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 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 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 POV The world around me was filled with chaos. The persistent ringing in my ears was a cruel reminder of the explosion that had thrown mu to the floor. I struggled to piece together my surroundings, but the relentless gunfire made it nearly impossible to focus.I forced my body to move, but the weight of exhaustion was dragging me down. The battle had gone sideways, and our plans lay in ruins. The confusion was suffocating, and I couldn’t help but feel like I was slipping away from everything.Suddenly, I became aware of movement. My body was being lifted, carried as if I weighed nothing, and I could tell we were moving quickly. Forcing my heavy eyes open, I blinked against the haze of blood and dust clouding my vision. The blurred outlines of Marlo's determined face came into view, his features a mask of resolve. He was carrying me, his strides purposeful and unyielding.Beside him, Emilio bore the weight of Fernando. My stomach tightened. Fernando. The weight o
Michael’s POV The tension in the air was suffocating. Time seemed to stand still as I locked eyes with Ashley. She had a gun aimed at me, and I had one aimed right back at her.I didn't blink."Drop your weapons," Ashley's voice was steady. "All of you. Now."I didn't flinch. Her command was clear. It wasn't a suggestion. It was an order, one I knew all too well.Behind me, Marlo, Mortis, Emilio, and Anabelle froze in place. They were waiting for me to react, for me to do something—anything.Marlo shifted, his grip tightening on his weapon. Ashley didn’t waver. She kept her gun aimed directly at me, her stance unwavering. "I said drop them," she repeated, a little firmer this time.There was a moment of hesitation from Marlo, then he snapped. His voice was clipped and sharp. “You don’t get to make demands. You’re outnumbered. We can take you down, and we will.”Ashley’s lips curled into a small smile, but it wasn’t one of humor. It was something darker. "Outnumbered? Perhaps. B
Michael's POV The air was tight with tension.Ashley and I stood frozen, our backs barely brushing, guns lowered from our embrace only moments ago. The sound of a man pierced the silence, and I turned slowly to face the source of the threat.One of Fernando’s men—Diego, if I remembered correctly—stood in the shattered hallway, his gun raised directly at Ashley’s chest. His eyes were red with fury, his chest heaving, blood running down the side of his face. Whether it was his own or someone else's, I couldn’t tell.What I could tell was that he had seen Mr together with an FBI agent, Ashley, and now all sorts if things were running around in his head.I watched as his eyes moved between me and Ashley, as if trying to make sense of the situation and convince himself that everything wasn't as it seemed.It didn't take him long for his steel determination followed by a steady expression to take place on his features as he steadied his gun raised arm.“Ashley,” I said under my breath,
Michael’s POV The hand that pulled me inside was rough and urgent, gripping my collar like I was something light they can manhandle without any consequence.My body collided with the cool wood of a bookshelf, and before I could say a word, a palm came over my mouth. My instinct screamed to fight, but then I saw his eyes.It was Marlo."Shh," he said, his voice barely a whisper in the dim light of Fernando’s study.I still wanted to argue but the sudden silence of the entire room told me to be quiet and do as he said.Boots ran past outside. I could make out shadows of armed agents as they moved through the hallway in search of more people to either kill or arrest, depending on if they resisted or not. I held my breath, every muscle tensed, my heart thudding so loud I thought they would hear it. Marlo’s hand stayed over my mouth, firm but not forceful.Five… six agents… maybe more.They were still searching for any one of Fernando’s men.When the sound of their footsteps faded down
Michael’s POVThe paper trembled in my hand.I didn’t even realize how tightly I was gripping it until the edges started to tear beneath my fingertips. Elise.Her name was right there."Subject witnessed the exchange on the 16th. Resulted in immediate action. Orders came from Council, not directly from F.M. Cover-up executed. All media rerouted."Council? Immediate action?My chest felt tight. My sister—Elise—had been murdered… because she’d seen something she wasn’t supposed to. I couldn’t breathe.“Michael!”I didn’t react fast enough.Suddenly, a hand gripped my shoulder and pulled me backwards roughly as if I was a rag doll.“What the hell is wrong with you?” Marlo’s voice was a sharp whisper, and before I could respond, he shoved me against the bookshelf in Fernando’s study and clamped a hand over my mouth. “Quiet.”Footsteps, like a dozens of them, sounded past the closed door. Shadows moved across the faint light coming in through the cracks. I heard voices barking orders,
Fernando's POVEverything was black.There was no light. No sound. Just the overwhelming sensation of floating in an empty void. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t speak.I forced my eyelids open, but there was nothing to see. Just darkness. "What...?" My voice was a mere whisper in the vast emptiness, and the sound of it startled me. It was raw, weak, as if it hadn’t been used in a long time.The last thing I could remember was sitting at the dining table with Michael.Where was I? What was happening?I tried to move, but my limbs felt heavy, as if they were bound by chains. Panic clawed at the edges of my mind, but I pushed it down. There had to be a reason for this. There had to be an explanation. It wasn’t like me to be trapped like this. It wasn’t like me to be so... powerless.Suddenly, I heard a voice."Fernando..."It was faint, distant, like an echo from another world, but it was enough to snap me back to my senses."Michael?" I called out, my voice strained with effort.The v
Andrew's POVI jerked awake with a violent shudder, my head spinning in circles. For a split second, I thought I had died, and the world that greeted me looked like some twisted version of reality. Everything around me was a mess of twisted metal, cracked glass, and the smell of gasoline clinging to the air like death itself.Pain radiated through my body—my arm was on fire, my legs sore, and my side ached with every shallow breath. But none of it mattered. Not the pain. Not the crash. What mattered was that I had done it. I had stopped Santiago from reaching Fernando’s mansion.I dragged myself out of the car. Every muscle in my body screamed in protest, but I didn’t care. Damian emerged from the wreckage like a beast released from its cage, his eyes blazing with fury. He was bleeding from an injury on his head, but that didn’t stop him from glaring at me.“Andrew,” he growled, his voice low and menacing, “what the hell were you thinking?”I didn’t flinch. Instead, I met his a
Michael’s POV Anabelle’s breathing came out in shallow gasps that only made it clear how close she was to crossing into the afterlife.Her face was paler now, the dull yellow from blood loss spreading beneath her skin like a mark of death. I bent down beside the massive couch, watching her chest rise and fall in shallow, uneven rhythms. Each breath she drew sounded it might be her last and although I had not always been in Anabelle’s good graces, I still didn't want her to die. Her fingers twitched. Maybe from pain. Maybe from the fever. I didn’t know anymore.Marlo stood a few feet away with his arms folded across his chest. His usual calm had shifted into a stone-hard expression of helplessness. Mortis leaned against the doorframe watching everything in silence. And Ashley just stood by the window, half-hidden behind the curtain, her eyes locked on the dark line of trees at the far edge of the compound.Andrew was out there. Somewhere. Watching us. Waiting.“We’re out of time,
Andrew’s POVPain went through every inch of my body as Santiago’s men dragged me across the floor.But none of that compared to the rage burning through me.They pushed me into the back of a black car, the kind of car a man like Santiago liked to travel in.Damian slid in next to me, casual as ever, brushing imaginary dust from his jeans.One of Santiago's thugs climbed into the front passenger seat while another took the wheel.Santiago himself settled into the far side of the backseat, relaxed, a smirk playing across his lips like he owned the damn world.The doors slammed shut.The locks clicked.The engine came to life.As the car moved forward, rolling down the streets towards Fernando's mansion, I gritted my teeth against a fresh wave of pain.And then I turned my head and glared at Damian."You’re a goddamn traitor," I said, my voice hoarse but sharp.He didn’t even flinch.Just leaned his elbow casually on the door, resting his chin on his hand."Save your breath, Andrew," he
Damian’s POVI watched in silence, my heart pounding against my ribs like a caged animal, as Santiago Morales, the infamous Don himself, pointed a silver pistol straight at Andrew's head.Andrew didn't flinch.Not even a blink.Typical Andrew.Always too proud, too stubborn, too full of rage to show fear even when staring down death.But me?I was a little more realistic.I knew what Santiago was capable of.I had heard the stories.And right now, standing just a few feet away, I could feel the power rolling off him like heat from a furnace.Still, even with a gun in his face, Andrew wasn’t backing down.Instead, his lip curled in disgust, and he let out a dry, humorless laugh."You?" Andrew spat. "You're a piece of shit criminal pointing a gun at a federal agent. You think that means something? It just means you're desperate."Santiago's mouth twitched, almost a smile, but his eyes stayed cold and sharp."You talk too much," Santiago said smoothly. "It’s a nasty habit. Someone might
Andrew’s POVThey had their guns aimed right at me — three massive men in black, breathing heavily, sweat glinting on their brows under the harsh fluorescent lights of the store.My own gun was pressed firmly against the side of their colleague's head.I could feel him trembling slightly under my grip, though he tried to stay still, to act like he wasn’t a heartbeat away from death.The tension in the room was thick.And I was furious.The audacity, the goddamn audacity, of them to point their weapons at me."Lower your weapons," I ordered, tightening my grip on my gun until my knuckles turned white. "Or I blow his damn brains out all over aisle seven."One of them, a thug with a crooked nose and numerous tattoos, sneered at me from across the frozen foods section."You shoot him," he said, his voice cold and rough, "and you're a dead man."I laughed.I actually laughed, the sound cutting through the tension."You think you scare me?" I said, my voice dripping with disdain. "Do you ev
Andrew’s POVThe mansion loomed in the distance, shrouded in mist, its silhouette an ugly reminder of my failures.I stood at the edge of the woods, my fists tightening at my sides, nails biting into my palms. My heart beat a furiously, each thud a declaration of hatred—hatred for Michael.I would make him bleed, make him kneel, and then—only then—Ashley would realize she belonged to me.“You’re staring holes through that place, you know,” Damian said beside me.I turned slightly, my glare softening only a bit as I regarded him. "We'll get what we came for, Andrew," Damian said, his voice low but firm. "But we have to be smart. Especially now."I narrowed my eyes at the mansion again. It seemed silent. Peaceful.Too peaceful."And why," I sneered, "do you think now is any different?"Damian shifted slightly, the sound of leaves under his boots cutting through the thick silence between us."Because," he said, "There’s a battalion inside that place."I scoffed, the sound sharp and bit
Michael’s POVAnabelle's body jerked violently on the long chair, her limbs flailing in unnatural, terrifying spasms."Shit—Anabelle!" I roared, instantly snapping out of my argument with Marlo. All the anger that had just been coursing through my veins evaporated, replaced by cold, sharp fear.Marlo was already moving too, cursing under his breath as he dropped to his knees beside her."She's convulsing," I said quickly, pushing aside my own panic. "Marlo, get the first-aid kit. Now!"He hesitated for half a second but then he nodded sharply and ran toward the door.I dropped to my knees beside her, trying to stabilize her body. I couldn't let her fall off the chair, couldn't let her hit her head."Stay with me, Anabelle," I muttered.I heard Marlo's footsteps running back before he even reappeared. He entered the room, tossing me the first-aid kit."Good, good," I muttered. "Okay, I need you to find a soft cloth, anything, so she doesn't bite her tongue. Quickly!"I pulled a small
Michael’s POVThe heavy oak doors of the mansion finally shut with a deep, resonating thud, cutting off the outside world—and Andrew—with it. The second I heard the lock click into place, Ashley and I let out matching, loud sighs of relief, like two people getting to the surface after nearly drowning.Ashley bent down then straightened back up, rolling her shoulders as if trying to shake the tension off. Marlo kept his weapon up for a few seconds longer, almost like he was expecting the door to blow open any second, but even he finally let out a breath and tucked the gun into the waistband of his pants.“Holy shit,” Ashley said, pressing a hand over her heart. “I thought we weren’t making it back in.”“No kidding,” I replied, my voice rougher than I intended. My mouth was dry, my heartbeat still hammering against my ribs like it was trying to escape.Just then, Mortis and Emilio, who had been stationed by the door with their guns locked and ready, turned toward us. Their faces wer