The drive back to our house was quiet, but the air between Leon and me was charged with unspoken thoughts. We were so close to achieving what we had set out to do—bringing justice for Hector and ending Justin’s reign of terror. But with every step forward, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to go terribly wrong.When we arrived home, the house was eerily silent. The faint sound of the night outside was the only noise that filled the space. Leon parked the car, and we both stepped out, the weight of the day still heavy on our shoulders. As we walked towards the door, I noticed how the shadows seemed to cling to the corners of the house, darker than usual. A chill ran down my spine, and I instinctively moved closer to Leon.He must have sensed my unease because he wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. “It’s just the nerves, Margarette. Everything’s all right, okay? There’s nothing to worry.” he reassured me, his voice a comforting anchor in the dark
“NO!!!!!!!!!!!” I screamed, my hand stretching out as though I was reaching out for something while I gasped for air.The nightmare clung to me, even as I jolted awake, my screams echoing in the car's confined space. My chest heaved, my heart racing as the terror from the dream spilled into reality. I barely registered that Leon had pulled the car to the side of the road, his concerned voice breaking through the fog of fear that clouded my mind.“Hey, what happened? Are you okay, my love?” Leon’s voice was laced with anxiety, his hand gently shaking my shoulder as I clung to him, trembling uncontrollably. I buried my face in his chest, seeking comfort in the steady beat of his heart. "I…I had a nightmare," I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper. "It was about Justin... he was chasing us, trying to kill us. I was so scared, Leon."Leon’s arms tightened around me, his hand cradling the back of my head as he pulled me closer. "Shhh…it’s okay, it’s okay," he murmured against my ha
The afternoon stretched into evening, the tension growing with each passing hour. I jumped at every sound, my nerves on edge as the shadows outside lengthened. Finally, just as the sun began to set, I heard the sound of a car pulling up the driveway. My heart leaped into my throat as I hurried to the window, praying that it was Leon. When I saw his familiar figure stepping out of the car, relief washed over me. I rushed to the door, throwing it open just as he reached the steps.“You’re back,” I breathed, throwing my arms around him. “I was so worried…”He held me tightly, his warmth chasing away the last of my fears. “I’m back,” he murmured, his voice a soothing balm to my frayed nerves. “And I have good news.”I pulled back slightly, looking up at him. “What is it?”“We’ve got something,” Leon said, his eyes lighting up with a spark of hope. “It’s not much, but it’s a start. My contacts found a lead—something that could tie Justin to some of his more illegal dealings and even his m
The hours after Leon's departure felt like an eternity. Each tick of the clock echoed in the quiet mansion, a reminder of the time slipping away. The flash drive in my hand felt heavier with every passing minute, as if it held the weight of our entire future.I tried to distract myself by checking on Olivia, who was sitting quietly in the guest room, her face pale but determined. We exchanged a few words, but the tension in the air made conversation difficult. We both knew what was at stake.The night wore on, the oppressive silence broken only by the occasional creak of the house settling. My mind raced with worst-case scenarios, each more terrifying than the last. I kept reminding myself that Leon was strong, resourceful, and had faced danger before. But this time felt different. The stakes were higher, and the risks were greater.Around midnight, just as I was beginning to doze off, my phone buzzed on the bedside table. I jolted awake, heart pounding as I snatched it up, praying it
The urgency in Leon’s voice sent a jolt of adrenaline through me, he turned my phone off and destroyed something like chip processor inside. “I’m sorry, I had to destroy it so they couldn’t track your location where we are headed. Now go get your things.”There was no time to process the fear that gripped me. I jumped to my feet, sprinting down the hallway to alert Olivia and Alexa. My heart pounded in my chest, the weight of the situation pressing down on me.Olivia was in the doorway, her hands shaking as approached us. She looked up in surprise as I said. “We have to go now!” I said, my voice trembling. “They’ve tricked me by tracing our location through a call. They’ll be here any minute from now so we have to leave immediately before they catches us.”Her eyes widened in fear, but she nodded quickly, rushing to grab her things. I dashed to the guest room where Alexa was resting. She was already on her feet, sensing something was wrong. “What’s happening?” she asked, her voice tigh
When Iva finally arrived, I couldn’t help but feel the pit of jealousy deepen. My intuition was right. She was…well, exactly what I feared. Voluptuous curves, a statuesque figure, legs that went on for days, and those eyes—bright, striking green like shards of emeralds. The kind of eyes that demanded attention and never went unnoticed. And her chest? God, I could barely keep myself from glaring at the way her blouse hugged her chest. They were massive. It was ridiculous.‘This’… I thought to myself, feeling a flush creep into my cheeks, ‘this is the kind of woman Leon befriends?’“Prosecutor Iva, thanks for coming.” The moment Leon mentioned her name—Prosecutor Iva Delgado—I felt it.It was like a knot tightening in my stomach, an unspoken tension I couldn't shake off. Why did he say it with that tone, like there was something more? I tried to dismiss the creeping feelings, reminding myself that this was about strategy, not emotions. But when Leon looked me in the eyes and reassu
As Leon held me close, the tension between us remained, unspoken but tangible. I could feel the warmth of his body against mine, his steady heartbeat reverberating through my chest. And yet, the doubt clung to me, whispering insecurities that I couldn’t quite silence. Was I being irrational? Maybe. But rationality had never been a strong suit when emotions were involved.Leon pulled back slightly, his eyes searching mine. “You sure you’re okay?” His voice was gentle, almost cautious.I forced another smile, trying to bury the jealousy that was clawing its way to the surface. “Yeah. Just a lot on my mind, I guess.”He nodded, but I could see the flicker of doubt in his gaze. He knew me too well. Still, he didn’t press further, instead offering a soft kiss on my forehead before stepping away. “We should head back inside. There’s still a lot to go over with Iva.”There it was again—her name, like a needle pricking my skin. I nodded, unable to trust myself to speak without betraying my em
After the meeting that night, Leon retreated to his study with Iva to finalize some details, and I could hear the low hum of their voices through the door. Alexa had gone to bed earlier.My body was restless, my thoughts loud and chaotic but sleep was the furthest thing from my mind. The door to Leon’s study creaked open, and I quickly straightened up, trying to appear as though I hadn’t been obsessing over whatever they had talked about. Leon stepped out first, rubbing the back of his neck, looking tired. Iva followed close behind, her sharp eyes landing on me briefly before flickering away.“We’ve made some progress,” Leon said, his voice a little hoarse from hours of talking. “Iva’s going to meet with the judge tomorrow to present our case.”Iva gave me a quick, tight smile. “It’s a long shot, but if we can push the timeline forward, we might be able to stop Justin from making any advantages against you regarding the lawsuit.”Leon’s eyes were on me, watching for a reaction. I nod
The rain was falling again.It always did on days like this—days that felt like endings.I stood on the edge of the cliffs overlooking the stormy waters of Anacortes, my coat pulled tightly around me, the hood shielding my face from the wind that carried the scent of salt and something older—something like goodbye.Leon stood behind me. I didn’t have to turn around to feel him there. His presence was familiar now, carved into my skin like muscle memory. He’d been my gravity, my storm, my salvation, and my ruin—sometimes all at once.“It’s really over, isn’t it?” I whispered, more to the wind than to him.He didn’t answer right away. His silence was as heavy as the stormclouds above us.“I wanted to fix everything for you,” he said finally, his voice hoarse, like it had been dragged across a battlefield. “I wanted to give you a life that didn’t hurt.”I closed my eyes. The ache in my chest pulsed with every beat of my heart. “You did,” I said. “For a while, you did.”I heard the crunch
I took a deep breath, steadying myself. “I’m not the same person I was before,” I said, my voice firm, unwavering. “And I’m not walking away this time.”The man’s eyes flickered with a moment of doubt, just enough for me to catch. And then, before I could even register what had happened, Leon moved.Faster than I could blink, Leon was in front of me, his hand grabbing the gun and twisting it out of the man’s grasp. The force of it sent the man stumbling back, but he didn’t go down easily. His bodyguards rushed in, but Leon was already a step ahead, disarming one of them with a swift, calculated move.I stood frozen for a moment, trying to process what I was witnessing. Leon—always so calm, always so careful—was ruthless. He was like a force of nature, determined to protect me at all costs.But the fight wasn’t over yet. The man recovered, his eyes burning with rage. “You really think you’ve won?” he spat, his voice dripping with venom. “You’re nothing but a pawn in a game you can’t ev
The sound of boots drew closer, pounding the floor with an urgency that echoed through the cavernous halls of the estate. My heart raced as the reality of what I had just heard crashed into me like a tidal wave. The man who had once been a part of my life—my family’s betrayer, the one who had orchestrated their deaths—stood there, calmly, as if this was just another night for him.Leon’s grip on my hand tightened, but I didn’t let him pull me away. I could feel the air thickening with tension, the walls pressing in as everything I thought I knew began to crumble.The intruders were only moments away.The man—he—smirked, watching us. “You think this will end well? You’ve no idea what you’re up against. My people are everywhere.”I took a step forward, ignoring Leon’s silent plea to retreat. “You killed them. And you thought I would be the next one to fall in line?” My voice was a whisper, but it held a power I hadn’t realized I had. “You were wrong.”The man’s face faltered, just for a
Next Morning at the Estate Archives. The basement was cold and damp, and the air smelled of mildew and secrets. Old boxes lined the walls, labeled in my father’s tidy script. Financial records. Land deeds. Correspondence.Leon sifted through a crate of documents while I dug through another.Then something caught my eye.A faded folder labeled: Project Thornfield.I opened it slowly.Inside were blueprints—plans for development across coastal land that was supposed to be protected forest. There were signatures from multiple board members, including names I recognized.And then, one I didn’t.N. Vallis.Leon leaned over. “You know that name?”I shook my head. “No. But look here—he signed off on the project two weeks before my parents died.”Leon pulled out his phone. “I’ll run a background check.”I kept flipping through the documents—and found something that made my blood run cold.An aerial photo.Of the cliffside. Our property.With a giant red X drawn over the coordinates where my p
THREE WEEKS LATER...The investigation moved faster than I’d expected. With the board fully on our side now, the paper trail unraveled like a thread pulled from an old sweater—each piece of evidence exposing the next. Shell companies. Forged contracts. Witnesses who had remained silent out of fear but were finally coming forward.Still, no one had seen him since the day of the summit. He had vanished without a trace. No flights. No offshore activity. No messages. It was like he’d disappeared into smoke.But Dorian didn’t believe in ghosts. “He’s hiding,” he said as he handed me a thick folder. “And this—this will force him out.”I flipped through the documents. Bank records. A property registered under an alias. Hidden deep in the woods outside of Anacortes. I felt my stomach twist.Leon stepped up behind me, his hand grazing my shoulder. “Let’s pay him a visit.”The cabin was barely more than a shadow tucked between trees. No lights. No car. Just silence and the thrum of insects in t
Sunlight crept cautiously through the cracks in the blinds, casting golden slivers across the hardwood floor of the safe house bedroom. I sat curled up on the edge of the bed, a blanket draped around my shoulders and the journal heavy in my lap. The cover was cracked, worn with age and secrets. My fingers hovered over the first page for what felt like an eternity.Leon was nearby—he hadn’t slept much, either. He stood at the window with a mug of black coffee, watching the world outside with quiet alertness. When I finally opened the journal, he turned slightly but didn’t speak. He knew I needed silence for this.The first entry was dated nearly two decades ago.July 14th. We signed the contract today. Two families, one future. The woman from Delmar Holdings is more cunning than I expected. She knows we’re desperate—and she used it. I told Mariana to trust me. That this was the only way. God help me, I hope I’m right.My breath hitched. Mariana—that was my mother’s name.I flipped thro
MARGARETTE'S POVBefore we could react, the door behind us burst open.Three armed men rushed in, dressed in black, their movements precise and rehearsed. Leon shoved me behind him, drawing his gun up in an instant. Dorian, who had been lingering near the entrance, took cover behind a cabinet, gun already out.“Elise’s father wasn’t bluffing,” I breathed, my heart hammering. “He had backup ready.”Leon fired the first shot, catching one of the intruders in the shoulder and sending him crashing to the floor. Chaos erupted. Dorian ducked low and returned fire, narrowly missing another attacker who retaliated with a spray of bullets that shattered the windows.I crouched behind an overturned table, the sound of gunfire drowning out my thoughts. The locket in my palm dug into my skin, its edges sharp—a painful reminder that I couldn’t afford to lose control now.“Elise’s father!” I shouted to Leon. “He’s escaping!”Through the haze of smoke and broken glass, I saw the man slinking toward
The sound of footsteps pounding in the hallway was the last thing I heard before the door slammed open.I barely had time to react before a rush of armed men poured into the room, their eyes scanning every corner, landing finally on me. There was no mistaking the intent behind their cold stares.“Get down!” Leon’s voice crackled through the earpiece again, but there was no time to obey. I couldn’t allow myself to hesitate—not now, not when the truth was within reach.I raised my gun, my hands steady despite the chaos unfolding around me. I wasn’t going down without a fight, not after everything I had lost. Not after everything Elise’s father had taken from me.Before the first man could react, I fired. The sound of the shot echoed in the confined space, the bullet finding its mark in the man’s chest. His body crumpled to the ground with a sickening thud, but the others didn’t hesitate. They moved in faster, their guns drawn, but I was ready.I ducked behind the desk, using it as cover
Dawn came in silver slivers through the cracks in the window. I hadn’t slept—not really. My mind was too loud, looping the footage over and over like a broken reel.Leon sat across from me at the table, sipping his coffee like it was the only thing keeping him grounded. Neither of us had said much since the footage. We didn’t need to. The truth had cut so deep, it didn’t leave room for small talk.But I had questions.And I needed answers.“How long do you think he’s known I survived?” I finally asked, voice hoarse.Leon didn’t look away from his mug. “Long enough to start covering his tracks. But he didn’t expect the locket to resurface.”My hand instinctively reached for it. The locket was warm now, like it had absorbed my grief and fury. Inside was a picture of my mother and me—her arm around my tiny shoulders, her smile soft but tired. A photo I hadn’t even remembered until last night.“He killed her,” I whispered. “He killed my father. For what? A project?”“Not just a project,”