Isabel’s POVMy heart sank as I stared into Emerson’s intense gaze. The weight of his words still lingered. I couldn’t afford to risk my friends—not Elias, not Robert, not anyone who had worked so tirelessly to help me. Yet, I also knew the precarious nature of my situation. One wrong move, one slip of truth, and Emerson would tighten his grip in the name of love. He would trap me at his side like a bird in a gilded cage.The thought made my stomach churn. It wasn’t love—it was control, suffocating and inescapable. If he discovered the true extent of my illness, my chances of escaping with Liam would vanish.For Liam, I needed to be free.“Emerson, I—” I began, my voice faltering as doubt crept in. Was I really prepared to keep fighting this battle, knowing how high the stakes were?Before I could say another word, a familiar voice cut through the tension like a blade.“Isa, long time no see!”I whipped my head toward the door, startled. There he was—Robert—leaning casually against th
Isabel’s POVEmerson’s reaction was immediate and explosive. His hand shot out, seizing Robert by the collar with a force that made me flinch. “Are you kidding me?” he roared, his voice trembling with a mix of anger and fear. “More than once? You know what craniotomy entails better than anyone!” His eyes burned with fury. But beneath that, I saw something deeper—raw panic, the kind that comes when control slips through your fingers.I pressed my back against the headboard, anxiety rising in my chest. “Emerson, let go of him!” I shouted, but my voice cracked. He was hesitating, though. His grip tightened and loosened as if his emotions were at war.Robert, surprisingly composed, twisted Emerson’s wrist away with a sharp motion. His calmness wasn’t indifference—it was laced with disdain. “Yes, I do know. But that doesn’t change the reality of her situation,” Robert said, his voice sharp as glass. His eyes narrowed. “And if you want to talk about responsibility, let’s discuss how she
Isabel’s POVRobert leaned against the wall, arms crossed. His face was a mixture of determination and fatigue. “Dr. Leighton has made all the necessary preparations for your surgery,” he began, his voice steady. “You don’t need to worry about that part.”The words should have been comforting, but a question lingered in my mind. “Was this all instructed by Sebastian?” I asked cautiously, my heart quickening.He nodded. “Yes. Sebastian contacted me weeks ago, in secret. He’s the one who helped me build a connection with Mateo. Without him, none of this would’ve been possible.”I stared at him, the enormity of the situation sinking in. Elias—though for his own safety, I had to call him by his alias—had been working behind the scenes to protect me, even while I’d been cut off from the world. “Why didn’t you tell me this earlier? Why didn’t you try to contact me?” I asked, confusion building in my chest.“I couldn’t risk it,” Robert explained. “Not with Emerson watching your every move.
Robert’s POVAs I stepped out of Isabel’s ward, I couldn’t quiet the storm of worry inside me. The looming surgery hung like a dark cloud over my thoughts. She was so calm about it, but I couldn’t share her composure.Dr. Leighton had assured me that everything was as prepared as it could be. But the risks were undeniable. Isabel’s condition was fragile. The thought of losing her made my chest tighten. I didn’t want to imagine a world without her. I glanced back toward her door, as though I could will away the danger just by lingering nearby. Despite everything, the fire in her sapphire blue eyes hadn’t dimmed. That fire had drawn me to her all those years ago. And it still burned brightly now, even in her weakest moments.Isabel was a force of nature, enduring so much pain and heartbreak while somehow holding herself together. How could I not still love her? But that love wasn’t simple anymore. Emerson had built walls around her. Walls that were almost impenetrable. Almost.A memor
Isabel’s POVI felt an unsettling unease gnawing at me as the minutes ticked by. Half an hour had passed since Robert had left, and yet Emerson had not returned. That wasn’t like him at all. Emerson rarely left me alone for this long. His overbearing presence was usually a constant shadow. Something was off. My nerves prickled with unease, though I couldn’t pinpoint why.Finally, I decided to step out of the ward and check. Just as I reached the door, it swung open, and Emerson appeared on the threshold. “Oh!” His sudden entrance startled me, and I instinctively stepped back.“Where have you been?” I asked, trying to keep my voice even, though suspicion flickered in my mind.“I got held up on a company call,” he said. His tone was casual, but his expression was anything but. There was a rigidity to his stance, a flicker of something uneasy in his eyes.He’s lying, I thought immediately. But what could it be about? My heart leapt with a mix of curiosity and anxiety. Still, I knew be
Isabel’s POVI froze. The nurse’s cold and detached voice echoed in my mind like a warning bell. My gut twisted with an inexplicable dread. Something was very, very wrong. I tried to get a good look at her face, but her cap and mask obscured her features. Her head was bowed so low I couldn’t even see her eyes.Who was she? Why was she acting so strangely?Fear clawed its way into my chest as I felt my body weakening. My hands trembled, then went limp. A numb heaviness crept through me, making my head swim. My words came out slurred and frantic. “What… did you give me?” My voice barely carried, thin and fragile like paper in the wind.The nurse didn’t answer. Instead, she moved with brisk, calculated efficiency. Her gloved hands gripped me under the arms. Her strength was surprising, almost mechanical. I couldn’t fight back—I could hardly lift a finger. She hoisted me onto a gurney and pulled a white sheet taut over my body. The weight of the fabric against my face felt suffocating.
Isabel’s POVThe wheels beneath me squeaked to a stop, jerking the gurney and making my already fragile body shift uncomfortably. I heard voices—a hospital staff member, brisk and questioning. My heart leapt as I recognized Emerson’s distinct tone, clipped and commanding. Relief coursed through me. He had to see through this charade.The nurse stiffened beside me, her movements growing tense. I could feel the moment of hesitation, the pause as she formulated a response. Then, in a calm and professional voice, she spoke.“I’m transferring a patient to radiology,” she said, her tone steady and clipped. “It’s urgent. The doctor requested immediate imaging prep before surgery.”A long silence followed, broken only by the shuffling of papers. “We didn’t receive an order for radiology transport,” someone said skeptically.The nurse didn’t miss a beat. “It’s a last-minute call from Dr. Leighton himself. If you have concerns, take it up with him—but I suggest you don’t delay the schedule.”H
Emerson’s POV"How the hell did this happen?!" My voice echoed through the cold, sterile halls of the hospital. "You assured me this hospital had the most high-end security in the country! Was that all a goddamn lie?!"I had never felt so panicked and furious as when I found Isabel’s room empty. How could someone have gotten to her, here, in this heavily guarded military hospital?The head of security flinched under my glare, stammering something about protocols and procedures. I barely heard him. My entire focus was on the CCTV footage playing out in front of me. Mateo, standing beside me in the small, dimly lit surveillance room, was furiously scanning the feed. His face was pale but focused."Stop. Zoom in here," Mateo ordered sharply, pointing at the screen.The grainy footage showed a nurse moving briskly down the corridor with a gurney. Something was off. Mateo muttered, “She’s not staff.”"What do you mean she’s not staff?" I barked.He leaned closer, squinting. “Look at the un
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
Isabel’s POVCarter first sent a team of soldiers to probe the enemy’s defenses. The plan was simple: test the waters, gauge their numbers, and avoid unnecessary bloodshed before reinforcements arrived. But what they found was far worse than expected.“These are not just Alistair’s usual lackeys,” Carter murmured, lowering his binoculars. “The numbers far exceed our expectations. And what’s worse: these men are seasoned fighters. Most of them have appeared on international wanted lists… multiple times.”Emerson, standing beside him, clenched his fists. “That bastard really went all in.”I narrowed my eyes, straining to make out the details from our vantage point on the rocky hillside. The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows over the rugged terrain. The distant compound was a maze of dilapidated buildings, high fences, and scattered patrols. From here, it was impossible to tell how many men were stationed inside. But it was clear we were up against more than just a handful
Sebastian/Elias’s POVI stood there, rooted to the spot, watching the scene unfold before me. The sterile, cold walls of the laboratory pressed in around me.Alistair’s voice broke the silence, a hint of pride echoing through his words. “This is my proudest work! Thanks to your potions, Scarlet.” His tone was a mix of admiration and satisfaction, as if he had just achieved the culmination of a long and arduous project.Scarlet’s gaze flickered to me, her sharp eyes assessing the situation with cold precision. There was no mistaking it: she was shocked I hadn’t escaped yet. She must be wondering if her antidote had failed.Then, without warning, she lunged forward, grabbing Alistair by the collar with a force that was both unexpected and dangerous. Her voice was low, a warning laced with venom. “I’m telling you, don’t touch my nephew! Otherwise, I’ll make sure you never stand again!” Her words were like a promise, a threat wrapped in maternal protection. But there was something more
Emerson’s POVI sat in the car, fingers drumming absently against the steering wheel as my mind churned through everything that had happened. The weight of it all pressed down on my shoulders like an iron grip. Lilith’s confessions, Elias’s predicament, the looming confrontation with Alistair—it was a tangled mess of threats and uncertainties. Every second that passed only heightened the tension coiling in my chest.A sharp knock on the window pulled me from my thoughts. I turned to see Carter standing outside, his sharp gaze scanning the area. I rolled the window down, and he wasted no time.“I heard you caught a woman? How is she involved in this?” he asked, his voice even but laced with curiosity.I exhaled and nodded, stepping out of the vehicle. My eyes swept the surroundings instinctively, old habits keeping me cautious even in relatively safe zones. Carter caught on immediately.“Margot’s with Isabel back at the base,” he assured me. “We can talk there.”I gave him a curt nod,
Isabel’s POVWe delayed our mission. Lilith's intel might be significant and give us clues on how to proceed.In the interrogation room, Lilith sat handcuffed to the chair, her face twisted with a mixture of defiance and resignation. I stood behind the mirrored glass, my arms crossed tightly over my chest, trying to steady my breathing. Emerson and one of his men sat across from her, their expressions unreadable. The tension in the room was thick, palpable."Talk," Emerson commanded, his voice cold.Lilith smirked, leaning back as if the shackles meant nothing to her. "Where do I begin?" she mused, tilting her head. "Maybe with the fact that I was Lila all along?"My stomach dropped. I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stay rooted to the spot. I knew it. But I’d never expected to hear her say it aloud. My mind reeled as Lilith continued."Alistair took me after you thought I’d died," she said, her tone shifting into something bitter. "He changed me—physically, mentally. His damned
Isabel’s POVCarter and Emerson bent over the map, their voices low but intense as they laid out the plan. The dimly lit tent smelled of sweat, gun oil, and the anticipation of an impending fight. My fingers tightened into fists at my sides. I refused to be left behind.“We move in small teams,” Carter was saying. “Margot and I will take a group to circle around and cover you. The reinforcements are still a few hours out, so we’ll have to be careful.”Emerson nodded, his expression unreadable. “I’ll lead a team ahead to scout their positions.”“I’m going with you.” The words left my mouth before I could second-guess them.Emerson’s head snapped toward me, his brows furrowing. “No. It’s too dangerous.”I squared my shoulders. “I didn’t train for years on that island just to sit in the shadows while you go off to fight. I’m stronger than ever now, and you know it.”He exhaled through his nose, his fingers flexing at his sides as if fighting the urge to grab my arm and shake some sense i