Valeria's hands trembled as she fumbled for her phone, her chest convulsing as her heart pounded against her at top speed. She could still feel Kc's rage lingering above her, suffocating her, consuming whatever last vestige of strength was left in her. As soon as he had shoved out of her condo unit, she collapsed onto the floor, panting, convulsing her whole body.She pushed the phone to her ear, her fingers frozen. As soon as the call went through, she collapsed utterly."Manager Kim," she wept, her words barely intelligible. "K-Kc… h-he was at my condo… he visited me."There was a moment of silence on the other end before Manager Kim's voice cut through, taut with alarm. "What?! When? Are you injured?""N-no, but—" Valeria couldn't catch her breath, holding her chest as fear took hold. "He was angry, Kim. He wants me to pay. He… he won't let up." Her voice broke, Kc's rage overwhelming her.Kim cursed. "I told you to call me Valeria, if he ever showed up anywhere around you! You don
Valeria slid into a seat, her hands trembling in buckling the seatbelt. "Kim. wh-what if he finds me?" she whispered, her voice hardly audible.Briefly, Kim clenched his teeth as he got into the driver's seat and turned on the car. "Then we'll be set in motion."As they sped away into the night, Valeria stared outside, her heart heavy with dread about what lay ahead.Would she ever escape Kc’s wrath?Meanwhile…Kc sat in his office, holding a glass of whiskey so hard it almost broke in his hand. His head was a jumble of sorrow, anger, and a pain so hollow it refused to let go.His phone vibrated on the desk. He ignored it.Then it rang again.He took a harsh breath before answering. "What?"A low voice came back. "You let her go."Kc's face darkened. "What are you talking about?""Valeria. She's fleeing."Kc sat bolt upright, his whole body stiffening. "Where?" "She departed her condo a few minutes ago. She's not heading home, Kc. She's in hiding."His hand around the phone clenched.
Valeria's own breath was trapped as Kc's hold on her collar tightened and she was brought closer until she felt the heat of his breath against her skin. His eyes, once intelligent and good, now black holes of fury and desperation. She was having trouble breathing, her body shaking in his arms."I ought to kill you," Kc snarled, his own voice low and frigid. "I should end your rotten existence here and now. Don't you see what you have taken from me?"Her own eyes welled with tears, but she was not going to weep. She was going to be strong."I did not do it," she wheezed. "I swear to you, Kc.She could not quite say the words as he drew her in, having her confront his intense, black eyes."Shut. Up." Kc's tone sliced through the air like a blade. "You don't get to speak. You don't get to beg. Do you know how my wife and my unborn son felt when you crashed into their car? Do you know how much terror they felt in their last minutes?" His fingers sank deep within the fabric of her shirt,
Kc gave a cold, emotionless laugh, his eyes flashing with contempt. "Human rights?" His venomous voice dripped with bile as he made a threatening movement forward. "Did my child and wife deserve to live, Valeria? Did they get a chance to beg for their lives when you stole from them their future?She shook her head forcefully, her whole body shaking. "I didn't steal anything! Someone sabotaged my car! Why won't you listen to me?!"His visage was curled into a scowl, breathing harsh and unpredictable. "Because it doesn't count!" he bellowed. "Vanessa died. My child died. And you—you get to stand here alive, crying, playing the victim!""I am a victim!" she screamed. "I lost everything too! My career, my dignity—my life is crumbling, Kc! And you—" She fought to gulp down the sobs. "You're only making it worse."Kc's hand darted out, his fingers wrapping around her chin, supporting her face up to meet the hard, merciless glint in his eyes. "Good," he grunted. "Because I am not through wit
The hotel room walls appeared to shut in on Valeria as she grabbed her throat, her body trembling uncontrollably. The bruises Kc had inflicted on her flesh were but a minor consideration compared to the agony he had seared into her heart. Even now, Valeria could hear venom-spiked words whose every syllable dripped with hate: "You can't run and you can't hide. You will suffer, Valeria."A bitter sob ripped from Valeria's throat as she placed her forehead against the cold marble floor.Her tears were overflowing. She was trapped.Even here, hidden behind pseudonyms and security doors, she wasn't safe.Not from Kc.Not from his rage.Not from the nightmare that just wouldn't end.Her fists clenched, nails pressing into the meat of her hands as she forced herself to take a breath. "I have to know the truth."Because if she didn't, Kc would be the one ending her life before she ever stood a chance of defending herself. Her cell phone rang from the bedside stand, breaking the silence. H
Kc's hand around his pen grew tight until his knuckles whitened. The clucking of lawyer's lingo in the boardroom didn't reach him. His thoughts were elsewhere.On her.Valeria believed she could flee. That she could vanish into the night and get her name cleared.She was mistaken.For no matter where she ran, no matter how far she attempted to get away, he would find her.And when he did—she would suffer.The mere thought sent a wry smile to his mouth."Atty. Page?"Kc's head jerked up, annoyance flashing in his eyes.Marcel shifted uneasily under his icy stare. "Sir, the Roosevelt case summary requires your signature."Kc let out a harsh breath, grabbing the folder in silence. He riffled through it indifferently, signing his name at the end.It was a case that should have commanded his whole attention. A case any lawyer would kill to work on. But for now, Roosevelt and corruption were nothing.All that mattered was she.He closed the folder with a loud snap, making some of the junior
She did not know what was ahead of her.The warehouse in front was looming, rusty metal walls about to fall. Salty air clung to the stench of the sea around it, and a tight silence hung over the grounds like a rope.Kim stood back at an uncertain distance. "Something doesn't feel right."Valeria's heart pounded. "We have no choice."They emerged slowly from the car towards the warehouse. Valeria's hands were sweating as she held the handle and swung open the heavy door, which groaned.Shadows fell over themselves in the poorly lit space as a foreboding light poured out of one, solitary light bulb.And there, leaning against a fire pit of crates—Was Joel.Blood caked on his forehead. Shallow, raspy breathing whistled past his lips.Valeria reached him, hunching next to his mangled form. "Joel! Hold on!"His eyes opened in a flutter. "You… you came…"Kim knelt beside them. "Who hurt you?"Joel gritted his teeth, attempting to move, but agony coursed through his frame. "They—they knew I
City lights faded into the distance as Kc's vehicle rushed along the empty road, the air between him and Valeria heavy with tension, suffocating to swallow. They'd said nothing—nothing since they'd gotten out of the warehouse, nothing since Joel crashed to the ground, nothing since the truth was torn from him once more.Kc's knuckled white grip on the steering wheel clinched tighter, teeth locked in agony. His brain was in an uproar with questions, fury, and suffering that nearly tore him asunder. Joel was his only hope.And he was dead now.He yanked on the brakes at a red light, and the abrupt jolt of it made Valeria catch her breath next to him.She spoke to him, her voice trembling. "Kc… you're going too fast. We just barely escaped in one piece—""Shut up." Icy voices.Valeria sat rigid, her fists clenched on the seatbelt. Valeria was frightened, she had reason to be it's because of Kc.He wheeled to confront her, his black eyes blazing with pent-up rage. "Did you know Valeria?"
Valeria stood still. Not because she was scared of him—but because for the first time, she heard something in his voice that scared her more than violence.Truth.Not the truth he distorted through deceit. But the one she'd hidden deep, under layers of lies and forgotten memories.What she was.Heir.Bloodline.Weapon.Kc's voice cut in the moment. "Valeria, we must leave! Immediately!"But she couldn't budge."You are Montecillo," Sebastian went on, his voice in every corner and nowhere. "You were not bred for a peaceful existence. You were destined to lead. And the only way to end this war is to accept what you are."Her breath hitched."This isn't power!" she bellowed into the darkness. "This is madness! You're attempting to claim something that never belonged to you!"“I’m not trying to own you,” Sebastian said. “I’m trying to save what’s mine. And without you. it all crumbles.”She stepped backward, heart pounding, mind spiraling.Kc grabbed her wrist. “Don’t listen to him.”But
ISLAND SAFEHOUSE – 4:07 AMThe fire-lit room was deathly quiet—except for the quiet hiss of firewood burning in the hearth.Valeria sat cross-legged on the ground, her fingers wrapped around a pendant that had once felt mundane. But now she knew. The way it vibrated softly against her skin. The way it glowed—soft silver in the light of the fire.It wasn't jewelry. It was a key.And a curse.She didn’t hear Kc approach. But she felt him. His presence had become a force in her life—like breath, like gravity.He knelt behind her, shirt damp with sweat, blood still drying along his jawline from training. He touched her shoulder. “You haven’t slept.”She didn’t look at him. “Neither have you.”Kc sat beside her, his eyes drawn to the pendant. “You’re remembering again.”Valeria tightened her fist around the chain. “No. I’m understanding.”She finally turned to him, her voice heavy but sure. “The Montecillo fortune. The estate. The legacy Sebastian wants to control—it was never his. It was
To his side, Valeria readied her tactical equipment. Eyes were hard. Focused. A gun clipped to her hip. A dagger in her boot. Her voice was not much more than a whisper above the rotor wash of the inbound helicopter."You really think he's dead?"Kc didn't respond right away. His eyes remained fixed on the distance. "Dead men don't leave shadows, but this one never remained underground."She edged closer. "Even after all… if Sebastian's still alive, I'll kill him myself."He turned to her, his voice low. "He won't take you again."There was a flash of something in her eyes. "You don't think he'll try it?""He won't survive if he does."They boarded the chopper.SUBTERRANEAN COMPLEX — LEVEL B2The blast of their entry charge echoed down the rusty corridors. Chemical fumes and the scent of old things filled the air. Metal groaned in the darkness, and walls were littered with bits of experiments that were never intended to be.Reina cleared the corridor with her rifle. "This place smells
The morning wind had been dry and bitter.Kc stood at the lip of the helicopter pad, the blade he'd honed now sheathed at his back. His team stood beside him—Ty, Reina, Dax—battle-hardened, quiet, clad in armor from head to toe. This wasn't a mission like any other. This was the endgame.Valeria stood at his side, her eyes blazing with determination. She was dressed in tactical equipment fitted to her body, streamlined and quiet, a pistol at her hip, and a knife in her boot."You ready?" Kc asked without turning to look at her.Valeria nodded. "I've been ready since the day he tried to kill us.""No," Kc turned to her, his eyes sweeping hers. "I mean really ready. For what we might find."You mean… what's left of him?" she breathed.He paused. "There's part of me that wants him dead. Just a body to tell the nightmare is over. But if he lives—if he's changed—we can't risk pause."Valeria came forward, her voice barely above a whisper. "Then let's make the nightmare end tonight.The hel
The sun was barely rising, throwing a pale gold over the tops of the sea. The island still showed the wounds from last night's war—charred leaves, discarded shell casings littering the ground like abandoned tales. But in the small wooden hut under the cliffs, Kc and Valeria huddled in the quiet of survival.Valeria shifted, wrapped in the sheets, her head on Kc's chest. She felt the slow thud of his heart, powerful and unyielding, like a promise. The cuts on his body were a chart of all the fights they had engaged in—together."Couldn't sleep?" she whispered, her throat dry."I did," Kc replied, running his fingers through her hair. "But every time I closed my eyes, I was seeing you bleeding again. I was seeing him smiling through the fire."Valeria's fists gripped the blanket's edge. "He's dead. You saw that yourself.""Ah," Kc growled. "And yet. something inside me refuses to let me rest."She leaned up and eyed him, her eyebrows creased. "You think he's alive Kc?""I do not know. M
MEANTIME.The acrid smell of smoke hung over everything, flavored with ash and copper.Buried under the fallen beams and broken glass of the compound they had believed was reduced to rubble, a body moved.Coughing. Gasping. Shrouded in blood but alive.Sebastian's eyelashes fluttered up, visible only under a layer of dirt and smoke. Every bone in his frame rebelled, every muscle twisting with agony—but he lived. Somehow. Lived.He tried to voice a word, but a harsh croaking emerged from his lips.Then—a figure. Lean, set in shadows, moving across the smoldering detritus like a specter."Bad luck," the man panted, kneeling beside Sebastian's broken form.Sebastian's gaze went icy. "Who…""I'm Lazarus," the man replied with a twisted grin. "And I rather think we have an enemy in common."Sebastian spat blood. "They think I'm dead."Lazarus drew closer to him, voice frosty and distant. "Let them. It's best.""Why. help me?" Sebastian snarled, agony tightening each word."Because, Sebasti
The tempest raging outside had vanished, but the tempest raging within them had just begun to cease.In the faint light of the little room, bandages swathed and guns lying next to the bed, Kc and Valeria were entwined in each other's arms. The smell of rain, smoke, and salt still clung to their skin. Her slow hands caressed the reddening bruises on his ribs, his hand on the nape of her neck as if she would disappear if he released it.They both understood each other's mind without a word. There was no space between them for secrets, fear, or doubt anymore. Only common breaths in silence and heartbeats keeping time neither of them wanted to spend without.Valeria looked up at him with thick lashes, her voice barely above a whisper. "You still shake."Kc's jaw clenched, but he spoke the truth. "I still see it… the fire, your scream, the way you fell. I see it every time I blink."Her lips grazed the curve of his throat. "And I see you bleeding. Holding me like the world could end and yo
Batting her hand away he moved down and began to flicker his tongue upon her clit. This had the effect of making her moan louder and move to get her sensitive clit deeper onto his tongue. Pleased that it worked, He moved away and let her pleasure subside."No! Don't stop! Please, Kc!""Did you want more?" he asked already knowing her response.Her eyes widened at the response. It was unbelievable to her. Didn't he know how good he made her feel?"Yes! Yes! Of course, you wonderful fool!"Smiling, he crawled over her and kissed her deeply. At first she was somewhat reluctant but then melted into him. Her love for him reached out and embraced his passionate fire. She reached around him with her arms and pulled him to her, their hot skins touching.As she pulled him closer to her, Kc positioned his cock into her wet cunt. It was so slippery only his tip entered her. Valeria didn't respond at first but softly moaned and kissed him deeper as he began to enter her. Deeper and deeper we went
"Give it to me! Please...I want it but please be gentle." "I will no worries," Kc had to admit he wanted her too. Nothing would satisfy him more than plunging deep into her. Feeling every sweet drop of her wetness on his skin and to also feel her warm silken folds wrapping him and welcoming his presence. But his ultimate goal was to lavish her with an abundance of foreplay before the consummation of their mutual love. Torn by the conflict between his loving heart and his wanton lust he decided to compromise."Ok. But just a little bit. You don't want to spoil your appetite."Adjusting his position over her, Kc placed his cock between her moist pussy lips. Its hot tip parted her skin and delved into its silky wetness. Her breath came in short gasps as she felt every inch of his hard manhood slide into her. Deeper and deeper he plunged. The warm satisfying embrace of her sweet womanhood was like paradise to him. It seemed that the ecstasy would never end. Then his long shaft stopped a