Isabel’s POVLilith’s gaze flicked to Eve. Her mouth pulled into an annoyed scowl. “What is it now?” she snapped.Eve looked tense, glancing over her shoulder like a nervous rabbit. “Miss, I just saw Emerson’s car parked at the door!”“What did you say?” Lilith’s eyes widened, and she rushed to the window. She let out a curse under her breath as she looked down at the parking lot, spotting his sleek black car. “Damn it. We need to move. Now.”I felt a surge of hope. Emerson was here.But that relief was short-lived as the guards grabbed me by the arms. Their iron grips tightened as they started to drag me forward. I struggled, twisting and pulling against them. “Let me go!” I shouted, hoping Emerson would hear my voice. But the guards simply yanked me harder, dragging me along after Lilith and Eve.As we climbed the stairs, my heart pounded. I dug my heels in, fought with every bit of strength I had left, but the huge men barely seemed to notice. Eventually, I was being carried up the
Isabel’s POVAs the footsteps drew closer, Lilith straightened her clothes with brisk, sharp movements. She quickly arranged her hair and stood taller, as if preparing herself for some grand entrance. Even with the guard’s hand covering my mouth, I couldn’t help but smirk. Of course, she was still trying to make herself look perfect. Emerson would show up any second, and she was primed to charm him into her grasp once again.Then, from the stairwell, I heard my name. “Isabel?” The voice was sharp and clear, but it wasn’t Emerson.The entire room seemed to hold its breath as we all looked, surprised, toward the staircase. Sarah stepped into view. Her face was calm and her gaze unwavering. The surprise was evident in Lilith’s eyes. The brief flicker of disappointment that crossed her face was quickly replaced by a sneer."Who the hell are you?" she snapped, her disdain palpable.Eve’s face paled, her mouth opening and closing wordlessly, as though caught between dread and some guilty a
Isabel’s POV“No, I came alone,” Sarah said firmly as we hurried through the dim parking lot to the car waiting outside. Her face was calm, but I could see a flicker of urgency in her gaze. She took a quick look over her shoulder, then lowered her voice. “I’ll explain everything later. For now, let’s just get out of here before they decide to come after us.”I nodded, a shiver running down my spine as I imagined Lilith or one of her guards charging down the hall after us. The thought sent my pulse racing, and I quickened my steps to match Sarah’s.Once we were inside the car, away from Lilith’s twisted games and out of her reach, I felt a rush of relief. As we pulled away, Sarah let out a breath, and her face softened. “Isabel, I’m sorry for putting you through all of this,” she said, a touch of regret in her voice. “This was never supposed to happen. Emerson asked me to come get you when he realized where you’d gone.”That caught my attention. “Wait, what? Emerson asked you?” My che
Isabel’s POVThe night pressed in, filling the car with a thick, heavy silence as Sarah drove. My thoughts drifted back to that night Emerson had come home hurt. His face had been pale and his sleeve soaked in blood. I knew now that he had met with Alistair. There was a subtle tension that ran through his body every time the man’s name came up, a wariness that made Emerson—normally so controlled—seem vulnerable. And now, that same tension clawed at me as I pieced things together.“Thanks for telling me this, Sarah.” I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "I have to make a phone call."She nodded, an edge of concern in her expression. “Of course, Isabel. Whatever you need.”I dialed Michael's number. My heart pounded as I listened to the rings. He didn’t answer. I swallowed hard, feeling panic rise in my throat. What was going on? Did Alistair get to Michael too?But then, a few seconds later, my phone rang. “Isabel? Sorry for missing your call. Is everything okay?” Michael’
Isabel’s POVThe sight of Emerson, lounging casually behind his desk with a half-smoked cigar in hand, stopped me cold. He looked so at ease, as though he hadn’t a care in the world. My heart was still racing from the sprint up here. I couldn’t decide if I was more relieved to see him safe or furious at his calm, almost comical expression. If only he knew the nightmare scenarios that had been running through my mind.At the sight of me, Emerson’s expression shifted from surprise to mild concern. He quickly snuffed out the cigar in the ashtray. "Isabel?" He stood up, scanning me as if looking for injuries. “Are you alright? Did something happen at the meeting?”The calmness of his tone was almost too much. “Am I alright?” I repeated, trying to keep my voice steady. “Do you have any idea what kind of state I was in when I got here? I thought you—” I caught myself, unable to finish the sentence. I wasn’t about to tell him that I’d pictured him injured or worse. Not with how dismissive h
Isabel’s POVAs Emerson stood there, in the middle of his massive office, a conflicted look crossed his face. He sighed, then finally admitted, “It’s true. I met with Lilith’s father, Alistair, to make a deal.”I felt a flash of dread ripple through me. This was worse than I’d thought. But there was something else in his expression. A wariness, as though he were about to reveal something that might push me over the edge.I crossed my arms, my voice steady but tense. “A deal? What did he want?”Emerson looked away. His hesitation was almost palpable. “He… asked me to agree to a condition.” His eyes flicked up to meet mine, full of unspoken conflict. “He wants me to go public with my relationship.”The air between us thickened. “Your relationship… with who?” I asked, my jaw clenched, though I already suspected the answer.“With Lilith,” he said quietly, his words laced with regret. He barely finished the sentence before glancing away. As though he was unable to face the look in my eyes.
Isabel’s POVEmerson’s head turned slowly back toward me. The red outline of my hand was still visible across his cheek. He looked more stunned than hurt, his eyes wide with shock. For a split second, my heart fluttered with regret. But no, he’d brought this on himself. My pulse pounded with every beat as I faced him down, unflinching, daring him to say something. Anything.But instead, he blinked, focusing on my hand. “Are you okay?” he asked softly, as if he hadn’t just pushed me to the edge. “Your hand… does it hurt?”I almost laughed at his calm response, incredulous. “Are you seriously worried about my hand?” My voice shook, but I wouldn’t let it falter completely. “You just told me you agreed to go public with Lilith, and you’re asking me if I’m okay?” His concern seemed absurd, almost surreal. How could he pretend to care about me while putting me through this endless charade?He took a step toward me, hands open in a placating gesture. “Isa, it’s not what you think—”“Not wha
Isabel’s POVEmerson’s gaze dropped to the floor, and I saw the answer in his eyes. He’d known. For how long, I couldn’t tell. But he had known enough to piece it all together.My heart twisted as I looked at him, feeling both a painful familiarity and a hollowness that seemed to swallow the air between us.He swallowed hard, lifting his eyes back to mine. “Isa,” he murmured, his voice strained, “I thought if I could keep you out of it, I could protect you… It was all for you.”I stared at him, his words little more than an echo in the emptiness. “Protect me?” I shook my head, unable to mask the incredulity in my tone. “All this time, you’ve been holding me at arm’s length, spinning your version of the truth, and calling it protection?” The words spilled out, sharp and cold. “I hope you realize… You’ve done more harm by keeping me in the dark than any danger you think you were shielding me from.”The flicker of pain that crossed his face did nothing to soften me. “You’re the only pe
Isabel’s POVDays passed, stretching into an unspoken eternity, and Emerson’s condition could no longer be kept from Liam and Elena.One afternoon, I was sitting by Emerson’s bed, my hand gently brushing his, when the door to the hospital room creaked open. My heart skipped a beat."Liam, Elena, what are you doing here?" I asked, my voice thick with emotion. I hadn’t expected them today, and the sight of their small faces brought a surge of overwhelming love and guilt.Eric stood behind them, his expression apologetic, his eyes soft with understanding. “They begged me, Isabel. They wouldn’t stop asking to see him... I couldn’t say no anymore.”Liam’s face was drawn, his usual bright energy dimmed with concern. Elena clung to her brother, her eyes wide with fear as they both hesitated in the doorway.Before I could say anything else, another figure appeared behind them, stepping into the room. My heart stopped for a moment as I looked up to see Emerson’s mother, Estelle, walking towards
Isabel’s POVA month had passed. One whole month, and still, no sign of life from Emerson. The machines beside his bed beeped steadily. A monotonous rhythm that I had come to know too well. A rhythm that seemed to mock the stillness of his body. I sat by his side every day, watching him, praying for some miracle—some sign that he was still there, still fighting. But each time I whispered his name, there was nothing. Nothing but the soft hum of hospital machinery.“Emerson,” I whispered, my voice trembling despite my attempts to sound steady. “Don’t you want to be with me? If you wake up, I promise we can live happily as a family of four.”I meant it, every word of it. The thought of a future with him, of raising our children together, was the only thing that kept me going. I needed him to hear me. I needed him to wake up.But Emerson remained unresponsive.He looked like a prince charming, trapped in an eternal dream—strangely peaceful. I combed his dark hair back neatly after gently
Isabel’s POVThe world blurred—shouts, chaos, the metallic scent of blood thick in my nostrils. My heartbeat pounded in my ears as I clung to Emerson, his labored breaths hot against my skin.I didn’t dare move. The slick warmth of his blood drenching me was unnerving. His chest rose and fell in erratic, shallow breaths. But then, amid the cacophony of battle, a stunned silence emerged. Orders were shouted. Weapons clicked into position. Something had changed. I forced myself to glance up from Emerson’s chest, my pulse hammering.Alistair stood frozen, his face contorted in pain. Blood dripped from his hand—the very hand that had been pointing a gun at me just seconds before. His grip slackened, and the weapon tumbled to the ground.A sniper.Alistair’s men immediately scattered, taking defensive positions, frantically searching the area. But before they could react, several of them suddenly dropped to the ground.They were convulsing violently, frothing at the mouth. One by one, the
Isabel’s POVMy wrists ached from the tight ropes binding my hands behind my back as I was shoved forward. The rough ground beneath my boots felt unsteady, my knees weak with exhaustion. The air smelled of blood, gunpowder, and sweat. The night was still alive with distant gunfire, but here, in the heart of the enemy’s grasp, there was only the sound of my ragged breathing and Alistair’s mocking laughter.“Stop resisting, Emerson,” he drawled, his voice filled with smug amusement. “You’re in over your head. Oh—look who finally decided to join us.”Emerson was holding back several opponents, bruised and bloodied from the fight. His head snapped up at Alistair’s words.He turned, and when his eyes landed on me, something in his face shifted. Shock, then rage, then a devastating kind of fear. He lunged forward, but a guard was faster. A rifle butt slammed into Emerson’s ribs. The sickening crack echoed in the night, and he crumpled to the ground, gasping for air."Emerson!" I screamed,
Isabel’s POVAt first, Emerson and I managed to escape the building, slipping into the shadows like ghosts. The night was thick around us, swallowing our hurried footsteps as we navigated through the wreckage of Alistair’s camp. The distant gunfire and shouts of battle echoed behind us. But just as we reached the edge of the compound, the world seemed to shift.From the darkness, figures emerged—silent and predatory, their weapons gleaming under the pale moonlight. They moved like shadows given form, their presence an unspoken promise of violence. My breath caught in my throat as a dozen, no, more than two dozen enemies surrounded us, blocking every escape route. The sheer hatred in their eyes sent an involuntary shiver down my spine. These weren’t just guards; they were fanatics, men who thrived in the chaos of bloodshed and terror.Emerson moved instinctively, stepping in front of me, gun raised. “Stay close,” he murmured, barely audible over the wind. I nodded, steadying my grip
Sebastian/Elias’ POVScarlet’s scream echoed through the dimly lit room, raw with disbelief and fury. “You’re lying!” she spat, her eyes blazing with denial. The restraints binding her wrists rattled as she struggled, but I didn’t move to stop her. There was no point—her fight wasn’t with me. It was with the truth.I let out a slow breath, pulling a small, timeworn pocket watch from my coat. The silver casing had dulled over the years, but the engraved initials remained clear. I clicked it open and held it out to her, revealing a faded family photograph inside.“My father gave this to me before he died,” I said evenly, my voice softer than before. “He cared about you, Scarlet. No matter what you believe, you were never forgotten.”Her breath hitched. For a moment, the fire in her eyes flickered, replaced by something rawer—uncertainty. “How could it be?” she murmured, barely more than a whisper.All the pieces had finally clicked into place as Scarlet unraveled her story. The tangled
Scarlet’s POVTelling my story, I was flung back into the past. Lost in the grip of memories that had never truly left me. The present moment faded, and I found myself reliving those painful years. As vivid and raw as the day they had happened.I had been young, hopeful, foolish. Despite the years of neglect, I had still wanted my parents' love. But when I overheard them denying my very existence, something inside me snapped.Disheartened, I had returned to the countryside, burying myself in my studies. Medicine became my refuge, my salvation. I dedicated myself to understanding the human body—not just how to heal it, but how to manipulate it, how to break it. My hands, once weak and trembling from years of frustration, became steady, precise instruments of control.The first time I killed a lab mouse, something dark and exhilarating bloomed inside me. Power. The ability to decide whether something lived or died. The ability to take control of what had always been out of my grasp.
Elias’ POVI watched from the shadows as Isabel and Emerson disappeared into the night, their figures swallowed by the chaos of battle outside. I clenched my fists and tried to push down the sharp, aching weight that settled in my gut.Maybe it had been foolish to think I ever stood a chance with Isabel. Emerson had always been the one she turned to in the end. The one she trusted in the heat of battle. The one she looked at with that fierce determination in her eyes. And me? I was just a shadow lingering on the edges of her world, never quite stepping into the light.A slow clap echoed through the dimly lit room."Are you just going to let them go?" Scarlet’s voice slithered through the shadows like a snake.I turned away from the exit, my expression unreadable as I faced the woman bound to the chair before me. Her wrists were tied behind her back, her face partially obscured by strands of disheveled hair. Even restrained, she exuded a sickening confidence, her smirk unwavering.I m
Isabel’s POVI had to stop Margot.There was no time to think, no time to call for backup—just raw instinct and the desperate need to prevent her from making a terrible mistake. My boots pounded against the forest floor as I sprinted after her, weaving through the pine trees in pursuit. I knew why she was doing this. I understood the desperate, reckless pull of wanting to save someone you love. But charging straight into enemy territory? Alone? It was suicide.“No!” I hissed under my breath, pushing my legs harder.Margot moved swiftly, her figure barely a shadow in the dim light. She reached the edge of the enemy’s perimeter and, without hesitation, hoisted herself up onto a low window ledge. She pulled her body through with practiced agility. She was inside before I could even call her name.Damn it.I skidded to a halt near the building, pressing myself against the rough exterior. The compound was crawling with patrols. My heart pounded as I scanned the area, calculating the be