Chapter Thirty Four : Desperate PursuitDamian's POVMy study was quiet except for the soft hum of a clock on the wall, the papers and maps strewn across the desk the result of hours of frantic planning and blind alleys. My chest was tight, as if the air around me had thickened beyond breathing. It had been more than twenty-four hours since Lena was taken, and each passing second seemed another nail hammered into my resolve.I ran a hand through my hair, disheveled and damp with sweat. The suit that had been immaculate now wrinkled, the tie flung somewhere onto the floor. The polished veneer that I'd kept in place was in a thousand pieces, much like my poise. Lena was out there somewhere, with a man whom I despised more than anything in this world. And I had no idea how to get her back.“Damian,” one of my guards spoke cautiously from the doorway, interrupting my spiraling thoughts.“What?” My voice came out harsher than intended.He stepped forward hesitantly. “We’ve received a tip a
Chapter: Shadows of Despair(Lena's POV)The room was dark and dank, the walls closing in on me like a silent, jeering prison. My wrists ached from the rough ropes that had earlier bound them, and though now they'd let me free to move, bruises remained to cruelly remind me. The cold floor beneath me, the faint sound of dripping water somewhere in the distance. Days had passed-I wasn't sure how many-since they'd taken me, but it felt like an eternity.No food, no warmth, nothing but the smothering silence that had become my companion.I curled up into the corner, wrapping my legs tight against my chest, and just let the darkness comfort me. My mind went back to Damian: his eyes fierce, his arms embracing protection, his voice with a strength on which I could always lean upon. Did he at least know where I was? Did he even care?But then, there was Alex. His face haunted me just as much as Damian's did now.Alex had been my safe harbor once, a quiet and steady presence in a chaotic world
Chapter Thirty Six: The Unthinkable Price(Damian's POV)The tension in the room was stifling, thick enough to choke on. Marcus stood across from me, leaning against his desk with a smug smile playing on his lips, his eyes glinting with the satisfaction of a predator toying with its prey. My fists were clenched so tightly at my sides that I could feel my nails digging into my palms, but I didn't care. My mind was consumed by one thing, and one thing alone-Lena."I'll give you one last chance, Marcus," I said, my voice low but laced with a warning. "Tell me where Lena is, and I'll consider letting you walk away from this unscathed."Marcus chuckled, a sharp, mocking sound. "Unscathed? Oh, Damian, you're still under the impression that you're in control here.I took a step closer, my glare unwavering. "You're playing with fire, Marcus. You know what I'm capable of.""And you know what I want," he countered, straightening up and crossing his arms. "This isn't about power, Damian. It's ab
Chapter Thirty-Seven Shadows of Hope(Lena's POV)The cold seeped into my bones, an unforgiving reminder of how long I’d been in this wretched place. The room was nothing but stone walls and darkness, with no windows to mark the passage of time. Hunger gnawed at my insides, but the pain wasn’t just physical—it was the fear, the uncertainty, that truly weighed me down.I sat in the corner, knees to my chest, trying to breathe shallowly to remain calm. My wrists still ached from the rough ropes that had secured them only hours before. They'd left me alone since then, but the silence was worse than any threats. It let my mind wander to places I didn't want it to go.Damian.Was he looking for me? Would he even know where to start? I hated it, but a part of me wanted to believe he was out there, tearing the world apart, piece by piece, to find me. What if he wasn't? What if I was another mere pawn in some chess game, easily sacrificed?A sudden sound—the turning of the key in the lock—wre
Chapter Thirty-Eight: Desperation's Edge(Damian's POV)My blood ran cold the moment the report from my most trusted informant came in. Alex had offered himself to Marcus in exchange for Lena's freedom. It was not the self-sacrifice that had rendered me speechless; it was the audacity of the move.Alex had always been loyal, a man who knew the delicate web of power and strategy we worked within. But this-this was madness. Throwing himself as collateral to Marcus, a man who lived to torment, was a choice I couldn't understand.I slammed my fist against the edge of my desk, the sharp pain barely registering through the cloud of anger and frustration. My men stood at attention, awaiting my orders, but I couldn't speak yet. My mind was a storm of questions, all circling back to one undeniable truth: Marcus was winning."Find out where they're keeping Alex and Lena," I barked. My voice came out cold as steel. "I want eyes on that place within the hour. And if Marcus tries to pull another s
Chapter Thirty-Six: Lena's Despair and Strength(Lena's POV)I woke to the sound of dripping water. My head throbbed, and every muscle of my body ached like I'd been run over by a freight train. I tried to move, and the cold, hard floor beneath me bit into my skin, its dampness seeping through my clothes.The room was pitch black, except for the faint, flickering light spilling in from a crack under the heavy steel door. The air was thick and stale, with the metallic tang of rust and blood.Where am I?My memories came back in flashes-being dragged from Damian's estate, my futile attempts to fight back, the cold, mocking laughter of Marcus's men. My chest began to tighten as reality set in-I was Marcus's prisoner."Damian," I whispered, hardly above a whisper. Did he know what had happened? Was he coming for me?I pulled myself upright, wincing at the pain shooting across my ribs. My stomach growled, a pained reminder that I hadn't eaten in what felt like days. Other than the rusted b
Chapter Forty : Damian's Redemption(Damian's POV)The weight of the world pressed upon my shoulders as I stared at the whiskey in my glass. The amber liquid swirled lazily, but did absolutely nothing to numb the storm inside me. The news of Alex's sacrifice sat heavy as a rock in my chest, crushing me with guilt and fury. He'd offered himself to Marcus to save Lena-something I should've prevented.Free, yes, but at what cost? Alex's freedom had turned into Marcus's weapon, and I was the one who'd handed it to him on a silver platter."Sir, we need to discuss a strategy." Ethan's voice pierced my thoughts. My most trusted man was standing at the door, his face etched with concern."I don't want a damn strategy," I snarled, slamming the glass down onto the desk. The force sent the whiskey splashing over its rim. "This is my mess, Ethan. I'll clean it up.""Damian, you can't just walk into Marcus's territory alone. That's suicide.Then I'll die fixing what I broke," I growled, rising fr
Chapter: Will to Survive(Lena's POV)Darkness was the only thing surrounding me. It seemed alive, pushing against me on every side, the weight of it suffocating me. My body ached from the cold, damp floor. My stomach twisted in hunger, my lips cracked for want of water. I had lost all sense of time. No windows, no light, no telling whether it was day or night. The silence was deafening, broken only by the occasional distant footsteps of my captors.I curled up in the corner of the room, hugging my knees to my chest. My mind replayed the events that had led me here. Damian's face lingered in my thoughts, his last words to me before everything went dark: "I will come for you.I wanted to believe him, to cling to that hope, but doubt stole in like a thief in the night. Would he find me in time? Would he risk everything for me?The door creaked open suddenly, bathing the room in harsh light. I winced, shielding my eyes, my heart racing. Two of Marcus's men stood in the doorway, their fac
Chapter One Hundred and Six: The Enemy Show Their FacesLena's POVThe air in the room was charged. I sat on the couch, gripping the fabric of my dress in my hands, trying to take a deep breath. Damian hadn't said much since he'd told me that Ricci had been involved. He stood in front of the window, his silhouette against the subdued city lights, his shoulders hunched up, his jaw set.Something was wrong.I could feel it.It wasn't about Bianca anymore. Something—or someone—else was at play. Someone powerful enough to make Ricci listen. And that frightened me.Damian whirled around, his black eyes fastened on mine. "Get up. We're leaving.""What?" I frowned. "Where are we going?"He didn't answer. He grabbed his gun from the table and inspected it before holstering it. Logan walked into the room, his face serious. "We found someone. He might have answers."I stood up slowly, my heart pounding.Damian came to stand beside me, his presence smothering. "Stay at my side. Whatever you hear
Chapter 101: The CalmLena's POVThe warehouse was quiet now. Too quiet.The shooting had stopped. The screams had died down. The only thing left was the scent of blood and gunpowder in the air. My whole body ached, but I wasn't certain if it was due to my wounds or due to the weight of what had just transpired.Ricci was dead. Bianca was dead.It was done.Yet as I stood there, gazing out at the corpses on the ground, a deep, unsettling feeling crawled up my spine. Was it truly over? Or had we just started a war we were not ready for?Damian shifted with me, his own weapon still clutched in his fist. His breath came in strained, controlled gasps, but I could feel the rigidity in his posture. His jaw was clenched, his eyes narrowed and calculating. His mind was already on the next move."Lena." His tone was rough, little more than a command. "We need to move. Now."I swallowed and nodded. I lacked the energy to object. The adrenaline was beginning to wear off, and my body was
Chapter 104 : The MoveLena's POVThe air reeked of gunpowder and blood. My hands shook still from the events that had transpired. Bianca was dead. But the sweetness of triumph was short-lived. I felt it—the storm that had yet to pass.Damian stood beside me, his gun still raised, his muscles taut as he listened. Footsteps echoed outside the warehouse in the distance. We weren't alone.I turned to Damian, my voice barely above a whisper. "They're coming, aren't they?"His jaw was clenched, his eyes black with something unreadable. "Ricci had expected this," he said. "He knew Bianca might fail. He had men hidden."A chill ran down my spine. "So what do we do?"Damian pulled me against him, his voice low and authoritative. "We fight our way out."My heart pounded. I had never fought before—not like this. But there was no time to be scared. We had to leave.The TrapThe instant we stepped into the corridor, we heard it. A car engine revved outside. A voice shouted orders. Damian cursed u
Chapter 103 : The Trap is SetLena's POVThe cold in the air made the hair on my body stand on its end as I sat rigidly on the unyielding chair, wrists secured behind me. My arms pounded from the coarse rope chafing against my skin, yet I didn't allow myself to focus on that. I had greater concerns on my mind.Bianca had been in and out of the room for hours, taunting me, making sure I knew how much she enjoyed seeing me like this. But I was not going to give her the satisfaction of seeing me break down.I was not going to cry. I was not going to beg.Because I knew one thing with absolute certainty. Damian was coming for me.But was it a trap?I repeated all the things Bianca had told me. She wasn't keeping me here to torment me—she wanted something larger. Something to do with Ricci. And that scared the hell out of me.The door groaned open once again, and I straightened automatically, concealing any trace of vulnerability.Bianca walked in, her heels clicking against the floor, a s
Chapter 102Lena's POVPain.That was the initial sensation that hit me when I opened my eyes. Hurting in my shoulders and wrists, my muscles stiff from having been locked up for much too long. My head was throbbing, my eyes spinning as I blinked through the dim light blazing overhead.Where am I?I tried to move, but I was held back. Rope. Taut, rough, cutting into the skin of my wrists as they were bound behind the chair. My ankles were bound too, pinning me in place to the cold, unforgiving floor beneath me.Panic seared in my chest, but I forced myself to breathe slowly, steadily. I had to stay calm. I had to think.The last thing I remember was being in my room, talking to Damian. And then. nothing.I must have been kidnapped while sleeping.I lifted my head and took a look around the room. It was small, more of a storage room. The walls were made of shattered concrete, and the air smelled of dampness and dust. There was only one door, thick and metal, with no windows.I was a ca
Chapter 101Chapter 101: Unfolds, The Betrayal Damian's POVI didn't waste any time. I instructed Lena to stay back, then sped off with Logan, my mind racing a mile a minute. Bianca had sided with Antonio Ricci, and now nothing was the same.Ricci was no ordinary criminal. He was a tactician, a man who existed for dominance. If Bianca had gone to him, it meant she was desperate—or she was planning something much greater than I'd imagined.We drove in silence, the weight of the moment resting heavily on us. Logan sat next to me in the front seat, his jaw set as he read over the contents of the folder he'd given me before."We have one lead," he finally broke the silence. "There's a guy named Marco. He works for Ricci, but he's been feeding information to us for months.".I clenched my fists around the steering wheel. "Does he know Bianca's going to turn him in?""He says he does."That was enough to hear.We arrived at a deserted warehouse on the outskirts of the city fifteen minutes
Chapter Hundred : Uncovering the TruthDamian's POVI sat at my desk in my office, staring at the papers scattered around. My mind was a mess of thoughts, each one more dangerous than the last. Bianca had been playing a game, one that I hadn't seen coming until it was almost too late. Now I needed to figure out her final move before she could utilize it.I tapped my fingers against the wooden desk, my patience running out. All of my leads so far had pointed to the same thing—Bianca was planning something bigger, something worse than she'd ever tried before.There was a knock at the door, and I was pulled from my thoughts."Enter," I snapped.The door opened and Logan, my most trusted right-hand man, entered. His face was tense, his jaw tight. That was never a good sign."We found something," he said, placing a folder before me.I opened it without hesitation, my eyes scanning the contents. There were photographs, timestamps, and detailed reports. Bianca had been meeting with someone—s
Chapter Ninety Nine: The Final GambitDamian's POVThe room was still except for the metronomic tick of the ancient clock on the wall. My shoulder ached from the gunshot wound, the ache a dull reminder Lucas had fired the shot.He had shot me.Not Bianca. Not one of her brainless mercenaries. Lucas. My own brother.Rafael sat across from me, arms crossed over his chest, annoyance etched into his posture. He had not said a word since we returned to the safe house, but now his temper was flared."We have to talk about this," he stated.I didn't say anything."You hesitated," he pressed on, his voice a little harsher this time. "You had a chance to take him down, and you didn't do it."My jaw was set hard. "He's not the enemy."Rafael laughed. "He shot you, Damian."I knew that. I felt that. But something in Lucas' eyes that moment—right as he took the shot—gave me the assurance that there was still something left of him. Something of himself that wasn't taken away entirely by Bianca's
Chapter Ninety EightThe Hunt BeginsDamian's POVThe air stank of smoke and blood. The safe house was still, save the steady hum of the city beyond. I stood in the window, gripping the hem of the curtain as I leaned into the darkness. Each shadow, each waver of motion seemed a possible threat.Bianca had crossed the line this time.Lucas… I did not know if he had survived the explosion. And if he did, I was certain of one thing—he would not stop until he had my head. Bianca had done her work to him, poisoned his mind, and now he was just another enemy I had to get rid of.A forceful rap on the door broke my train of thought."It's me."I recognized the voice immediately—Rafael, my most trusted right-hand man. I opened the door wide enough to let him in before closing it behind him. He was dressed in black, his expression grim."We discovered something," he said, handing me the folder. "You're not going to like it."I opened it up, looking over the photographs inside. The first was a