Chapter Twenty - Six : Bianca's DiscoveryEarly morning sun pierced the tall windows of Damian's estate, casting golden rays of light across the floors, now polished to a high shine. I was in the study, dusting the shelves — a chore I had taken to out of habit rather than obligation. Damian had left early that morning, and the house was unusually still, though I knew it wouldn't last.It wasn't until I heard the sharp click of heels on the marble floor that I tensed. Bianca. She had a way of filling any space with an oppressive air, her presence commanding attention whether you wanted it or not."Lena," her voice cut through the quiet like a blade. I turned slowly, already bracing myself for whatever venom she had prepared for me today."Yes, Bianca?" I replied as evenly as possible, laying the duster down.She crossed her arms, leaning against the doorway with that smirk that ran a chill down my spine. "You're awfully distracted these days. Something on your mind? Or should I say… so
Chapter Twenty - Seven: Confessions And ConfrontationsDamian's Point of ViewThe room was dark, the only light being that of the bedside lamp. Amber tones extended across the walls. I leaned against the bed edge, my phone pressed to my ear, and stared out into the moonlight filtering through heavy curtains. My voice was low, deliberate."You don't understand, Conrad," I said, pacing the length of the room. "Bianca's been getting bolder. She's using that sharp tongue of hers to stir up trouble, and now she's making threats. She claims I owe her something, and she's willing to do somethings down if I don't give it to her."On the other end of the line, Conrad exhaled, his tone as skeptical as ever. “Bianca has always been a wildcard, Damian. But if she’s threatening you, why keep her around? You’ve never tolerated this kind of nonsense before. We all know who you are, the cold Damian we all know, is that not same man I am talking to?”I paused, rubbing a hand across my jaw. "It's not t
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Colliding Ways(Lena's POV)Above, the moon hung low in the sky, her pale beams dancing across the garden outside my window. I sat at the edge of my bed, looking out at that soft shine now spilling into the room. My heart ached with a weight, the burden of Damian's words, which lay earlier on my heart.He would not let me work nor do anything for my freedom; he had kept me in this quaint, suffocating spot. I tried to be reasonable with him, pleading that he come to his senses, but he silenced me as one would to a child who knew nothing of her life.I was tired of it, of the control, of the uncertainty, of not knowing how to get away from it.The quiet night was oppressively suffocating. I longed for fresh air and space to think in a head-cleansing manner. I didn't give any afterthought to it. Slipping my shoes on, wrapping the shawl up over my shoulders, and off I went out into the night.The hallways were quiet, and my way was guided by the soft shine of wall la
Chapter Twenty Nine: Bianca's Bold MoveI sat at my desk, trying to focus on the pile of paperwork in front of me, but my thoughts kept wandering. The weight of the world felt heavier on my shoulders with each passing day. The deals I had been making, the power plays-all seemed to fall apart slowly. Pressure from all quarters beyond that which one could stand-a tightrope walk wherein one had to keep fighting to be in control.But in among all that chaos, one thing had remained consistent: Bianca. She'd been a nag, a thorn in my side for months now, yet her presence in my life had only managed to heighten. She had this way of making everything feel like some kind of game-and right about now, I couldn't help but think she might be playing me.I ran my hand through my hair and leaned back in my chair, my eyes traversing the room. All was quiet-quiet. And then, just when I was turning back to the pile of papers before me, the door of my office swung open violently, causing me to flinch.I
Chapter Thirty: Unspoken Truths(Damian's POV)The fire in the hearth crackled softly, the only sound breaking the heavy silence of my room. My thoughts spiralled, tangled mess of anger, betrayal and something else, something I could not quite name. Bianca's audacity shook me to the core. It wasn't the mere betrayal that disturbed me, it was the imminent threat she presented now. Alessandro. The man I'd spent years outmaneuvering was now being welcomed back into my life by someone I had trusted.I leaned into the edge of my desk, my fingers wrapping tightly around the surface. The wood bit into my palms, grounding me. This wasn't just a game anymore; it was personal. But no matter how much Bianca's betrayal consumed my thoughts, it wasn't the only thing weighing on me.Her.Lena.Her name whispered through my mind, soft but relentless. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face-those wide, expressive eyes, full of defiance and fear; her soft lips clamped into a determined line. She w
Chapter Thirty-One: Dangerous Intrigues(Bianca's POV)The darkly lit bar was silent, save for the periodic clinking of glasses and the hum of hushed conversations. I sat in a secluded corner, my fingers tapping impatiently on the polished surface of the table. Across from me, Marcus leaned back in his chair, his steely eyes watching me with a calculating intensity."You've outdone yourself, Bianca," he said, the smirk playing at the corners of his lips. "I didn't think you had the guts to approach me directly. After everything that had happened, after how you had supported your Damian over me, so you can come to me?”I leaned forward, my voice low and deliberate. "This isn't about guts, Marcus. It's about strategy. Damian's gotten too soft, too distracted. If you want to bring him down, now is the time. You should know this world we are, one’s enemy can be one’s friend, so you don’t have to be surprised about this, I just brought up a stategy for you to grab, it’s all in your hands n
Chapter 32: The Betrayal Within(Damian's POV)The silence in my study was oppressive. Papers were scattered across my desk, the remnants of a frantic search for answers, but nothing felt right. My mind was a mess of worry and rage. Lena was gone, taken right from under my nose, and I knew exactly who was behind it.Bianca.I had underestimated her-no, I had underestimated the length she would go to hurt me. Since Lena's disappearance, my security tripled its efforts, but it was no more than a Band-Aid on a wound that refused to staunch bleeding. Bianca slithered her way back into my life again, like a snake, this time not alone. Marcus was her ally, as dangerous as he was cunning, and together they'd stolen what meant most to me.I sat brooding and thinking when, suddenly, my study door burst open. Two guards immediately stepped forward, hands on weapons, but I waved them off.And there she was. Bianca."How did you get in here?" I asked coldly, rising from my chair.She leaned again
Chapter Thirty-Three : A Deal of Sacrifice Lena's POV The darkness was oppressive. I had no idea how long I'd spent in this grimy room. The air was damp, the stone walls cold against my back, and the silence was only relieved by an intermittent shuffling of footsteps outside the door. My stomach growled in protest, but I had long stopped thinking about food. My lips were dry from thirst, and every inch of my body was bruised due to the rough handling by Marcus's men during the abduction. The worst wasn't the pain but the crippling fear, the uncertainty of what was to happen. I sat curled in the corner, legs to my chest, trying to draw some comfort from my body. Memories of Damian's voice, his touches, his kisses merely replayed constantly in my brain. Did he know where I was? Would he even come for me? I shook the thought away. Damian was strong and resourceful, but Marcus wasn't someone you crossed without consequences. What if Bianca had told him lies? What if he thought
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
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