Michael’s POVDarkness.It stretched around me, thick and suffocating, pressing in from all sides. My breath came in short, shallow gasps as I reached out, searching for something, anything, to ground me. The ground beneath my feet felt solid, but the air was cold, unnatural, as if I were standing in a place that didn’t belong to the living.My fingers twitched. Where the hell was I?I turned slowly, trying to make sense of my surroundings. There were no walls, no ceiling, just an endless void stretching in every direction. The silence was deafening, filling my ears with an eerie hum. My heart pounded.Then, I heard it.Footsteps.Soft, deliberate, approaching from the darkness. I reached for my gun, but I wasn’t carrying one. My fingers curled into a useless fist.And then—I saw her.My breath caught in my throat.“No…”She stepped forward, emerging from the dark like a ghost, her legs barely touching the ground. Her hair was exactly as I remembered—long, dark waves falling pa
Fernando’s POVThe air in the meeting room was thick with cigar smoke and tension. Rodger Holt sat to my left, his usual cocky smirk absent for once and his cold blue eyes scanned the room with distrust. Across from him, Nikolai Petrov leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest. Santiago, always the most calm, adjusted his pristine cuffs, his expression unreadable beneath the dim chandelier light.I sat at the head of the table, fingers drumming against the polished surface, taking in the power dynamics before me. These were men who would slit a throat over a bad deal, men who did not fear death. But today, I needed them to fear me.I exhaled slowly and leaned forward.“We have a problem,” I began, my voice calm but filled with anger.Rodger raised an eyebrow. “What kind of problem?”I scanned the room, making sure every single one of them was paying attention.“The kind that could have turned into a war.”A flicker of interest passed over Nikolai’s face, but he said n
Michael’s POVThe garden was eerily quiet, the only sounds being the distant chirping of crickets and the soft rustle of leaves as the night breeze moved through the trees. I reached into my pocket, feeling the edges of the phone I had stolen earlier. This device had served its purpose, but now it was a liability. If the FBI managed to track it, they’d find me, and I couldn't afford that—not when I was finally within reach of my revenge.I hid near the fountain, my fingers tightening around the phone. The realization had fully sunk in now: I was an enemy of the FBI. The people I had once worked alongside were now hunting me. It should have felt like a betrayal, but it didn’t.I had made my choice.With a swift movement, I slammed the phone against the edge of the fountain. The screen cracked instantly, but I wasn’t done. I raised it again, smashing it with more force. I took a deep breath, grabbed the remnants, and threw them into the thick bushes nearby.No loose ends.I was ab
Fernando’s POV“Well, well,” I said, tilting my head and turning my attention away from Michaeland focusing on whatever was happening here. “What a curious little meeting we have here.”Anabelle immediately straightened, her posture becoming rigidly formal.“Sir,” she said with the utmost respect, her voice steady but careful. “I—”I held up a hand, stopping her. “Anabelle,” I said smoothly, “what exactly are you doing outside the mansion at this hour? It is not your duty to patrol the gardens.”Her lips parted slightly, as if trying to come up with an excuse, but she hesitated. She knew better than to lie to me. Finally, after a very short while, she answered.“I saw Michael walking through the garden,” she admitted. “I wanted to follow him.”Michael scoffed under his breath, but I ignored him, keeping my eyes on Anabelle.I took another step toward her, closing the distance just enough to make her feel my presence. “And why did you feel the need to follow him?” I asked, my eyes s
Michael’s POVI tore the shirt over my head, taking it off with more force than necessary. The fabric clung stubbornly for a second before finally giving way, allowing me to throw it onto the chair in the corner of my dimly lit room. I stood before the mirror, glaring at my own reflection as if it had betrayed me.I could still feel the warmth of his lips on my hand and it only made me feel even more conflicted than I already was.I took a look at it, almost imagining him standing there just like he had done a few moments ago, while he kissed my knuckles with such delicate touch of his lips that I felt my breath hitch.Thus wasn't how it was supposed to go.My jaw clenched, my fingers twitching at my sides as I replayed that moment over and over in my head.Fernando.His voice. His words."I want to make you happy, Michael."Did he even know what my happiness entails for him to have the confidence to say such hollow words like they were supposed to mean something. I scoffed, shakin
Fernando's POVThe food was hot and gave off the scent of something expensive and well-prepared. I should’ve been eating. My body was screaming for food after the long, exhausting times i have had—but my thoughts were wrapped around my ribcage, tight and suffocating.Michael was sitting right across from me, a fork in his hand, his head tilted slightly to the side as he chewed on his food in deliberate silence. Like I wasn’t even there. Like I hadn’t just tried—desperately—to get his attention in the garden.And it was driving me absolutely insane.He had ignored me in the garden. I saw the way his gaze had flicked past me like I was invisible, like the wind brushing his shoulder meant more than my presence. Then we came here, to the dining hall, and he still hadn’t said a word. Still hadn’t looked at me properly. Still hadn’t asked me if I was okay after everything we went through.It wasn’t like him.Michael was always composed, yes. Often quiet, yes. But he wasn’t this detached
Michael’s POVI didn’t expect those words from him.Not from the man who had murdered my sister.Yet there he sat, a soft glow of sincerity in his voice, his eyes steady and unwavering as he spoke—not with the cruel confidence I was used to seeing in his expression, but something… different. Something warmer. And it shook something loose in me.Something I didn’t want to feel.I knew the poison was there, hidden neatly in the delicately prepared dish placed at Fernando’s seat. I knew if he took even a few bites, his breath would catch in his throat, his heart would stutter, and he would die—painfully and silently, just as planned.But why now, of all moments, did I feel the tremble in my fingers?I didn’t even realize I was still holding his hand until he turned to me.“Michael… why are you holding me like this?” he asked. His voice was low, the same calm tone. But there was no edge in it. No mockery. Just a quiet question, spoken with a care I hadn’t expected.My eyes widened. I lo
Michael’s POVI was watching, helpless, as Fernando took another bite of the food I had poisoned, and I couldn’t look away. He would die, and I would finally have my revenge. I would have the satisfaction of seeing him choke on his arrogance.But instead, the air was thick with tension, and the only sound that filled the room was the sound of his spoon on the plate.Fernando lifted his eyes from the meal, catching my gaze, and it hit me like a physical blow. His expression wasn’t one of fear or hesitation, but of something else entirely. He was calm. Too calm.“You know,” he said, breaking the silence, “you’re quite a sight when you’re angry, Michael. I almost feel sorry for you.”I couldn’t respond immediately. This man, the one who had killed my sister without a second thought, was sitting at this table, as if we were friends, as if I hadn’t been plotting to end his life for years.But I wasn’t feeling the sense of triumph I thought I would. I wasn’t feeling anything at all.I
Michael’s POVThere it was.That damned glowing vial, fixed in Anabelle’s steady hand like it held the salvation of the world.My gut twisted violently.I should’ve felt relief.Hell, a part of me did. But another part of me…A darker, colder part… wanted her to shut the hell up.Fernando's survival would spoil everything.I clenched my fists at my sides as she stepped closer, the vial still raised.He can’t live, that part of me whispered. Not after all he has done.I swallowed hard and forced my voice to speak.“How?” I asked.My tone was calm, curious even. But inside, I was burning.“How do you know this will work?” I added.She stopped a few feet away from us, her eyes meeting mine. There was no fear in them.“Because I made it.”I raised a brow. “You made it?” I asked.“My family specialises in medicine,” she said simply. “Doctors. Chemists. Biotech researchers. I was raised around labs, vials, formulas. I may not carry the same name, but the knowledge? It’s mine too.”She pa
Michael’s POVAll eyes were on me.The tension in the air felt like it could snap. Dust fell from the ceiling like ash as another distant explosion shook the foundation of the estate. Somewhere outside, the sounds of numerous gunfire burst through. It was obvious it was our men firing back at their enemies, eager to make sure none of them entered the mansion..Yet inside this dining hall, everything was still for a heartbeat.Mortis, Emilio, and Marlo stood in a semi-circle around me. Fernando’s limp body hung between Emilio’s arms as if he was already dead.The weight of leadership—or perhaps desperation—had momentarily fallen into my lap immediately I had said I had a plan, and they all waited for me to speak.I took a slow breath, steadying my voice.“I know a way out.”Mortis leaned in, narrowing his eyes. “You’re sure?”“I’ve studied this place,” I said. “Not on purpose, but… I noticed things. Patterns and routes.”“And suddenly, you have an escape route, just like that?” Marl
Michael’s POVThe next explosion came without warning.The sound was sharp, as if a thunderous clap had split the air, followed by a tremor that shook the walls of the east wing of the mansion.Dust fell down from the ceiling and landed on our bodies as she shielded our bodies with our arms.For a split second, my heart stopped. Then another explosion came and this time it was closer and deeper. The ground beneath my feet shook. Shouts echoed across the estate, mixed with the chaos of gunfire and the loud sounds of alarms suddenly flaring to life.“What the hell—?”I turned around, my eyes darting around me, trying to make sense of it. My lungs pulled in smoke, thick and bitter, and my stomach twisted.Another blast. This one was near the front gate. Then came the numerous gunshots that were faint at first, but unmistakable.We were under attack from a very dangerous enemy, even worse than I had thought when I first heard the explosions.“Mortis!” I shouted, my voice nearly inaudib
Michael’s POVI was watching, helpless, as Fernando took another bite of the food I had poisoned, and I couldn’t look away. He would die, and I would finally have my revenge. I would have the satisfaction of seeing him choke on his arrogance.But instead, the air was thick with tension, and the only sound that filled the room was the sound of his spoon on the plate.Fernando lifted his eyes from the meal, catching my gaze, and it hit me like a physical blow. His expression wasn’t one of fear or hesitation, but of something else entirely. He was calm. Too calm.“You know,” he said, breaking the silence, “you’re quite a sight when you’re angry, Michael. I almost feel sorry for you.”I couldn’t respond immediately. This man, the one who had killed my sister without a second thought, was sitting at this table, as if we were friends, as if I hadn’t been plotting to end his life for years.But I wasn’t feeling the sense of triumph I thought I would. I wasn’t feeling anything at all.I
Michael’s POVI didn’t expect those words from him.Not from the man who had murdered my sister.Yet there he sat, a soft glow of sincerity in his voice, his eyes steady and unwavering as he spoke—not with the cruel confidence I was used to seeing in his expression, but something… different. Something warmer. And it shook something loose in me.Something I didn’t want to feel.I knew the poison was there, hidden neatly in the delicately prepared dish placed at Fernando’s seat. I knew if he took even a few bites, his breath would catch in his throat, his heart would stutter, and he would die—painfully and silently, just as planned.But why now, of all moments, did I feel the tremble in my fingers?I didn’t even realize I was still holding his hand until he turned to me.“Michael… why are you holding me like this?” he asked. His voice was low, the same calm tone. But there was no edge in it. No mockery. Just a quiet question, spoken with a care I hadn’t expected.My eyes widened. I lo
Fernando's POVThe food was hot and gave off the scent of something expensive and well-prepared. I should’ve been eating. My body was screaming for food after the long, exhausting times i have had—but my thoughts were wrapped around my ribcage, tight and suffocating.Michael was sitting right across from me, a fork in his hand, his head tilted slightly to the side as he chewed on his food in deliberate silence. Like I wasn’t even there. Like I hadn’t just tried—desperately—to get his attention in the garden.And it was driving me absolutely insane.He had ignored me in the garden. I saw the way his gaze had flicked past me like I was invisible, like the wind brushing his shoulder meant more than my presence. Then we came here, to the dining hall, and he still hadn’t said a word. Still hadn’t looked at me properly. Still hadn’t asked me if I was okay after everything we went through.It wasn’t like him.Michael was always composed, yes. Often quiet, yes. But he wasn’t this detached
Michael’s POVI tore the shirt over my head, taking it off with more force than necessary. The fabric clung stubbornly for a second before finally giving way, allowing me to throw it onto the chair in the corner of my dimly lit room. I stood before the mirror, glaring at my own reflection as if it had betrayed me.I could still feel the warmth of his lips on my hand and it only made me feel even more conflicted than I already was.I took a look at it, almost imagining him standing there just like he had done a few moments ago, while he kissed my knuckles with such delicate touch of his lips that I felt my breath hitch.Thus wasn't how it was supposed to go.My jaw clenched, my fingers twitching at my sides as I replayed that moment over and over in my head.Fernando.His voice. His words."I want to make you happy, Michael."Did he even know what my happiness entails for him to have the confidence to say such hollow words like they were supposed to mean something. I scoffed, shakin
Fernando’s POV“Well, well,” I said, tilting my head and turning my attention away from Michaeland focusing on whatever was happening here. “What a curious little meeting we have here.”Anabelle immediately straightened, her posture becoming rigidly formal.“Sir,” she said with the utmost respect, her voice steady but careful. “I—”I held up a hand, stopping her. “Anabelle,” I said smoothly, “what exactly are you doing outside the mansion at this hour? It is not your duty to patrol the gardens.”Her lips parted slightly, as if trying to come up with an excuse, but she hesitated. She knew better than to lie to me. Finally, after a very short while, she answered.“I saw Michael walking through the garden,” she admitted. “I wanted to follow him.”Michael scoffed under his breath, but I ignored him, keeping my eyes on Anabelle.I took another step toward her, closing the distance just enough to make her feel my presence. “And why did you feel the need to follow him?” I asked, my eyes s
Michael’s POVThe garden was eerily quiet, the only sounds being the distant chirping of crickets and the soft rustle of leaves as the night breeze moved through the trees. I reached into my pocket, feeling the edges of the phone I had stolen earlier. This device had served its purpose, but now it was a liability. If the FBI managed to track it, they’d find me, and I couldn't afford that—not when I was finally within reach of my revenge.I hid near the fountain, my fingers tightening around the phone. The realization had fully sunk in now: I was an enemy of the FBI. The people I had once worked alongside were now hunting me. It should have felt like a betrayal, but it didn’t.I had made my choice.With a swift movement, I slammed the phone against the edge of the fountain. The screen cracked instantly, but I wasn’t done. I raised it again, smashing it with more force. I took a deep breath, grabbed the remnants, and threw them into the thick bushes nearby.No loose ends.I was ab