10

Vincent

When I woke up today, I had no idea that my entire life was about to be turned upside down because of a simple moment of curiosity. Especially not from Jennifer , Bella’s best friend. The last thing I expected was for her to stumble into one of my most secure rooms.

What the hell am I supposed to do now?

In the old days, if she’d been a man, I would’ve just made her disappear. But she wasn’t. She was a woman—and more importantly, someone important to Bella and me. I couldn’t just eliminate her. No. That wasn’t an option. Not yet.

God, what the hell do I do now?

I leaned forward, elbows pressed against the polished wood of my desk. My gaze shifted to the series of monitors in front of me—live security feeds from around the perimeter of my estate. My fingers drummed impatiently against the desk, cycling through footage. I was looking for something, anything, to make sense of the mess Jennifer had caused.

The security system was supposed to be foolproof. It had always been reliable. It should’ve alerted me the second someone stepped onto the property. But nothing. It hadn’t gone off when Jennifer arrived, nor when the door to my armory had been opened.

That armory was never supposed to be accessible to anyone, not even my own daughter. Hell, even I barely let anyone near it.

The pit in my stomach grew deeper as I clicked through more footage, my eyes scanning for any sign of tampering. What the hell had happened? Was someone trying to fuck with my system, or had it just malfunctioned?

I couldn’t afford this to be a glitch. I needed answers—and I needed them fast.

I grabbed my phone and dialed Anthony , one of my most trusted security guys, who was patrolling the area outside. “Anthony , I need you to do a full sweep of the perimeter. Make sure everything is secure. No one’s been able to slip in, have they?”

“Got it, boss,” Anthony replied without hesitation, his voice steady. I trusted him with my life. If anyone could confirm if there was a problem, it was him.

I went back to the footage, my mind racing. I had to figure out if someone had slipped past the security measures or if this was just a freak accident.

I rewound the feed to earlier that day. Finally, I saw something—a shadow moving near the back of the house. It was subtle at first, almost blending into the darkness. Whoever it was, they moved like a professional. Avoiding the cameras, slipping through the blind spots. And then, they made their mistake—approaching the kitchen window. That’s where they got caught.

My breath hitched as I watched the intruder silently manipulate the door lock, slipping inside with practiced precision. This wasn’t a random break-in. Whoever this was, they knew exactly what they were doing.

Someone had targeted me. My home. This wasn’t just an accident.

I felt a rush of cold adrenaline surge through me as I grabbed my phone again, this time dialing Damon, my head of security. “Damon, we have a breach. Someone made it onto the property and into the house. I want the team on it. Get twelve guys on Bellamy ’s detail. I need her secure, no matter what.”

“Understood, boss. I’ll get on it right away.”

“And Damon,” I added, my voice low and urgent, “keep this quiet. No one can know about this, not yet. We don’t want any panic.”

“Got it,” Damon said, his voice sharp and focused. “I’ll handle it.”

I ended the call and leaned back in my chair, staring at the screen again, trying to make sense of what I was seeing. Whoever had gotten in had done it with precision. They hadn’t triggered any alarms. They’d slipped in and out without a trace. That meant they knew my security system. They knew me.

I didn’t like that one bit.

I had spent years building my empire, my network of secrets, and now someone was poking holes in it. I had to find out who it was—and why they were targeting me—before they could do any more damage.

With a growl of frustration, I picked up my phone and dialed the one person who could help me navigate this mess. Leonel Matthews. A tech genius in the FBI’s Cyber Crimes Unit. He owed me a favor for saving his life a few years back. Now it was time to call it in.

“Leonel ,” I said, urgency in my voice as the phone rang.

“Vincent ?” His voice sounded slightly groggy, but there was always a sharpness to it. “What’s going on?”

“I need your help,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “Someone broke into my house today. In broad daylight. They knew the security system. They got in and out without triggering any alarms. I need to know who they are—and how they did it.”

Leonel went quiet for a moment, processing the information. “Alright. Send me the footage. I’ll take a look.”

“I’ll send it over now,” I said. “I owe you one, Leonel .”

“You’ll get the report soon,” he replied. “And don’t worry about it. Just don’t make me regret this favor.”

I quickly uploaded the footage and sent it his way, my mind racing with questions. Whoever had done this was far too skilled to be some random thief. They were targeting me—and they were playing a dangerous game.

Now, I just had to figure out who they were and what they wanted.

A few minutes later, Leonel ’s voice came back on the line. “Alright, I’m looking at the footage. Whoever this is, they’re good. Really good. They knew exactly where your cameras were and how to avoid them.”

“Can you enhance the footage? Get a clearer look at their face?” I asked, leaning forward in my chair.

“I can try. Hold on.” I heard the clicking of keys and the hum of a computer in the background. “Okay, I’ve enhanced the image as much as I can. It’s still grainy, but I can make out some details.”

“Any distinguishing features?”

Leonel zoomed in on the footage. “They’re about six feet tall, athletic build. From the way they move, I’d say they have some training—military or law enforcement, maybe. They’re not just some random thug.”

I frowned, processing this new information.

“Anything else?” I pressed.

“I’m running the footage through some additional filters,” Leonel said. “But it’s going to take some time. I’ll call you as soon as I have something concrete.”

“Thanks, Leonel . I appreciate it.”

“No problem, Vincent . Just be careful. If they knew your security, they might know more than we think.”

“I will,” I assured him. “Talk soon.” I ended the call.

Whoever this intruder was, they were skilled and well informed. It wasn’t just a random break-in; it was targeted. And that meant whoever was behind it had a specific reason for coming after me.

I glanced back at the monitor, the enhanced footage still playing. My gut told me this was only the beginning. I had to stay one step ahead, protect my family, and uncover who was behind this before it was too late.

I rubbed my temples, trying to dispel the headache forming at the base of my skull. Jennifer ’s discovery had thrown a wrench into everything.

What was I going to do about her?

She had seen too much, and while I believed her when she said she wouldn’t tell anyone, it was a risk I couldn’t afford to take.

Just as I was pondering my next move, my phone pinged. I pulled it out and opened the camera app, expecting another perimeter update. Instead, my heart skipped a beat when I saw live footage of Jennifer inside the armory room.

She was standing near the shelves, looking curiously at the contents, her body moving with a certain grace. She wasn’t being reckless, but there was an undeniable tension in the air. She seemed nervous, but there was a spark of something else—something I couldn’t quite place.

I zoomed in, trying to make sense of her movements, trying to stay focused. She seemed unaware of the danger she was in—of the secrets she had already uncovered.

I couldn’t help but wonder what was going through her mind. Did she understand the weight of what she’d stumbled into? Did she know how deep she had gone into a world that wasn’t meant for her?

My phone pinged again, pulling me out of my thoughts. It was a message from Damon. “Perimeter secure. Men in position. Bellamy is safe.”

I breathed a sigh of relief and swiped his message off my screen. My gaze remained fixed on the screen, on Jennifer .

Now what the hell was I going to do?

She was young, and there was an innocence to her, but there was something more—a curiosity that made her even more dangerous in this situation. Her presence here could bring everything crashing down.

A wave of protectiveness surged through me. She didn’t belong in my world. She deserved more than this—more than the shadows that loomed over everything I had built.

But that didn’t stop me from wanting to be closer to her. My instincts, usually so sharp and calculated, were now clouded with something I couldn’t deny.

I had to stay focused. I had to keep control. But with each passing second, the pull I felt toward her was growing harder to ignore.

I needed to make a decision. Soon.