Chapter Title: The Truth RevealedLena's POVThe fury boiling inside of me was something new for me. My heart pounding in my chest, I stormed into Damian's office, my hand clutching the proof so tightly that it turned white from the grip. I had been humiliated, abandoned, and made to endure because of Bianca's deceptions. But now, I had evidence—undeniable evidence—that I had been framed.Damian sat behind his desk, sorting through some documents, but his entire body stiffened the instant I entered. His black eyes snapped up to meet mine, and for a brief moment, I saw something there—guilt, doubt, maybe even remorse.I didn't care.I slammed the folder onto his desk with emphasis. The papers scattered everywhere across the polished surface, some falling on the floor."See it," I insisted, my voice firm and uncompromising. "See it and say that you did not make an error."Damian exhaled deeply, sitting back in his seat, his expression neutral. "Lena, if you've come here to—""Don't," I
Lena’s POVThe house was colder than ever. It wasn't the chill of the air, but the chill that seeped into my bones and made me hollow inside. I had been saved, rescued from the hell Bianca and Marcus had subjected me to, but I wasn't free yet. Not yet.Because the moment Damian had enveloped me in his arms, telling me I was safe, I had felt it—fear.Fear of what came next.Fear of what he needed.Fear that I would never be normal again.I sat beside the window in the darkened bedroom where Damian had brought me back. My fingers traced imaginary patterns on the glass, my mind replaying every detail of what had happened. The chains. The black room. Marcus's sneer. Alex's willingness to sacrifice himself for my liberty.And Bianca…She wasn't done. I knew it.I took a deep breath, misting the glass with my exhalation. The door thudded shut, and I bristled at once. My heart pounded as I shifted my head infinitesimally, to discover Damian standing there.He towered there, his face impassiv
Bianca's New PlanLena's POVDark clouds gathered over the city as if the sky itself sensed the brewing storm. I sat at the window of Damian's mansion, staring out over the horizon, my mind disturbed. It had been days since Bianca's last threat, and no matter what Damian tried to tell me, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the calm before the storm.Bianca wasn't a woman to give up. No, she was a woman who smiled while whetting her blade.And she was planning something. I knew it.Damian ramped up the security, having double the amount of guards posted at the house. Every doorway was monitored and no one came or left without being searched. It should have made me more comfortable, but it didn't. Bianca had means, connections—she wasn't the kind of woman who had to play by rules.She was unpredictable.And then, as if the world had it in for reliving my worst nightmares, Damian stormed into the room, his phone clutched in his hand.His face was unreadable, but the tension
.Chapter Title: The Betrayal UnfoldsDamian’s POVI could feel the weight of the world bearing down on me, more than ever before. The absence of Lena from my life had left a vacuum, an emptiness of a gulf that echoed in the darkest corners of my mind. And now, in the shadows of my own kingdom, I realized something worse—something I never imagined possible—had happened.There was treachery in plain sight.I had always counted on others. I had always taken loyalty for granted, in bonds created through years of adversity and common goals. But here, in my office, I had a new understanding. A bitter realization consumed me, and it sickened me. One of the people I thought I could trust was implicated. One of them had betrayed me—and more importantly—betrayed Lena.The clue had been given by an unexpected source: a missing report I had found secretly stashed in a drawer that should have been empty. The papers had been neatly folded, carefully hidden between folders I knew I'd sorted through
Chapter Title: The Price of Betrayal(Lena’s POV)The room was silent, yet it felt suffocating. My breath came in slow, measured exhales as I sat on the cold stone floor, my arms wrapped tightly around my knees. My body ached, my wrists raw from the hours of being tied up, and the shadows in the corners of the dimly lit room seemed to shift with an eerie presence. Time had lost all meaning. How long had I been here? A day? Two? More?Hunger clawed at my insides, my throat dry from lack of water, but I refused to break. I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing me beg. Not Bianca. Not Marcus. No one. The memory of how I got here replayed in my mind like a cruel joke. I had trusted too easily, believed too much, and now, I was paying the price.A loud creak echoed through the room, making me flinch. My eyes darted to the heavy metal door as it swung open, revealing the last person I wanted to see—Bianca.She stepped in, her heels clicking against the stone floor, her expression a
Chapter Fifty Nine: Whispers Of BetrayalLena's POVSilence had been her most merciless friend.Lena sat in the dark room, her arms wrapped around her knees as she fought to calm the hurricane brewing within her. Every breath was leaden, every second stretched out endlessly. She was trapped—not physically but also mentally, emotionally. Bianca's ultimatum was a noose around her neck.Either she would have to push Damian aside and shatter his heart, or she would be responsible for his ruin.She shut her eyes, exhaustion gnawing at her. She had not been sleeping well in days. How could she? Every time she allowed herself to close her eyes, she could see Damian's face—the way he regarded her in love, in unbreakable dedication. And now they wanted her to betray that?She swallowed hard. No. She couldn't.But what else could she do?Marcus and Bianca had been methodical in their intimidation, with no way out for her. The only thing they hadn't banked on was the depth of her love for Damian
Chapter Suctu : Betrayal within the Ranks(Damian's POV)The weight of what I had just discovered felt like a knife against my ribs, suffocating me. Bianca was dangerous, but I had underestimated her desperation. She was not acting alone—she had powerful allies, ones that had been hiding in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.I clenched my fists as I scanned the documents laid out before me. The evidence was undeniable. A series of encrypted emails between Bianca and an unknown contact, and transaction records—hundreds of thousands of dollars funneled through offshore accounts. But what ran cold was the final page. A signature.The signature at the bottom gave me the chills.Carlos.My right hand. My most faithful lieutenant. The one I'd had since war, since betrayal, since bloodshed. The man to whom I'd entrusted my life.For what seemed like forever, I just stood there, not wanting to accept it. No, this was some kind of mistake. Someone had signed his name, or pe
Chapter Sicty One ;The Trap is Set(Damian's POV)The air was thick with lies, the kind that seeped into the walls and poisoned everything it touched. Carlos thought he was clever, thought I hadn't noticed the way his eyes stayed a fraction of a second too long when I gave orders, the way his fingers twitched when he returned to me to give his reports, or the subtle tension in his shoulders when Bianca's name was mentioned. But I was not a fool. I had been watching him for days, and now it was time to put an end to this game.I sat in my office, drumming my fingers on the table as I looked at the papers in front of me. At first glance, they were simply business contracts—routes of trade, security provisions, fiscal accounts—but underneath them lay something far more valuable: a finely woven deceit. A deceit that would lead Carlos to his next move.I sat back, exhaling slowly. It wasn't enough to take him by surprise. I needed him to bring me to Bianca. I needed him to believe that he
LLena’s POVI held the photo in my hand for a long time.It was a picture of me… standing in the garden. Smiling. Peaceful. I had no idea someone was hiding nearby, taking pictures of me. Watching me.I felt sick.My heart pounded in my chest. My hands trembled as I slowly placed the photo on the table. Damian stood across from me, arms crossed, his jaw tight with anger. But he wasn’t just angry. He was scared. I could see it in his eyes.And that scared me even more.“She was close enough to take this,” I whispered. “That means… she could have hurt me anytime.”“She didn’t,” Damian said quickly, walking to me. “She didn’t, and she won’t. I won’t let her.”I nodded, but fear crawled up my spine like cold fingers. I turned my head toward the window. The garden looked peaceful. The sun was shining. But now it felt like a trap. Like eyes were hiding behind every tree.I looked at Damian. “What if she’s still watching?”“She’s not,” he said firmly. “We swept the grounds. She’s gone.”“Bu
.Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Six: The Hunt BeginsDamian’s POVI didn’t sleep.I sat in my office all night, the shadows long and heavy across the floor. The city outside my window was quiet, but inside my head, it was chaos. Bianca’s face kept flashing in my mind—smiling, cold, dangerous. I knew her well enough to understand one thing.She wasn’t done yet.Lena was still sleeping when I left. I didn’t want to wake her. Not because I didn’t trust her strength—but because I didn’t want her to see the war I was about to step into. I had promised to protect her. And now, I had to keep that promise with everything I had.Logan was already waiting downstairs.“She moved again,” he said, holding a file. “But we have something. A man named Nico—he used to work for Ricci. He wants to talk.”“Why?” I asked.“He says he has information. Claims he knows where Bianca is hiding.”I narrowed my eyes. “And what does he want in return?”“Money. And safety.”Of course. No one in this world gave an
Chapter 125Lena’s POV – Preparing for the StormThe soft hum of the safe house’s lights was the only sound that accompanied me as I paced back and forth across the room. The floor was cold beneath my bare feet, but I barely felt it. My mind was racing, a storm of thoughts that I couldn’t seem to quiet.Damian had gone into another room hours ago, speaking in hushed tones to Logan. The urgency in their voices had been undeniable, but I hadn’t been able to get close enough to hear the details. I hated being left out of the plan, hated feeling like a liability. I wasn’t the same vulnerable person I had been when I first walked into this world.But still, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake the sense of helplessness that seemed to cling to me, suffocating me with every passing minute.I walked to the window, peering out into the darkness. The world beyond was eerily still, almost as if it was waiting for something to happen. I didn’t like how quiet it was. There was too much at
Chapter: Lena’s POV - The AftermathThe silence in the room was deafening. The kind of silence that fills your ears and makes every tiny sound seem amplified. It was the quiet after chaos. After the explosion, the gunfire, the running. After the moment when my life, and Damian’s, nearly slipped away in the blink of an eye.I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at my hands, which were still shaking. The memory of the bomb—its deafening roar—was fresh in my mind, every detail still vivid. Damian’s urgent hands on my arm, pulling me into his protection, the heat of the blast, the smell of smoke and dust that had choked the air. The sound of the glass shattering, the metallic scent of blood in the air. I had never been so close to death, yet here I was, alive. But was I really living? I felt numb, detached from everything around me.Damian had ordered me to stay here, in this safe house, a place where I had never felt more like a prisoner. There were no windows, no doors to the outside wo
Chapter One Hundred and : The Final CountdownDamian's POVThe room was filled with the harsh beeping of the countdown on the bomb, the constant, remorseless intervals ringing out. 00:02:45. The evil red numerals on the device pulsed, a grim reminder that every second ticked us closer to disaster.Bianca leaned against the cold ground, her body shaking in weakness due to the wounds I had inflicted upon her before. Nonetheless, despite the pain, she smirked. Her deep, bloodshot eyes gleamed with twisted satisfaction. She thrived in such chaos. "You'll never be able to prevent it in time," she whispered, licking blood from her cut lip.I clenched my fists, my patience wearing perilously thin. My heart pounded in my ears, the rage within me kept barely under control by the fear of what was at risk."Shut up," Logan snarled, bent over the bomb. His hands flew across the wires, but even he couldn't hide the sweat at his temples. "This is not an ordinary bomb—it's encoded. If I cut the wro
Chapter 11”: The Trap Lena’s POV The silence in the room was suffocating. I stood frozen, my heart hammering against my ribs as I stared at Damian. His face was stone-cold, but his eyes burned with barely contained fury. Logan had just delivered the news—Bianca had taken someone. Someone close to me. I swallowed hard, my throat dry. My fingers curled into fists as I struggled to process it. “Who?” My voice came out hoarse. Logan hesitated, glancing at Damian before answering. “Mia.” A sharp pain shot through my chest. Mia. The only person who had ever been like a sister to me. The girl who had stayed by my side when no one else did. The thought of her in Bianca’s hands made my stomach churn. I took a shaky breath and turned to Damian. “We have to go. Now.” He didn’t answer immediately. His jaw was tight, his muscles tense as if he were barely restraining himself. “It’s not that simple,” he finally said. My eyes flashed with anger. “What do you mean? She has Mia! Are you ser
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty a one: A Perilous MissionLena's POVThe night was abnormally still as I crouched next to Logan behind a row of abandoned boxes outside the warehouse. The cold wind nipped my skin, but the surging adrenaline coursing through my veins prevented me from feeling it. This was it. Bianca's operation. One of her most important warehouses, where she had stored weapons, money, and intel that could be used against her. Blowing it up would eliminate a good chunk of her might.It wasn't just a matter of incinerating her resources, though. It was a matter of finding out what she had in store. Why she had allied herself with Antonio Ricci.Logan handed me an earpiece, his expression serious. "Stay close. No unnecessary risks. If something does go wrong, we leave right away."I grinned wryly. "Oh, you don't trust me?"He glared at me. "I trust you. I don't trust this place."He wasn't joking. The warehouse was heavily guarded. Security cameras were around every corner
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Lena's ChoiceLena's POVI lay in bed beside Damian, my hands holding him tightly. His face was pale, breathing labored but slowed. Having him like this—so broken and open and vulnerable—was like having someone poking an icicle deep into my heart. I never saw him in this manner before. Damian was always standing, always directing everything. But now, he was hanging by a thread barely.And this is all Bianca's doing.I swallowed the lump in my throat, and fought to keep my cool. I didn't have time to lose it. I didn't have time to let fear get the best of me. Bianca wasn't finished yet. She had already demonstrated how far she would go. And if I just sat here, waiting for Damian to wake up, she would come after us again.I couldn't let that happen.I needed to do something.I needed to stop this.I breathed in deeply and looked over at Logan, standing by the door. His arms were crossed, his face inscrutable, but I could tell there was tension in his stanc
Chapter One Hundred and Nine: The Escape (Lena's POV)The sound of gunfire echoed through the air, my own heart pounding against my ribcage. There was madness inside the warehouse—shouting, running, bullets ripping through walls. I blinked through dust and smoke, but I did not have time for fear. Logan was beside me, firing at Bianca's men while I held onto Damian, trying to keep him awake.He was too white. Too quiet. His chest rose and fell shallowly, and blood trickled through the bandages I'd slapped across his wound."Stay with me," I breathed, jostling him lightly. His eyelids trembled, but he didn't move.Logan ducked behind a stack of crates, reloading his pistol. "We have to go now," he exclaimed, sounding frantic. "They're on top of us.".I swallowed and nodded. My body trembled, but I steadied myself against it. Now was not the time to be afraid."We can't get out the front," Logan said. "They're too numerous."I looked around for another way out. The warehouse was big, but