Isabel’s POV"Don't play tricks on me, Lilith," I spat, my voice hoarse but sharp, cutting through the tension in the air. My mind raced with confusion and disbelief, but my gut told me there was more to this than a simple threat. Something didn’t add up. I had always believed in Emerson’s promises. He had assured me time and time again that my father would be taken care of, that nothing would harm him. But now, here I was, trapped in a situation I couldn’t control. All I could feel was a gnawing sense of dread.Lilith’s smile widened, cruel and knowing. "You think I'm lying?" she said, her voice dripping with malice. Her presence was like a poison, seeping into every crack of my resolve. I hated it. Every word she spoke twisted like a blade in my chest.Then she did something that made my blood run cold. With a flick of her wrist, she took a small tablet out of her purse. She pressed a button, and a live video feed flickered to life on the screen. My heart skipped a beat. There,
Isabel’s POVI sat in the dark, my wrists bound to a cold metal chair. The air around me felt stale, suffocating, and heavy. My eyes were covered by a thick cloth that added to the sense of helplessness that wrapped around me like a vice. My throat was parched, my stomach hollow with hunger. But it was the complete isolation that gnawed at me the most. It was as if the world had forgotten I existed, as though I had vanished entirely. No medication, no comfort—just the slow, relentless drain of my strength.I could feel the seconds ticking away. My life was ebbing away with each passing minute. But more than that, I could feel the presence of my fear. It pressed against my chest, the weight of it unbearable. Was I going to die here? Was this it—an end so quiet that no one would ever know?The sound of a ringing phone broke through the stillness. "Emerson," the guards’ cold voice sliced through the darkness. "You know we have your precious Isabel. No tricks for our little meet-up ton
Isabel’s POVThe searing pain in my head made it impossible to think clearly. Every throb felt like a nail being hammered into my skull, dulling my senses and clouding my judgment. But through the haze, one question refused to fade: Who had saved me?As the man carried me through the darkness, his firm grip steadied me despite his hurried pace. Then, a deafening gunshot rang out. The sound pierced the air like a whip. My entire body jolted in reflex. The man stumbled, nearly dropping me. His arm faltered, and I felt him tense under the weight of what might have been an injury."Are you hurt?" My voice was raw, panicked. "Put me down. I can walk! We’re not getting out of here like this if you—""Quiet," he hissed, urgency dripping from his tone. Yet, there was a tremor there. A hint of pain he couldn’t hide.The adrenaline coursing through me sharpened my awareness despite the pounding ache in my head. Each jarring step he took reminded me how perilous our escape was. Finally, he du
Isabel’s POV“Don’t ‘Isa’ me,” I snapped, my voice raw with anger. My chest heaved as the adrenaline coursed through me, my head throbbing in rhythm with my heartbeat. “I know more than you think, Emerson! I know about your lies, your betrayal... all of it!”“Isa, you don’t understand—” Emerson’s voice was calm, too calm, like he was trying to soothe a wild animal.“No idea?” I cut him off, my voice rising. “You think I have no idea what’s been happening? You knew about Lilith. You knew what she did to my father, and you said nothing! You kept me in the dark while she wove her web of chaos around us!”He raised his hands, a desperate attempt to placate me. “It wasn’t like that. Please, Isa, keep your voice down—”“Why?!” I barked, stepping closer to him. “Afraid someone will find us? I don’t care anymore, Emerson! If I die right here, right now, at least I’ll be free from your endless games. You wanted this, didn’t you? The end of me, the demise of me—”My rant was cut short as a sea
Isabel’s POVThe deafening gunshot echoed in my ears. For a moment, I was sure it was over. My eyes shut tightly, bracing for the inevitable. This was how it all ended—alone, betrayed, and broken.But… the pain never came.Instead, there was silence, punctuated by the dull thud of something—or someone—hitting the ground. Slowly, I opened my eyes, heart racing.Lilith had fallen to her knees before me, her face frozen in shock. Her wide eyes seemed to reflect disbelief. Her body was trembling. The woman who had always seemed untouchable—impeccably perfect, cold and calculating, an unshakable force of destruction—was now crumpling before me. Lilith, the woman who had orchestrated so much pain, who had relentlessly sought to destroy my life, my family, my children, was dying. For a moment, it felt surreal. As though fate’s cruel wheel had finally shifted in my favor. The sight before me was almost jarring: her impeccably styled raven hair still clung to its carefully sculpted waves, he
Isabel’s POVI kneeled next to Emerson’s crumpled body. My hands trembled as they pressed against his bleeding wound. The blood was everywhere—dark, warm, and terrifyingly fast. A desperate panic rose in my throat as I looked around the dimly lit terrain. We were isolated, surrounded by danger. Silas Kane’s men could be lurking around every corner.Emerson’s breaths were shallow, his face pale. “Stay with me,” I whispered hoarsely.My mind raced. We were miles from help, but I couldn’t leave him here to die. He had saved me, shielded me with his own body. And yet, the lingering doubts whispered cruel truths. How could I care for someone who had caused me so much pain? But could I bear the thought of losing him?Emerson groaned softly, pulling me out of my spiral. I shook my head to focus. “On the other side of the silos,” he had said earlier. That’s where Michael would be waiting.I scanned my surroundings frantically and spotted an old sheet crumpled in a dusty corner. It wasn’t muc
Isabel’s POVThe hospital waiting room was an unrelenting purgatory. Its silence was broken only by the occasional murmur of voices. The harsh fluorescent lights bathed everything in a cold, artificial glow. The smell of antiseptic clung to the air. My hands, still stained with Emerson’s blood, were trembling slightly in my lap. No matter how much I had tried to scrub them clean in the bathroom earlier, the stains seemed etched into my skin.And yet, there was something else. Something clawing at the edges of my mind, whispering a truth I didn’t want to acknowledge. Maybe, just maybe, I wasn’t as indifferent to Emerson’s survival as I wanted to believe.I clenched my hands into fists, trying to suppress the thought. He was a man who had caused me immeasurable pain. A man who had lied, betrayed, and abandoned me. But when I saw him bleeding out, his life slipping away, it was as if all that hatred had been eclipsed by something far more primal—a desperate hope that he would survive.
Isabel’s POVMy husband Emerson hadn't come home for a whole week. I stayed in our huge villa all alone, waiting. The grand mansion with marble floors and chandeliers felt empty and cold without him.I placed a hand on my big belly and hoped he'd come back soon. I’ve been having strange, severe headaches lately. At 7 months pregnant, that wasn’t normal. We had to go for a pregnancy check-up.Where was he? My heart ached with worry and fear. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.Our life together had always seemed perfect. Emerson, a successful businessman, had swept me off my feet. We had everything—wealth, status, a beautiful home and a baby on the way.But recently, things changed. He seemed distant. I tried to ignore the signs. But the longer he stayed away, the harder it became to believe everything was fine.I tried to keep myself busy. I rearranged the nursery, folding tiny clothes and organizing baby toys. Each little onesie and stuffed animal made me
Isabel’s POVThe hospital waiting room was an unrelenting purgatory. Its silence was broken only by the occasional murmur of voices. The harsh fluorescent lights bathed everything in a cold, artificial glow. The smell of antiseptic clung to the air. My hands, still stained with Emerson’s blood, were trembling slightly in my lap. No matter how much I had tried to scrub them clean in the bathroom earlier, the stains seemed etched into my skin.And yet, there was something else. Something clawing at the edges of my mind, whispering a truth I didn’t want to acknowledge. Maybe, just maybe, I wasn’t as indifferent to Emerson’s survival as I wanted to believe.I clenched my hands into fists, trying to suppress the thought. He was a man who had caused me immeasurable pain. A man who had lied, betrayed, and abandoned me. But when I saw him bleeding out, his life slipping away, it was as if all that hatred had been eclipsed by something far more primal—a desperate hope that he would survive.
Isabel’s POVI kneeled next to Emerson’s crumpled body. My hands trembled as they pressed against his bleeding wound. The blood was everywhere—dark, warm, and terrifyingly fast. A desperate panic rose in my throat as I looked around the dimly lit terrain. We were isolated, surrounded by danger. Silas Kane’s men could be lurking around every corner.Emerson’s breaths were shallow, his face pale. “Stay with me,” I whispered hoarsely.My mind raced. We were miles from help, but I couldn’t leave him here to die. He had saved me, shielded me with his own body. And yet, the lingering doubts whispered cruel truths. How could I care for someone who had caused me so much pain? But could I bear the thought of losing him?Emerson groaned softly, pulling me out of my spiral. I shook my head to focus. “On the other side of the silos,” he had said earlier. That’s where Michael would be waiting.I scanned my surroundings frantically and spotted an old sheet crumpled in a dusty corner. It wasn’t muc
Isabel’s POVThe deafening gunshot echoed in my ears. For a moment, I was sure it was over. My eyes shut tightly, bracing for the inevitable. This was how it all ended—alone, betrayed, and broken.But… the pain never came.Instead, there was silence, punctuated by the dull thud of something—or someone—hitting the ground. Slowly, I opened my eyes, heart racing.Lilith had fallen to her knees before me, her face frozen in shock. Her wide eyes seemed to reflect disbelief. Her body was trembling. The woman who had always seemed untouchable—impeccably perfect, cold and calculating, an unshakable force of destruction—was now crumpling before me. Lilith, the woman who had orchestrated so much pain, who had relentlessly sought to destroy my life, my family, my children, was dying. For a moment, it felt surreal. As though fate’s cruel wheel had finally shifted in my favor. The sight before me was almost jarring: her impeccably styled raven hair still clung to its carefully sculpted waves, he
Isabel’s POV“Don’t ‘Isa’ me,” I snapped, my voice raw with anger. My chest heaved as the adrenaline coursed through me, my head throbbing in rhythm with my heartbeat. “I know more than you think, Emerson! I know about your lies, your betrayal... all of it!”“Isa, you don’t understand—” Emerson’s voice was calm, too calm, like he was trying to soothe a wild animal.“No idea?” I cut him off, my voice rising. “You think I have no idea what’s been happening? You knew about Lilith. You knew what she did to my father, and you said nothing! You kept me in the dark while she wove her web of chaos around us!”He raised his hands, a desperate attempt to placate me. “It wasn’t like that. Please, Isa, keep your voice down—”“Why?!” I barked, stepping closer to him. “Afraid someone will find us? I don’t care anymore, Emerson! If I die right here, right now, at least I’ll be free from your endless games. You wanted this, didn’t you? The end of me, the demise of me—”My rant was cut short as a sea
Isabel’s POVThe searing pain in my head made it impossible to think clearly. Every throb felt like a nail being hammered into my skull, dulling my senses and clouding my judgment. But through the haze, one question refused to fade: Who had saved me?As the man carried me through the darkness, his firm grip steadied me despite his hurried pace. Then, a deafening gunshot rang out. The sound pierced the air like a whip. My entire body jolted in reflex. The man stumbled, nearly dropping me. His arm faltered, and I felt him tense under the weight of what might have been an injury."Are you hurt?" My voice was raw, panicked. "Put me down. I can walk! We’re not getting out of here like this if you—""Quiet," he hissed, urgency dripping from his tone. Yet, there was a tremor there. A hint of pain he couldn’t hide.The adrenaline coursing through me sharpened my awareness despite the pounding ache in my head. Each jarring step he took reminded me how perilous our escape was. Finally, he du
Isabel’s POVI sat in the dark, my wrists bound to a cold metal chair. The air around me felt stale, suffocating, and heavy. My eyes were covered by a thick cloth that added to the sense of helplessness that wrapped around me like a vice. My throat was parched, my stomach hollow with hunger. But it was the complete isolation that gnawed at me the most. It was as if the world had forgotten I existed, as though I had vanished entirely. No medication, no comfort—just the slow, relentless drain of my strength.I could feel the seconds ticking away. My life was ebbing away with each passing minute. But more than that, I could feel the presence of my fear. It pressed against my chest, the weight of it unbearable. Was I going to die here? Was this it—an end so quiet that no one would ever know?The sound of a ringing phone broke through the stillness. "Emerson," the guards’ cold voice sliced through the darkness. "You know we have your precious Isabel. No tricks for our little meet-up ton
Isabel’s POV"Don't play tricks on me, Lilith," I spat, my voice hoarse but sharp, cutting through the tension in the air. My mind raced with confusion and disbelief, but my gut told me there was more to this than a simple threat. Something didn’t add up. I had always believed in Emerson’s promises. He had assured me time and time again that my father would be taken care of, that nothing would harm him. But now, here I was, trapped in a situation I couldn’t control. All I could feel was a gnawing sense of dread.Lilith’s smile widened, cruel and knowing. "You think I'm lying?" she said, her voice dripping with malice. Her presence was like a poison, seeping into every crack of my resolve. I hated it. Every word she spoke twisted like a blade in my chest.Then she did something that made my blood run cold. With a flick of her wrist, she took a small tablet out of her purse. She pressed a button, and a live video feed flickered to life on the screen. My heart skipped a beat. There,
Isabel’s POV“Well, well. Long time no see, beauty.” A gravelly voice carried a dark satisfaction, the kind that sent a shiver down my spine. “Do you remember me?”A hulking figure loomed over me. His one good eye was gleaming with malice. The other was covered by a black eyepatch. His scarred face twisted into a cruel smile, revealing gold-plated teeth as he leaned closer.I didn’t want to, but the memories hit me like a freight train. The eyepatch was new, but I’d recognize that face anywhere—the auction boss.My stomach churned. No, not him. Not this nightmare again.“You,” I whispered, my voice trembling. My throat felt parched, the words barely audible.“Ah, so you do remember me,” he sneered, straightening to his full height. “You and that bastard Emerson. You cost me everything—my business, my empire, my eye!” He pointed at his eyepatch with a flourish. “Do you know what it’s like to lose everything? To live in the shadows like a rat because of you two?”The anger in his voice
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