The next morning, the Mediterranean sun bathed the entire resort in golden light. Sasha and Ethan were picked up from the hotel by their tour guide, a friendly local named Miguel. Sasha’s mood had lifted after a good night’s sleep, and the promise of a relaxing day on a cruise ship brought a sense of peace she hadn’t felt in weeks.“Ready for the cruise?” Ethan asked, flashing her a smile as they boarded the private yacht Miguel had arranged. The boat gently rocked with the motion of the waves, and Sasha inhaled deeply, the fresh scent of the sea filling her lungs.“I think so,” she replied, smiling back. For once, she didn’t feel trapped. The yacht took them along the coast, the cliffs of Ibiza rising dramatically on one side and the endless expanse of the Balearic Sea on the other. Sasha could lose herself in the beauty of it all—the sapphire waters, the sparkling sun, the distant hum of life far away from the chaos they had left behind.After the cruise, they returned to the dock w
Sasha’s heart hammered in her chest as the black bus finally slowed down, pulling in front of an old, worn-out building on the outskirts of town. The structure was a far cry from the bustling marketplace—it looked abandoned, with faded graffiti scrawled across the crumbling walls and shattered windows reflecting the golden hues of the setting sun. It was tucked between two larger warehouses, hidden in plain sight, and the air around it felt oppressive, like a place where unspeakable things had happened.The bus stopped, and Sasha watched from the back of the taxi as the two men from the market climbed out, followed by the driver. They exchanged a few words in low voices, glancing around before heading inside the building.Sasha’s mind raced. She didn’t have much time. She leaned forward, speaking to the taxi driver in a hurried whisper. “Can you help me? I need to get that girl out of the bus.”The older man’s eyes widened in surprise. “Señorita, this is dangerous business. I don’t kn
Sasha watched the girl—Karol—settle into the chair, her wide, frightened eyes still scanning the room as if expecting the worst at any moment. The fear that radiated from her was palpable. After explaining the whole situation to Ethan, Sasha had led Karol into the bathroom, offering her a hot bath and a fresh change of clothes, something simple but comfortable from Sasha's own suitcase. The girl had flinched at first when Sasha tried to help her, as if touch itself was foreign now, but once the hot water had washed over her, she seemed to relax, even if only slightly. “You can take your time,” Sasha had said gently, standing at the bathroom door. “There’s no rush. You’re safe here.” Now, as Karol sat at the small dining table in their suite, a plate of pasta in front of her, Sasha sat across from her, watching as the girl slowly picked at her food, her appetite tentative, but there. “How are you feeling?” Sasha asked, keeping her voice soft. Karol glanced up, her eyes still shado
Sasha stood quietly, watching Ethan from the doorway as he worked to finalize everything for Karol’s escape from Ibiza. He was focused, speaking quickly but calmly into his phone, pacing back and forth across the room. The tension that had gripped them both earlier was beginning to dissipate, replaced by a sense of urgency but also hope. Within two hours, the arrangements had been made—a private jet was secured, ready to take Karol back to Poland, far away from the nightmare she’d been living.Outside, on the airstrip, the jet waited, sleek and silent. Sasha stood next to Karol as they walked toward it, the young girl clutching a small bag and looking nervously back at Sasha. Before Karol could board, Sasha reached into her purse and pulled out an envelope, pressing it into Karol’s hands.“Take this,” Sasha said softly, her voice warm and encouraging. “It’s not much, but it should help you get back on your feet. Start fresh.”Karol’s eyes filled with tears as she gripped the envelope
Sasha was jostled roughly in the back of the black bus, her wrists tied tight behind her and her legs bound. The thick smell of diesel fuel filled the air as the bus sped through the dark streets, the engine growling beneath them. Her heart pounded in her chest, but her mind remained sharp. She knew who these men were, though they hadn’t yet revealed their faces. She had caught glimpses of them earlier with Karol at the market, and the tension in the air now confirmed her suspicions.After several minutes, the men began to pull off their masks one by one. The first man, Sean, smirked as he wiped the sweat from his brow, tossing his mask aside. Jey, his brother, followed suit, his face harder, more impatient. Davide, the last one, was the driver—his eyes cold, indifferent to the chaos they were dragging Sasha into.“Surprised?” Sean asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he glanced back at her.Sasha glared at him, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a response.Sean chuckled,
The cold wind howled through the skeletal frame of the uncompleted building, its open windows gaping like the empty eye sockets of a skull. The concrete walls were rough, the floor strewn with dust and debris, rebar poking through in places. Sean dragged Sasha up the cracked steps, her body limp but defiant. Her wrists were bound tightly behind her back, and the edges of the ropes had begun to cut into her skin, though she didn’t flinch. He could feel the tension in her body—though she had been captured, she wasn’t broken.Yet.Sean gritted his teeth as he yanked her forward, her heels scraping the rough floor as she stumbled into the center of the room. The other two, Jey and Davide, followed closely behind, their faces set in grim determination. They were running out of time, and Sean knew it. The Rhodes brothers’ patience was thin, and they were counting on this going smoothly. But so far, it had been anything but smooth.Sean shoved Sasha roughly into a chair, tying her down with
Sean paced back and forth across the cold concrete floor, the tension in the air thick enough to choke on. Sasha was still tied to the chair, her eyes blazing with defiance, her lips curled in that mocking smile that made Sean’s blood boil. She had been bleeding from the mouth after Jey’s earlier strike, but she still hadn’t broken. She hadn’t given them a damn thing, and time was slipping away."Why are you making this harder than it has to be?" Sean snarled, running a hand through his hair. His patience was wearing thin, his voice rising in frustration. "Just tell us where Karol is, and this all ends."Sasha spat blood onto the floor, her eyes never leaving his. "I already told you. She’s gone. There’s nothing you can do about it."Jey and Davide hovered nearby, their unease growing by the minute. Sean could feel the pressure mounting. The Rhodes brothers were waiting for results, and he had nothing to show for it except for a bloodied, uncooperative woman tied to a chair. He was ab
The sky above Ibiza had turned a deep shade of violet as dusk settled over the island, casting long shadows across the resort. The echoes of the violent confrontation in the abandoned building still lingered in the air. Sasha had flashes of Sean’s body lay lifeless on the cold concrete floor, as the Torres brothers were no more. She was now left with what remained now was the aftermath, the fallout of everything that had transpired.Ethan, still reeling from the surge of violence he had unleashed, held Sasha close as they left the building, his arm protectively around her waist. Sasha limped slightly, her body aching from the bruises and cuts left by Sean and Jey. Her lip was split, and her wrists bore the angry red marks of where the ropes had dug into her skin. Every step was painful, but she walked with her head high, unbroken.At the resort, Ethan made no delay in calling for a doctor. His voice was clipped, calm, and in control as he explained that Sasha needed immediate medical
The lights of Ethan's mansion shone dimly in the misty night as Sasha drove up the long driveway. Her hands gripped the steering wheel, knuckles white, her heart pounding as she replayed the events of the evening. Rico’s dying words echoed in her mind, haunting her with every breath. She could still feel the coldness of the gun in her hand, the heaviness of the glass she had forced him to drink. Her best friend, the person who had once shared her innocence, was gone, and it was by her own doing.Trembling, she stepped out of the car and approached the door. It was late, but Ethan had always told her that she was welcome at any hour. She barely noticed the warmth of his mansion as she stumbled through the doors, a shivering mess of guilt and sorrow. One of his guards led her to his study, where Ethan was waiting, his expression immediately darkening as he saw the tears streaking down her cheeks."Sasha," he said, standing up quickly, his voice filled with concern. "What happened?"She
The night was cold as Sasha drove down the empty streets, the city lights flickering in her rearview mirror like fading stars. She had always been careful, had always walked the line between who she once was and the life she’d been pulled into. But Rico was closing in, his relentless pursuit drawing closer to truths that could ruin everything she’d built with Ethan. And now, she was at a crossroads she never imagined she’d face: she would have to kill him.As she reached the Miller mansion, her mind was clear, cold as steel. She pulled on a pair of black gloves, knowing every step would need to be precise, leaving nothing behind. She climbed the stairs to her bedroom, opened the hidden compartment in her closet, and retrieved a small vial of poison. She had kept it for years, a tool she hoped she’d never need. But Rico had left her no choice.Her fingers grazed over the gun in the drawer. It felt heavy, both in weight and in purpose. Rico was her friend—a part of her past, her childh
The morning sun was filtering through the high windows of her office when Sasha’s phone buzzed on her desk. She reached for it, glancing at the unfamiliar number on the screen. Frowning, she answered. “Sasha Brooks.”“Miss Brooks,” the voice on the other end was firm and professional. “This is Agent Wyatt with the Secret Service. We need you to come down to our office for questioning.”Sasha felt a wave of unease wash over her. “Questioning?” she asked, forcing her voice to stay steady. “Can you tell me what this is about?”“I’m afraid we can’t discuss the details over the phone,” Agent Wyatt replied. “Please come in at your earliest convenience.”The line went dead before she could ask anything more. Sasha lowered the phone, her heart pounding. She’d known that Rico’s investigation wasn’t over, but she hadn’t expected him to summon her like this. She took a deep breath, steadying herself. If Rico wanted answers, she’d give them—but only what she wanted him to know.An hour later, Sas
Ethan was still savoring the aftermath of his election victory as he reclined on the leather sofa in his penthouse office. The city stretched out before him through the glass wall, lights glittering like stars. The high of winning still coursed through him, though Sasha’s words kept gnawing at the edges of his mind. But before he could dwell on her warning, his phone buzzed in his pocket. The number on the screen made him sit up instantly—one of his contacts at the SSS.He answered, keeping his voice low. “What’s going on?”The voice on the other end was brisk and to the point. “Mr. Leo, we just received word that Rico Morales obtained a warrant to search the Vegas Casino. He’s on his way there with his team.”Ethan’s heart skipped a beat. For a moment, he stared out the window, feeling a cold, creeping dread settle in. If Rico was coming after the Vegas Casino, it wasn’t a casual inspection. Rico had been investigating Jack and Carlos’s deaths for months, desperate to connect the dot
Rico leaned back in his office chair, rubbing his tired eyes. It had been over six months since he began his relentless pursuit of the shadows that haunted the city—the figures known only as Nyx and Hades. Six months of dead ends, sleepless nights, and watching blurry surveillance footage. Jack and Carlos were dead, their bodies leaving behind a silence that demanded justice. Yet every lead felt like sand slipping through his fingers.Jack had been his friend, someone he’d trusted. And Carlos, despite his flaws, had once been a key figure in the city’s underworld. Both men were gone now, and Rico knew that somewhere out there, someone was responsible. Someone powerful, calculating, and ruthless enough to cover their tracks perfectly.He switched on his laptop and resumed scrolling through the mountain of footage. Security footage from street corners, ATMs, storefronts—anything that might reveal even the faintest hint of Nyx or Hades. He was chasing ghosts, but his gut told him that pe
Ethan’s words hung in the air, a confession raw and vulnerable, stripped bare of any pretense. Sasha’s breath hitched, her mind racing to process what he had just said. She searched his face, seeing the weight of years of torment etched into his eyes.“Bipolar?” she whispered, her voice barely audible, as if saying it too loud would shatter the fragile honesty between them.Ethan nodded, looking away, unable to meet her gaze. “I didn’t know for a long time,” he admitted, his hands clenching and unclenching as he tried to steady himself. “There were… signs. But I didn’t want to believe it. I thought I was just… intense. Driven. I’ve always felt this… voice inside me, pushing me to take control, to act without thinking.” He paused, his voice trembling. “It’s not just a voice. It’s me. It’s a part of me that I can’t seem to silence.”Sasha felt her heart break for him, realizing how much he’d been struggling, even before they’d met. She wanted to reach out, to hold him, but she knew he n
Sasha leaned against her car, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as she waited outside the police station. The last few hours had been a blur of emotions she could barely process—anger, sadness, and betrayal. Ethan’s confession replayed in her mind over and over, a loop that tightened her chest with every repetition. She wasn’t ready to face Chris. Not after what she’d learned about Ethan, about the accident that had torn her family apart without her even knowing it. But her brother needed her, and right now, he was all she had. She had promised him he wouldn’t be alone, and she intended to keep that promise. When Chris finally stepped out of the station, his expression softened as he saw her. For a moment, they just stood there, the weight of everything unspoken pressing down on them. Sasha took a shaky breath, then walked toward him, her eyes filling with tears she hadn’t even realized she was holding back. it felt good, it felt good to have him out of cell. She could not be
The world came back to Ethan slowly, like rising from the depths of a dark ocean. His eyelids felt heavy, and his entire body ached as if he’d been hit by a train. He blinked, trying to focus, and the sterile white walls of a hospital room gradually came into view. The dim light of early morning filtered through the blinds, casting soft shadows across the room. He turned his head, wincing as a sharp pain shot through him. But when he looked to his left, his heart softened. There, slumped over in a chair by his bedside, was Sasha. Her face was pale, and there were dark circles under her eyes, evidence of sleepless nights. She had one hand resting near his on the bed, as if she’d fallen asleep holding it but eventually drifted off from sheer exhaustion. He gently reached out, brushing his fingers against her hand, too weak to do more. Sasha stirred, blinking her eyes open as she processed what she was seeing. When she realized he was awake, her eyes went wide with relief and joy. “
Sasha stormed into the police station, her mind a storm of fear, fury, and confusion. She hadn’t even had time to process Ethan’s condition at the hospital before she found herself here, chasing the need for answers, for justice. She marched up to the front desk, trying to keep her voice steady.“I need to see the person you arrested for the hit-and-run on Ethan Leo,” she said, her tone as firm as steel.The officer behind the desk looked up, recognizing her from media appearances as well as from the sheer power of her name. He gave her a nod. “Right this way, Miss Brooks.”Sasha followed him through a dimly lit corridor, her heart pounding harder with every step. She felt an almost dizzying mix of dread and anger as she walked, but she pushed it down. She had to stay focused. Whoever this was… she needed to see them, to understand why they would do something so reckless, so cruel.When the officer finally stopped outside a cell, Sasha’s breath caught in her throat. Her whole world ti