Vaughn’s POVThe training was relentless, but I adapted fast. In just a week, I had learned the first techniques of fighting—precision strikes, defensive stances, controlled breathing. My body, once weak from neglect, was quickly transforming into a weapon.I had taken down four men at once during a sparring session. Victor had been impressed, but not satisfied. He demanded more. Pushed harder. Because in this world, impressed wasn’t enough.And I needed more too. I needed to become stronger—not for myself, but for revenge. My father, my uncle, everyone who had turned a blind eye. They would all pay.My mother’s blood was on their hands. And my sibling—the one who never even made it into this world—was dead because of my father’s psychopathic nature.No one would be spared.But then Victor suggested something that made my entire body freeze."I can't do that, Uncle Victor," I said immediately, my hands balling into fists.Victor’s expression turned sharp. "Just Victor, Vaughn. Not 'Un
Vaughn's POV I couldn’t believe my eyes. Aunt Maria? My mother’s best friend? Sitting here, acting all lovey-dovey with my father? What. The. Actual. Fuck?! Without thinking, I marched forward, my blood boiling. My fist slammed against the table, making the plates rattle. That’s when they both looked up, and my father immediately withdrew his hand from her stomach. I could feel my breath burning hot as it left my nostrils, the rage inside me making my vision blurry. “What is going on here, Dad?” My voice was low, but the fury behind it was unmistakable. "Vaughn, my son, please—" My father stood, trying to reach for me. Something’s changed. It had only been three weeks, but the way he looked at me… There was something different. For the first time, I saw something genuine in his expression. But it didn’t matter. “I AM NOT YOUR SON!” I roared, my voice echoing through the empty restaurant. I turned sharply toward Maria. “Why is she here?! Why were you two acting all... FUCK
Vaughn's POVVictor had me enrolled in a school close to the clan—at least, that’s what I was told. Truth be told, I had no idea what the clan even looked like from the outside.But school?Fuck, I hated it already.From the moment I walked in, I could feel the stares. The same ones I’d gotten my whole life.I knew I was handsome—painfully so. I got it from my mother, not my psychopathic father. People often said I looked beautiful, almost ethereal, which only made the attention worse. Girls had always stared at me, from maids to strangers, and I had long since learned to ignore it.But my real issue?I didn’t fit in.I never had, and I never would.Victor and the principal escorted me to my new class, and I could already feel the weight of their expectations."You need a normal, active life," Victor had said. "It’ll serve as a disguise for you in the organization."Yeah, right.Inside the classroom…I walked to the front as the principal introduced me."Hi, everyone. My name is Vaugh
Sameera's POV Shock and fear were an understatement for what I felt the moment I stepped into the house. Reuben. He was sitting right there in the living room. For a second, my breath caught in my throat. Memories flooded back. The nights he came into my room, the way his rough hands grabbed me, the suffocating scent of alcohol mixed with sweat— My stomach churned. Wasn't he supposed to be in the Dark Room? Or whatever hell Victor said he sent him to that day? Why is he here? I turned to run. But just as I reached the door, I crashed into my mother. She didn’t move. She just stood there, looking helpless. "Where are you running to, little doll?" His voice sent a cold shiver down my spine. I turned back to face him. He was standing now, pushing himself up from the armrest of the chair. His face was bruised, his arms covered in visible wounds. Probably from the Dark Room. Good. But not enough. "Why is he here, Leah?" I didn’t know where the courage came from, or how I e
The Beginning of The End. "You're bleeding." Her voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper, yet it cut through the chaos like a sharp blade. "No, you're the one bleeding. Just hold on—damn it, just hold on!" His grip on her tightened, his hands pressing against her wound, but the warmth of her blood seeped through his fingers, relentless, unforgiving. She blinked slowly, her vision hazy, her body numb. She could hear the panic in his voice—Vaughn Steele, the man known for his cold, calculating nature, was losing control. She wanted to laugh, but she was too weak. "You—you're crying," she murmured. "Shut up," he snapped, but his voice cracked, betraying the storm raging inside him. Her lips curled into a faint smile. "I guess... I finally tamed the beast." The world around her tilted, the edges of her vision darkening, but she fought to stay conscious. Not yet. Not when her children were watching. She forced her gaze past him, past the lifeless body of the woman who had pulle
Nowhere to RunSameera's POVI woke up to darkness.Strange.Dad always left my bedside lamp on—he knew about my phobia.I shifted, trying to sit up, but a sharp pain tore through my back."Hmph," I whimpered, my body aching in places I didn’t even know could hurt. My head throbbed, the pounding relentless, like something was trying to break out of my skull.Then it hit me.The memories.The gunshot.The blood.Dad.A choked sob escaped my lips.No. No. No.This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be. Today was supposed to be our father-daughter dance at school. My dress, my shoes, my crown… my dad.Tears burned down my cheeks, my body shaking as reality crashed into me.I didn’t even care where I was.Didn’t care how I got here.All I knew was that my father was dead, and I was alone.Then—creak.A door opened.The only light in the room came from beyond it, a thin, eerie strip of illumination stretching across the floor.My breath hitched.Footsteps.Slow. Calculated."Are you awake, little do
A Familiar StrangerSameera’s POVMy legs felt like jelly.I wanted to run.I needed to run.But I couldn’t.Not when she was standing there, blocking the only way out."Ma… Mama?" My voice trembled, barely above a whisper.She tilted her head slightly, her eyes scanning me—calculating. "You didn’t answer me, Sameera," she said, taking a slow step forward. "Where were you planning to go?"I swallowed hard, my fingers curling into fists at my sides. "I—I just wanted to see Papa," I blurted out.Her expression didn’t change.A chill ran down my spine."You want to see your father?" she repeated, her voice eerily soft.I nodded quickly, my chest rising and falling in shaky breaths.She smiled. But it wasn’t the smile I remembered—the warm one she used to give me when I scraped my knee or had a nightmare. No, this one was different.Colder."Then come," she said, turning toward the door. "I'll take you to him."Something in my gut twisted.This wasn’t right.She was too calm. Too... detac
The Price of SilenceSameera's POVI scrambled back as the men stepped closer, their shadows swallowing the little light in the room. My breath came in short, shaky gasps. My mind screamed at me to run, but my body wouldn’t move.One of them crouched in front of me, his dark eyes cold, calculating."You don’t speak unless spoken to," he said, his voice low, dangerous. "You don’t cry. You don’t run. You don’t fight. Understand?"I swallowed hard, my throat burning. My lips trembled, but I pressed them shut."Answer him, little doll," Rueben’s voice cut through the thick air, smooth yet terrifying. He stood at the door, watching, amused.I clenched my fists. "Where is my dad?" My voice was barely above a whisper, but I forced the words out. "Why is my mom—"A rough hand grabbed my arm, yanking me up so fast my head spun."Wrong question," the man holding me muttered.Rueben chuckled, stepping forward. He tilted his head, studying me like I was some broken toy he was deciding whether to
Sameera's POV Shock and fear were an understatement for what I felt the moment I stepped into the house. Reuben. He was sitting right there in the living room. For a second, my breath caught in my throat. Memories flooded back. The nights he came into my room, the way his rough hands grabbed me, the suffocating scent of alcohol mixed with sweat— My stomach churned. Wasn't he supposed to be in the Dark Room? Or whatever hell Victor said he sent him to that day? Why is he here? I turned to run. But just as I reached the door, I crashed into my mother. She didn’t move. She just stood there, looking helpless. "Where are you running to, little doll?" His voice sent a cold shiver down my spine. I turned back to face him. He was standing now, pushing himself up from the armrest of the chair. His face was bruised, his arms covered in visible wounds. Probably from the Dark Room. Good. But not enough. "Why is he here, Leah?" I didn’t know where the courage came from, or how I e
Vaughn's POVVictor had me enrolled in a school close to the clan—at least, that’s what I was told. Truth be told, I had no idea what the clan even looked like from the outside.But school?Fuck, I hated it already.From the moment I walked in, I could feel the stares. The same ones I’d gotten my whole life.I knew I was handsome—painfully so. I got it from my mother, not my psychopathic father. People often said I looked beautiful, almost ethereal, which only made the attention worse. Girls had always stared at me, from maids to strangers, and I had long since learned to ignore it.But my real issue?I didn’t fit in.I never had, and I never would.Victor and the principal escorted me to my new class, and I could already feel the weight of their expectations."You need a normal, active life," Victor had said. "It’ll serve as a disguise for you in the organization."Yeah, right.Inside the classroom…I walked to the front as the principal introduced me."Hi, everyone. My name is Vaugh
Vaughn's POV I couldn’t believe my eyes. Aunt Maria? My mother’s best friend? Sitting here, acting all lovey-dovey with my father? What. The. Actual. Fuck?! Without thinking, I marched forward, my blood boiling. My fist slammed against the table, making the plates rattle. That’s when they both looked up, and my father immediately withdrew his hand from her stomach. I could feel my breath burning hot as it left my nostrils, the rage inside me making my vision blurry. “What is going on here, Dad?” My voice was low, but the fury behind it was unmistakable. "Vaughn, my son, please—" My father stood, trying to reach for me. Something’s changed. It had only been three weeks, but the way he looked at me… There was something different. For the first time, I saw something genuine in his expression. But it didn’t matter. “I AM NOT YOUR SON!” I roared, my voice echoing through the empty restaurant. I turned sharply toward Maria. “Why is she here?! Why were you two acting all... FUCK
Vaughn’s POVThe training was relentless, but I adapted fast. In just a week, I had learned the first techniques of fighting—precision strikes, defensive stances, controlled breathing. My body, once weak from neglect, was quickly transforming into a weapon.I had taken down four men at once during a sparring session. Victor had been impressed, but not satisfied. He demanded more. Pushed harder. Because in this world, impressed wasn’t enough.And I needed more too. I needed to become stronger—not for myself, but for revenge. My father, my uncle, everyone who had turned a blind eye. They would all pay.My mother’s blood was on their hands. And my sibling—the one who never even made it into this world—was dead because of my father’s psychopathic nature.No one would be spared.But then Victor suggested something that made my entire body freeze."I can't do that, Uncle Victor," I said immediately, my hands balling into fists.Victor’s expression turned sharp. "Just Victor, Vaughn. Not 'Un
Sameera’s POVI didn’t know how long I had been here anymore. Time was meaningless when you couldn’t see the sun or the moon. They never let us know if it was day or night. There were no clocks, no windows—just the cold, damp walls and the flickering overhead lights that never seemed to dim.Victor had said pain and endurance weren’t just about the body but about the mind. "You don’t just survive pain, you embrace it until it becomes meaningless," he had told me. Today, I would find out exactly what that meant.Today, my first test was the burn exposure.I was led into a dimly lit chamber, its air thick with the acrid scent of scorched metal. Marissa stood in front of me, holding a long iron rod, its tip glowing orange from the heat."Hold out your arm," she said, her voice void of emotion.I hesitated for only a second before extending my arm. The first rule here? Never show fear.She pressed the hot metal against my forearm.Ssssss—A sharp, searing pain shot through me, white-hot a
Vaughn’s POVIt was the same video the doctor had played for me earlier, but this time, it was longer—with more instructions.The screen flickered, and my mother’s tear-streaked face appeared. She looked weak, her breaths shallow, but her eyes held a fierce determination."Vaughn… my baby. If you’re watching this, it means I didn’t make it. And I’m so sorry."Listen to me carefully. You must leave. Run. Do not let your father find you. He… he is not the man you think he is. There are things you don’t know, things I didn’t want you to ever know."She coughed violently, her body shaking. A hand—probably the doctor’s—steadied her, but she pushed it away, desperate to keep going."There’s a number in this phone. Call it. His name is Victor. He will keep you safe."Victor?"I know this is hard, my love, but trust me. Your father will not stop looking for you, and if he finds you before Victor does…" she paused, her lips trembling, "you will not survive."A long silence followed. Then, with
Sameera's POV"Sit."The voice was cold, dry, and empty of any emotion.I blinked, snapping out of my daze as I turned to see Marissa watching me. She had an expression that was neither friendly nor hostile—just... lifeless.I obeyed, lowering myself onto the cold floor."Not there." She pointed to a single metal chair facing a wall lined with ominous-looking tools. "Sit there."A shiver ran down my spine, but I did as she said, hesitantly perching on the edge of the chair."You are to listen and not speak," she continued in a monotone. "I'll leave as soon as I'm done."She took a step back, folding her arms as she leaned against the opposite wall.For a moment, silence stretched between us before she spoke again."I was nine when they took me," she began, her voice devoid of emotion. "My parents died in front of me. They weren't even supposed to be involved, but my uncle was a gambler. A reckless one. He lost everything—money, property... and then, when he had nothing left, he used m
Sameera’s POV I didn’t know how long I had been unconscious, but the moment I woke up, pain shot through every part of my body. My muscles ached, my head throbbed, and even breathing felt like a task. It took me a moment to process that I wasn’t lying on the cold, hard floor like usual. Beneath me was something softer—an actual mattress. A real bed? Tears welled up in my eyes before I even opened them. Ever since I was dragged into this place, I had been forced to sleep on the ground, on rough planks, sometimes even on bare concrete. This… this was the first time I had been given something remotely humane. I clenched my fists. Why? Why now? I didn’t have time to dwell on the thought before Victor’s furious voice boomed through the room. “And you couldn’t wake her up?!” I froze. “She needed rest, Victor. The girl refuses to eat, and she’s been here for weeks. What do you expect?” My heart sank. That voice. Reuben. A disgusting wave of dread filled my stomach. I hated that
Vaughn’s POV Yet again. Shattering glass. Loud crashes. My mother’s muffled cries. Pain. Anger. Helplessness. That was all I felt. I was just a seventeen-year-old boy, yet I couldn't do anything to save her. Bang! Crash! The sounds came from my parents' room, echoing through the massive mansion. My fists clenched as I stood frozen outside their door. Tomorrow is my birthday. A bitter chuckle left my lips. What was there to celebrate? Ever since my tenth birthday—the day I was announced as the heir to the Steele fortune—my mother and I had never been free. That was also the day my father and Uncle Reuben had a fight. I still don’t understand what truly happened, but I remember the tension in the air, the raised voices. Uncle Reuben stormed out in anger, my father followed him, and my mother rushed after them, apologizing to the guests before disappearing. Minutes later, Uncle Reuben returned. His eyes found mine, dark and menacing, before he turned and left. Then… I heard