about them again. About what they did to me.”His hand brushed my cheek, tilting my face toward his. “They can’t hurt you anymore, Ashley. Not as long as I’m here.”His words were a balm to my frayed nerves, but I knew better than to let my guard down. Kate’s machinations were far from over, and David’s desperate warnings still lingered in my mind.---After breakfast, I found myself pacing the estate’s sunlit study. Ronan had left
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The warehouse smelled of damp concrete and rusted metal, a fitting stage for the confrontation that had been brewing for years. Kate stood across from me, her smile sharp and mocking, as though she already believed she had won. The men flanking her were seasoned criminals, their hands resting on the weapons at their sides.Ronan moved beside me, his presence a solid wall of support. Matteo stood at his other side, his hand casually brushing the holster at his hip. The quiet hum of tension filled the space, a suffocating blanket that wrapped around us all.Kate was the first to speak, her voice cutting through the silence like a blade. “So, little sister, you’ve brought your mafia prince to fight your battles now?” She tilted her head, her mockery thinly veiled. “How predictable.”I stepped forward before Ronan could reply, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me. “This isn’t about him, Kate. This is about you and the lies you’ve built your entire life on. It ends today.”He
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The city was silent, the streets bathed in an eerie stillness as the clock struck midnight. There was something about the night—the way the air felt thick with anticipation, the quiet hum of impending chaos—that made my skin crawl. I knew, deep down, that when we stepped into the lion’s den tonight, there was no going back.I stood next to Ronan in the back of the car, my hand tightly gripping the armrest as we sped through the darkened streets. The weight of the mission hung heavy in the air, but there was a quiet assurance in Ronan's gaze that calmed the storm inside me, if only for a moment."Ready?" he asked, his voice low but steady, like the calm before a violent storm.I nodded, even as my heart pounded in my chest. "Always."The night felt like a breath held too long like everything was on the edge of exploding, waiting for that first spark to set the fire alight. As we approached the first target, a luxurious mansion just on the outskirts of the city, I could feel the tension
