Rico had been at the Secret Service training camp for almost a year now, and he had made a name for himself as the top student in his class. Every drill, every mission simulation—he had excelled. The instructors were impressed with his precision, his focus, and his unyielding determination. But still, he hadn’t expected to be summoned by John Clarkson, the head of the division, for a private meeting.As Rico made his way to Clerkson’s office, he couldn’t help but wonder what this was about. He had a feeling it wasn’t just a casual chat about his progress.When he entered the office, John was already seated behind his desk, a serious expression on his face. "Come in, Rico," he said, gesturing to the chair in front of him. "Have a seat."Rico sat down, feeling a slight tension in the air. John leaned forward, his fingers tapping lightly on the surface of the desk. "You’ve been doing well, Rico. Very well. In fact, you’re at the top of your class, and that’s why I’ve asked to see you tod
Ethan stood in the kitchen, frying eggs and flipping pancakes, the smell of coffee filling the air. He wasn’t much of a cook, but he wanted to make an effort for Sasha. He had to win her back, no matter what it took. Ever since that argument, things had been tense between them, and it tore him up inside. He missed her warmth, her smile, and the way she made him feel grounded. He was so jealous to see her with another man yesterday. He hated that she even spoke to the man and hated that he was holding her when he saw them, nobody holds his woman, and this “man” better stay away from her. He hoped she would not wake up with a hangover and that she had an appetite for food. He set the table neatly, making sure everything was perfect. Sasha was still asleep upstairs, and he wanted her to wake up to something nice. He couldn’t stand the thought of losing her over a misunderstanding with Grace. Yes, Grace had kissed him, but it meant nothing—he just needed Sasha to believe him.He glanced
Sasha stood at the entrance of the Vegas Casino, her Nyx mask firmly in place. The neon lights of the casino flickered overhead, casting an eerie glow on the sidewalk, but her mind was sharp and focused. Tonight wasn’t just about business—it was about power. She was about to meet with the seven leaders of the gangs that operated under the Hell’s Gang in the area, and she needed to show them exactly who was in charge. There was no room for weakness.Ivy, standing beside her, whispered nervously, "They’re waiting for you in the secret office. Seven leaders."Sasha gave a small nod and adjusted the mask on her face, the cold metal pressing against her skin like a reminder of who she had become. She wasn’t just Sasha Brooks anymore—tonight, she was Nyx. And Nyx didn’t bow to anyone.As they moved toward the hidden office at the back of the casino, Big Tom fell into step beside her, his heavy footsteps echoing down the dimly lit hallway. "Let me give you a rundown of who you’re dealing wit
Ethan sat in his office, trying to focus on the business proposal in front of him, it was already dead in the night and he was still in the office. He needed to get his work done but his mind was elsewhere. His phone buzzed, breaking his concentration. It was **Jon**, one of his trusted informants. “Ethan, we have a situation,” Jon’s voice was tense.“What is it?” Ethan asked, already feeling a sense of dread.“It’s Nyx. She... well, she made an example out of **Jimmy**, one of the loan sharks. Had him killed right in front of the other leaders.”Ethan’s heart sank. He had been afraid of this. Sasha—or rather, Nyx—was slipping deeper into the underworld, becoming someone he never wanted her to be. The darkness he had fought so hard to control within himself was now consuming her. “Damn it,” Ethan muttered, running a hand through his hair. “Rowan, pull up Sasha’s address. I’m going over there.”Rowan, who was sitting across from him, raised an eyebrow. “You sure you want to go now, b
Hue sat at the table, swirling the drink in his glass as the media anniversary dinner buzzed around him. But his mind wasn’t on the conversations or the speeches happening around the room. His attention was focused solely on Sasha,who had just walked in with another man. The sight of her laughing and smiling with someone else made something twist inside him—jealousy, anger, confusion.He had spent weeks trying to reach out to Sasha, to explain himself, but she had blocked his calls and ignored him completely. Seeing her now, looking happy with another man, felt like a slap in the face. Why couldn't she give him the chance to explain? He clenched his fists under the table, his jaw tightening.Amanda,sitting beside him, noticed where his eyes were fixed. She sighed and leaned in closer, her voice low but filled with irritation. "Hue, stop staring at her."Hue barely heard Amanda. His eyes were still locked on Sasha and the man she was with. He couldn't help but wonder if this man was th
Sasha couldn’t believe what she had heard. Ethan had been publicly introduced as someone else’s boyfriend—Grace’s boyfriend. It was as if the ground had been pulled out from under her. The pain surged through her chest, her heart pounding in her ears as she tried to make sense of the situation. Wasn't she Ethan’s girlfriend? She had thought so. But now, everyone saw him as Grace’s. How could this be happening?Immediately after Ethan’s speech, Sasha excused herself, telling Nicholas that she needed to use the bathroom. She needed to get away from the party, from all the people, from the confusion that was suffocating her.In the bathroom, Sasha stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were swollen from holding back tears. Her lips trembled. She applied makeup, trying to mask the traces of the hurt she was feeling. She didn’t want to fall apart—not here, not now. She had to look composed, even if she didn’t feel it. Once she was done, she took a deep breath and decided to head
Sasha felt a wave of guilt wash over her as she thought about Grace being in the hospital. She couldn’t forget the moment in the shower with Ethan, when his phone had rung and she had kissed him to keep him from answering Grace’s call. Now, Grace was in the hospital, and Sasha couldn’t shake the feeling that her actions had played a part in the situation.Determined to make amends, Sasha picked up her phone and called Ivy, asking her to find out which hospital Grace was in. A few minutes later, Ivy called back, informing her that it was City Hospital. Sasha quickly dressed, went to the closet mall to buy a bouquet of flowers, and headed straight to the hospital. Once she arrived, she approached the front desk and asked for Grace Cringe’s room. The nurse pointed her in the right direction, and Sasha made her way down the hall, her heart pounding with every step. She stopped in front of Grace’s door, took a deep breath, and knocked.When the door opened, it wasn’t Grace—it was Ethan.
After Ethan dropped her off at her apartment, Sasha didn’t waste any time. She needed a distraction, something to take her mind off the emotional rollercoaster that was her relationship with Ethan. She grabbed her things and headed straight to Vegas Casino, where the headquarters of her operations for the Hell's Gang were located. It was time to focus on business and regain her composure. As she entered the secret office hidden behind the casino, Big Tom was the first to approach her. His face was tense with concern. "Are you okay?" he asked, his deep voice quiet but filled with care. "Did Ethan scold you for ordering the killing of Jimmy?" Sasha hesitated for a moment before removing her Nyx mask, revealing her conflicted expression. "We quarreled about it," she admitted, sighing heavily. "But... we're good now." She didn’t mention the part where they had broken up just a few hours ago. She wasn’t ready to talk about that. Not yet. She tried to distract herself from her thoughts
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