Chapter Ninety Six: The First StrikeDamian's POVThe second those words left Nikolai's lips—"Your brother is behind this"—something inside me snapped.For years, I'd kept the past secret, convinced myself that he was dead, that the betrayal he'd committed was the last I'd ever have from him. I'd moved on. I'd built my empire without him.And now he was here. Not only here—plotting with Bianca to bring me down.I should have known better."Where is he?" I spoke in an icy, detached tone. That Damian of old—the one who would have restrained himself because of blood ties—no longer existed.Nikolai wiped the blood from his battered lip and exhaled. "He's been lurking in the shadows for years, Damian. He's been pulling strings as we've been distracted with Bianca. We underestimated him."I clenched my teeth, focusing. No rage allowed, no time to let this treachery sink in.We had to strike first."Bianca wants you to be reckless," Lena whispered. She was standing beside me, her eyes firm b
Chapter Ninety Seven: BetrayalDamian’s POVThe moment Lucas pulled the trigger, everything exploded into chaos.I barely dodged the bullet, rolling behind a metal crate as gunfire erupted across the control room. My men stormed in, firing at Lucas’s guards, while Lena took cover beside me, reloading her gun.Lucas had made his choice.I wouldn’t hesitate anymore.I checked the crate, gun pointed at him, but he'd already taken cover behind a steel pillar. No sign of Bianca—she'd vanished in the chaos, snake that she was.Coward."Damian!" Lena yelled, her voice authoritative. "We need to move forward!"I nodded, motioning to Nikolai. He tossed a smoke grenade into the room, and within seconds, thick gray smoke choked the air.Lucas's men started to cough, confused.It was my chance.I raced forward, dodging wild shots, until I was mere feet from him. I wanted answers. I wanted to know why my own brother had betrayed me.I tackled him to the ground.We crashed onto the hard floor, punc
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
Chapter One : The Price Of DesperationLena's PovThe inky night air hung thick and heavy upon me as I headed toward that dimly lit building, the crumpled address fisted in my hand. Every step felt like a jump into something far darker than I'd ever known, but this was my last hope.Damian Russo. His name could freeze blood in this city just from a mention in alleys and bars, served up with nothing more than a whispered warning. I had nothing but one hope-a desperate, foolish hope-and that was that he would help me, despite the stories, about what happened when one fell into his debt. But my mother was fading fast, her medical bills piling up, and this was the last door on which to knock.My legs trembled as I made my way down the corridor. Men of rough countenance watched from the shadows, their eyes cold and steady. One of them muttered something, and there was a ripple of laughter. I hurried my pace, hastening to drown my fear in thoughts of why I was here. But that did little good
Chapter Two : First CommandLenaThe morning was barely breaking, and the elements of light barely filtered through the sides of the thick curtains, but the house was quiet, dark, and foreboding. I had hardly slept, my mind plagued by the reality of what I'd agreed to, and the man I was indebted to.A knock came to my door, loud and heavy, impatient. Opening it with a racing heart, I found one of Damian's men waiting for me on the other side-a stone-faced giant of a man who didn't say a word. He merely cocked his head toward the hall, clearly meaning for me to follow.I followed him down the long, circling corridors, my feet growing heavier with each step. It was as if I were being taken into the mouth of something dark and monstrous. The quiet, the heavy silence, seemed to pulse around me and fill me with dread.We finally stopped in front of a broad, double-door entrance. Without making any noise, the guard opened it, gesturing for me to go inside alone. I pushed my legs forward, al
Chapter ThreeI sat in my small cold room, my fists clenched into my lap. The air felt thick and stifling, weighing upon me, as I tried to steady my breathing. I had promised myself that I was not going to cry, but here I was on the brink of it, rummaging through my mind for how I had gotten so deeply entrenched in this world. I didn't want to be here; I didn't belong here.A soft knock on the door startled me, and I hurriedly rubbed my eyes, steeled myself. The door creaked open, and a tall figure stepped inside. He was young, his face expressionless, yet his eyes held a faint glimmer of kindness I hadn't seen in anyone here. His name was Alex, one of Damian's men-or at least, that was my assumption.He cleared his throat; his eyes, upon meeting mine, were inscrutable. "He wants to see you," he said, softer than I had expected.I nodded, my stomach lurching at the idea of going into Damian's presence again. I shifted to stand, but my legs were like lead. I tried to conceal the trembl
Chapter Four"Tomorrow is the day I will be free from this place. It will be ten years that I have served him, and yet sometimes it feels I shouldn't go because of you. I just do not want to see you cry." Alex's voice was soft, full of compassion I hadn't expected from someone I barely knew. In the quiet sincerity, a voice that sounded as though it could break through the thick wall I had built. But his words cut through me in ways I wasn't prepared for.His eyes softened, and I noticed the slight tension in his jaw. I could feel the weight of the moment, and I wasn't sure how to respond. "I'm not asking you to do anything," Alex continued, almost as though reading my thoughts. "I just want you to get a chance to leave this place, a chance to breathe again without him controlling every step of the way. Tomorrow, when I am free, I will look for the money. I'll find it and you can use it to pay him off. You'll be free. You won't owe him anything. You won't have to stay here anymore."Hi
Chapter Five: Unspoken TensionsI stood quietly beside Damian, my heart pounding in my chest as I watched Alex move toward the door. With every step he took, it was like an echo through the silence separating us. I wanted to say something, anything that would make him stay, but words wouldn't come.Alex halted, his eyes catching mine behind him. Regret swirled in their depths, something deeper I couldn't quite place. I saw the twitch in his hand, as if he might reach out, as if he wanted to hold onto something before it was too late. But before I could take even one step toward him, Damian's voice cut through the air, commanding and cold."Just leave quietly, Alex.I froze; the chill of his tone seemed to settle deep into my bones. Alex hesitated, then nodded stiffly, turning away from me, his footsteps heavy with finality.I couldn't stop him. I didn't even try. Instead, I stayed rooted to the spot, my heart aching, watching him disappear through the door.For a long moment, Damian d
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
Chapter Ninety Seven: BetrayalDamian’s POVThe moment Lucas pulled the trigger, everything exploded into chaos.I barely dodged the bullet, rolling behind a metal crate as gunfire erupted across the control room. My men stormed in, firing at Lucas’s guards, while Lena took cover beside me, reloading her gun.Lucas had made his choice.I wouldn’t hesitate anymore.I checked the crate, gun pointed at him, but he'd already taken cover behind a steel pillar. No sign of Bianca—she'd vanished in the chaos, snake that she was.Coward."Damian!" Lena yelled, her voice authoritative. "We need to move forward!"I nodded, motioning to Nikolai. He tossed a smoke grenade into the room, and within seconds, thick gray smoke choked the air.Lucas's men started to cough, confused.It was my chance.I raced forward, dodging wild shots, until I was mere feet from him. I wanted answers. I wanted to know why my own brother had betrayed me.I tackled him to the ground.We crashed onto the hard floor, punc
Chapter Ninety Six: The First StrikeDamian's POVThe second those words left Nikolai's lips—"Your brother is behind this"—something inside me snapped.For years, I'd kept the past secret, convinced myself that he was dead, that the betrayal he'd committed was the last I'd ever have from him. I'd moved on. I'd built my empire without him.And now he was here. Not only here—plotting with Bianca to bring me down.I should have known better."Where is he?" I spoke in an icy, detached tone. That Damian of old—the one who would have restrained himself because of blood ties—no longer existed.Nikolai wiped the blood from his battered lip and exhaled. "He's been lurking in the shadows for years, Damian. He's been pulling strings as we've been distracted with Bianca. We underestimated him."I clenched my teeth, focusing. No rage allowed, no time to let this treachery sink in.We had to strike first."Bianca wants you to be reckless," Lena whispered. She was standing beside me, her eyes firm b
Chapter Ninety Five The Breaking PointLena’s POVThe tension in the room was suffocating.Damian was at the window, his shoulders rigid, his jaw so tight it appeared that it would crack. I could see the storm raging in his eyes—the conflict he waged in his mind. Bianca had offered him an option, but we both understood it was no option at all. It was a trap, a ruthless game designed to break him.Surrender to Bianca, and she triumphs. Stand up to her, and she might still win.I didn't believe it."I am not going to let you," I said firmly, though with terror ripping my chest asunder.Damian didn't look at me right away. His fists were tightly bunched at his waist, and when he finally looked at me, his dark eyes locked with mine in a fierceness that caused shivers along my spine."Lena, you don't understand," he said to her, his voice clenched. "If I don't stop her now, she'll destroy it all. She's already getting too close—to powerful. If I push her too hard, she'll manipulate you to
Chapter Ninety Fivee: The Ultimate BetrayalLena's POVThe room felt stifling.I could hear the muffled hum of conversation in the distance, a reminder that we were not alone. But in this cold, dingy room, it felt like the world had narrowed down to the two of us—me and Damian. Or me, Damian, and the traitor.Damian's face was unreadable. His jaw was set, his fists buried at his hips. But his eyes—those dark, black eyes—reflected an emotion I had never witnessed.Betrayal."You?" His voice was smooth, deadly almost, but I could sense the storm brewing beneath it.The man standing before us—**one that Damian had trusted, one with whom he'd been friends for years—**shifted awkwardly. But their eyes didn't show any remorse. No guilt. Just cold calculation."You shouldn't be surprised, Damian," said the traitor."This was always going to happen."My stomach tightened. I had witnessed Damian rage on numerous occasions previously, but this. this was different. It was the kind of silence tha
Chapter Ninety ThreeThe Betrayal and the EscapeLena's POVThe darkness was thick with tension, it curled around me like a strangling shroud. My ribcage slammed tight against my thundering heart. I held Damian's hand tightly, and my breath expelled short and shallowly. We were running. We couldn't help it.Bianca's soldiers were close. Too close.The forest behind the cabin loomed before us, its shadows stretching out like ghostly fingers in the light of the moon. We didn't have time to linger. Damian pulled me along, his grip tight but urgent, and we plunged into the shadows, our boots crunching through dead leaves and twigs.Behind us, the sounds of those who pursued us reached my ears: murmurs, the breaking of twigs now and again, swaying of branches. They were advancing, hurrying, and they knew these woods as well as we did."Quickly," Damian gasped, his breath no louder than the pounding of my heart.I did. God, I did. My legs ached, my lungs heaved for air, but I pushed myself
Chapter Ninety TwoSafetyLena's POVThere was unease thick in the air as Damian gripped the steering wheel, his eyes darting from the dark, winding road ahead of us to the rearview mirror. The engine rumbled low, the only sound between us, but I felt the pressure of everything that had never been said resting on my chest. We had been on the road for hours, and yet the feeling of being chased never wavered.I sat stiffly in the passenger seat, my fists clenched in my lap. My mind ran over the past few hours in a cycle. Bianca had known where I was. She had orchestrated this. If Damian hadn't saved me, I shuddered at what could have happened. And yet even now, I didn't know if I had gotten away or was merely delaying the inevitable.The car careened widely as Damian navigated onto a dirt path, the tires crunching over rocks."Where are we?" I finally cut into the quiet. My words trembled ever so slightly more than I wished, but I was too drained to care.Damian maintained his concentra
.Chapter Title: The Breaking PointDamian’s POVThe cold bite of the metal chains on my wrists had long since turned from pain to numbness. Hours—maybe even days—had passed since Bianca's little speech, but time lost all meaning when locked in a dark, airless room. The single and only thing that mattered was escape.I replayed every word she'd said, every hint she'd dropped regarding her final play. She was after Lena. That in itself had anger searing through me, hot and unforgiving.I had to do something. Now.The problem? The heavy steel cuffs binding my hands and the two guards—Luca and Rian—stationed outside.They were sure, arrogant. Bianca had them thinking I was broken, too frail to strike back. That was their mistake.I let my body fall forward, feigning exhaustion, letting my breathing come in thin, uneven pants. The tramp of boots was heard in the hallway outside the door. A moment later, it creaked open, and the room was lit with dim light.Luca came in first, followed by
Chapter Ninety Caught Damian's POVThe cold metal of the chains cut into my wrists as I huddled in the dark room. The scent of damp concrete mingled with something more bitter—something metallic. Blood? No, not my own. Someone had been here before me. The walls were lined with rusted pipes that were ancient and some of them dripped with water, a rhythmic tap that filled the room. The air was dense, heavy with the kind of tension that leads up to a storm.I knew Bianca wasn't stupid. If she'd gone to all this effort to kidnap me, then she must have had a plan. A poor one. But she'd miscalculated if she'd expected me to arrive without one of my own.A door creaked.Soft footsteps approached, heels clicking on the cement floor with agonizing slowness. I didn't have to look up and see in order to recognize that it was her. The cloud of her high-class perfume, a mix of vanilla and something else, tougher probably to mask the stench of her corruption, lingered in the air."Damian," Bianca