The urgency in Leon’s voice pulled me out of my stunned silence. William stepped forward, his stance protective as he looked between Leon and me.“Start from the beginning,” William demanded, his tone sharp.Leon ignored him, his piercing gaze fixed on me. “Margarette, pack what you need. We don’t have time to explain everything.”William’s hand shot out, gripping Leon’s arm. “She’s not going anywhere until you tell us what’s going on.”The tension between them was palpable, a crackling energy that seemed ready to explode. I stepped between them, my arms outstretched to separate them before things escalated.“Enough!” I shouted, my voice breaking through their heated stares. “Both of you need to calm down.”Leon exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. “I’ve been digging into Justin’s activities since we returned. He’s not just after the properties, Margarette—he’s targeting you personally. That man showing up here tonight? That’s his way of warning you he’s watching.”Willia
I stood frozen on the porch, the ominous glow of the taillights disappearing into the night. My fingers clenched my phone tightly as the message burned into my mind. I couldn’t let fear paralyze me, not now.The door creaked open behind me, and William’s voice broke the silence. “Margarette? What’s going on?”I turned to him, struggling to steady my breathing. “There was a car. Someone sent me a message. They’re watching us.”His expression darkened instantly, his eyes scanning the street. “Get inside. Now.”Inside, I recounted the events to both William and Leon. They exchanged a glance—tense, calculating.“This isn’t just intimidation anymore,” Leon said, pacing the room. “They’re escalating. We need to strike first before they get bolder.”“We’re not going to act recklessly,” William countered. “We need a plan, not some impulsive move that’ll get us all killed.”Leon scoffed. “And sitting around waiting for them to make the next move isn’t reckless? Great strategy, William.”“Enoug
The aftermath of the encounter at the distillery lingered in the air like a storm refusing to break. Leon and William argued as we made our way back to the safe house, their voices rising and clashing like thunder. I sat in the back seat, my hands trembling as I replayed Justin's chilling smirk in my mind.“Why the hell didn’t you stick to the plan?” William barked, his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel.Leon shot him a glare from the passenger seat. “The plan changed when she decided to chase Justin. I wasn’t going to stand back and let her get herself killed.”“I don’t need either of you deciding what I can or can’t do!” I snapped, my voice cutting through their argument.Both of them fell silent, their eyes flickering to me in the rearview mirror.“This isn’t about your rivalry or your ego. This is about stopping Justin before he hurts anyone else. If you two can’t work together, then stay out of my way.”Back at the safe house, Leon pulled me aside, his expression gr
The next morning, the events of the previous night weighed heavily on my mind. The envelope with Justin’s chilling message sat on the kitchen counter, a constant reminder of how far he was willing to go.Leon and William had taken shifts patrolling the perimeter, neither willing to leave me unguarded. Their unspoken rivalry was suffocating, but I didn’t have the energy to address it again. Instead, I found myself dialing Aunt Lou’s number, seeking the comfort only she could provide.When I arrived at Aunt Lou’s cozy house, the familiar scent of baked goods and lavender soap filled the air. Lena and Letty were already there, their faces lighting up when they saw me.“Margarette! It’s been ages,” Letty exclaimed, pulling me into a tight hug.Lena joined in, her smile warm. “You look exhausted. Sit down, we’ll make tea.”Aunt Lou appeared from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. Her sharp eyes immediately noticed the strain on my face. “What’s wrong, dear? You look like you haven
Restless sleep had been my unwelcome companion all night, leaving me irritable and uneasy the next day. The warmth of my family—Aunt Lou, my cousins—was comforting, but not enough to erase the lingering weight of my nightmare.By evening, that sense of unease had wormed its way back, stronger than ever. I clung to the chatter of my cousins and Aunt Lou’s calm presence, hoping their energy would drown out the echo of fear looping in my mind. Yet, no matter how much I tried to shake it off, a nagging feeling clung to me—like eyes were watching from the shadows.After dinner, I sat with Aunt Lou in the living room. The fire crackled softly, casting warm flickers of light on the walls. I hugged my knees to my chest, trying to ignore the churn in my stomach.“You’ve been quieter than usual today,” Aunt Lou said, setting down her knitting and looking at me with concern. “Is something bothering you?”I hesitated. Should I tell her? Would she think I was losing my grip? But Aunt Lou was the on
The air between Leon and me was thick with tension, but it wasn’t the kind born solely of fear or uncertainty—it was the unresolved thread of emotions that had tethered us to each other, despite everything. As we sat in that quiet café, plotting how to confront the darkness of Justin’s schemes, the charged silence was impossible to ignore.After hashing out the next steps, Leon leaned back in his chair, studying me with an intensity that made my breath hitch. His fingers drummed lightly on the table, and when he spoke, his voice was softer, almost hesitant.“You’ve been through so much, Margarette. I hate that I couldn’t protect you from all of it.”I looked down, trying to ignore the way his words stirred something in me. “You don’t have to protect me, Leon. I’m not some damsel in distress.”A small smile curved his lips. “I know you’re not. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to try.”I opened my mouth to respond, but he reached across the table, his warm hand brushing against mine.
The drive was quiet, the tension between us thick yet not uncomfortable. I watched the passing trees and fields, my curiosity growing as we ventured farther from town. Finally, we arrived at a secluded clearing near the edge of a lake. The moonlight danced across the water, and the soft chirping of crickets filled the air.“What is this place?” I asked as I stepped out of the car.“It’s where I come to think,” Leon said, walking around to join me. “I used to come here when things got too overwhelming. It’s peaceful.”I looked out at the lake, the stillness of the water mirroring the calm I so desperately craved. “It’s beautiful,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.
The night air was thick with tension as I paced the length of Leon’s living room, my thoughts racing in chaotic loops. Alexa was gone. Taken. And every second that ticked by felt like a countdown to her doom.“We can’t just sit here!” I snapped, glaring at Leon as he poured over the latest intel on his laptop. “She’s out there, terrified, and we’re… we’re just… doing nothing!”Leon’s head shot up, his dark eyes narrowing with a mix of frustration and determination. “Do you think this is easy for me, Margarette? Sitting here, knowing she’s in danger? I’m doing everything I can to find her.”“Well, it’s not enough!” I crossed my arms over my chest, my voice cracking. “We need to be out there looking for her, not… not waiting for some magical clue to fall into our laps.”“Enough.” His tone was sharp, cutting through my panic. He stood, towering over me, his presence commanding. “You think I don’t feel the weight of this? That I don’t know what’s at stake?”“Then act like it!” I shouted ba
Darkness swallowed me whole.For a moment, I thought I was dead. The gunshot still rang in my ears, deafening, all-consuming. But then, pain—sharp and searing—bloomed along my side, pulling me back from the abyss. My breath came in ragged gasps as my knees buckled, and I felt myself falling.Strong arms caught me before I hit the ground.“Margarette!” Leon’s voice was raw with panic. His hands pressed against my wound, trying to staunch the bleeding. The warmth of my own blood seeped through my clothes, sticky against my skin. Dorian fired, his shot echoing through the cavernous estate.Elise let out a sharp cry, staggering back. But even as she bled, her cruel smile remained. “Not bad,” she whispered, clutching her shoulder where Dorian’s bullet had struck her. “But not enough.”Leon lifted me, his grip firm but desperate. “We need to move. Now.”“No,” I gritted out, fighting through the pain. “We finish this.”Dorian cursed. “Are you insane? You’re bleeding out!”I forced myself to
Gunfire tore through the air, glass raining down around us as we hit the ground. The sharp sound of bullets striking wood and metal sent my heart into a frantic rhythm. Leon grabbed me, shielding my body as we crawled behind the heavy oak desk.“Dorian?” Leon’s voice was sharp, controlled despite the chaos.“I’m fine,” Dorian called from behind a toppled chair. He moved fast, drawing his gun and firing two precise shots toward the broken windows. A pained grunt told us he had hit his mark.Vincent, the smug bastard, was still in his chair, completely unbothered by the attack.“This is cute,” he mused, swirling the whiskey in his glass. “But you should know by now—I never play fair.”Leon turned his gun on him. “Call them off.”Vincent only smiled.I gritted my teeth. “Damn it, Vincent, this isn’t a game! Who the hell is shooting at us?”The door burst open, and three armed men stormed in.Dorian moved first. He lunged at the closest attacker, his blade flashing in the dim light. The m
The safe house felt suffocating, the air thick with unspoken tension. Every second we wasted gave Vincent more time to prepare. More time to strike.I wasn’t going to let that happen.Leon stood by the table, his hands braced against the surface, muscles tight with frustration. Dorian, despite the pain from his injury, sat nearby, flipping a knife between his fingers—a habit he had when deep in thought.“We need a lead,” Leon finally said, his voice low and controlled. “We can’t storm in blind.”I paced near the window, arms crossed. “We do have a lead. This locket.” I held it up, the metal catching the dim light. “Vincent had it for a reason. He wanted me to see it. Why?”Dorian exhaled sharply. “Because he’s playing with you.”I shook my head. “No. There’s more to it. He wouldn’t go through the trouble of planting something from my past just to taunt me. He wants me to remember something.”Leon’s gaze darkened. “Then let’s start at the beginning. The night of the accident.”My throa
The salty night air carried the hum of distant ship engines and the occasional murmur of dock workers. But this wasn’t just a routine shipment—this was a calculated exchange of power, a moment that could unravel everything Elise’s father had hidden for years.I crouched behind a stack of shipping containers with Leon beside me. Dorian’s team was spread out, positioned along the pier, watching, waiting. A dark van was parked near the edge of the dock, its back doors open. Men in suits moved between the van and the cargo, transferring crates that likely held more than just money.Leon’s voice was low in my ear. “Four men on the ground, two near the van. More could be inside.”I nodded, my gaze locked on the crates. “That’s not just cash, Leon. That’s leverage. He wouldn’t move it unless he was running scared.”Dorian’s voice crackled through our earpieces. “We take them now, we risk losing the files. We wait too long, we risk backup showing up.”I made the decision before anyone else co
Dorian smirked. “Relax, lover boy. I’m not saying she’s defenseless—I’m saying we need to be smart about this.”Leon’s glare didn’t waver, but he didn’t argue either. He knew Dorian was right.I exhaled, my fingers tightening around the locket that had started all of this. “So what do we do?”Dorian sighed. “You have two choices: disappear and hope they forget about you… or go after them first.”Leon tensed beside me. “You’re suggesting we take the fight to them?”Dorian shrugged. “Elise’s father had powerful connections. Some of them might scatter now that he’s locked up, but the smart ones? They’ll wait. Watch. See what you do next.”I swallowed hard. “Then we don’t give them time to plan.”Leon turned to me, his expression dark. “You’re sure about this?”I met his gaze. “I didn’t come this far just to hide.”Dorian grinned. “That’s what I was hoping you’d say.”Alexa shifted uncomfortably. “I wish I had your courage.”I reached for her hand. “You have more than you think.”She gave
The night before our departure, I barely slept. The weight of the locket pressed against my collarbone, a silent reminder that my past was no longer buried—it was clawing its way back to the surface.Leon must have sensed my restlessness because he found me in the kitchen before dawn, staring into my untouched cup of coffee.“You’re thinking too much.”I let out a breathless laugh, shaking my head. “You always say that.”“Because it’s always true.” He leaned against the counter, arms crossed. “Second thoughts?”“No,” I said. “Just… doubts. What if I don’t find the answers I’m looking for? What if I’m just chasing ghosts?”Leon studied me for a long moment before stepping closer, his fingers grazing the locket at my neck. “Then we chase them together.”My chest tightened at the quiet intensity in his voice.Before I could respond, Dorian’s voice cut through the stillness. “Time to go.”The drive to the estate was long and silent. Alexa had insisted on coming, despite her injuries. She
The moment Elise’s father whistled, chaos erupted. Gunfire cracked through the air, sending dock workers scattering. Shadows moved between the containers—his men, heavily armed and ready.Leon pulled me behind a stack of crates as bullets ricocheted off the metal. “Dorian, how many?”Dorian’s voice came sharp through the earpiece. “At least eight. They were waiting for you.”I clenched my teeth. Of course, he knew we’d come.Leon checked his ammo. “We need to take them out before he reaches the cargo ship.”I exhaled, steadying my grip on my gun. “Then let’s end this.”Leon moved first, stepping out just long enough to fire three quick shots. A grunt of pain echoed through the night. One down.Dorian’s rifle cracked, taking out another.I kept close to the containers, listening—waiting. A figure rushed toward me. I ducked just as he swung a knife, feeling the blade slice the air above my head.Without hesitation, I drove my elbow into his ribs, twisting his wrist until the knife clatt
The weight of the file in my hands was suffocating. The words blurred together, but the truth was undeniable—my father hadn’t just been a scientist. He had been a test subject. And Elise’s father had orchestrated it all.Leon took the file from me carefully, his jaw tight as he read through the documents. “This wasn’t just research. They were experimenting on people.”Dorian exhaled sharply. “And your father was one of them.”I clenched my fists. “But why? What were they trying to do?”Leon flipped to the last page, scanning the details. His eyes darkened. “Something about genetic resilience. Accelerated healing. They were looking for ways to manipulate biological responses to trauma.”My stomach churned. “You mean… like making people stronger?”“Stronger, faster, immune to certain injuries.” Leon met my gaze, his voice heavy. “Margarette, they weren’t just studying human endurance. They were creating something.”A chill ran down my spine. “Creating what?”Dorian shifted uncomfortably
The room felt heavier now, as if the ghosts of the past had never truly left. My father’s study had once been a place of quiet authority, filled with the scent of polished wood and old books. Now, it was chaos—a graveyard of secrets waiting to be unearthed.Leon and Dorian moved swiftly, sifting through papers, searching for anything that might explain my father’s connection to Elise’s father. But my hands trembled as I flipped through the documents.My father’s handwriting stared back at me in sharp, deliberate strokes.Project Haven—Initiated 20 years agoI frowned. “Project Haven?”Leon peered over my shoulder. “That name mean anything to you?”I shook my head, but something about it felt... familiar. Like a memory I had brushed against in passing but never grasped fully.Dorian pulled a dust-covered filing box from beneath the desk. “We’ve got more.” He popped the latch and revealed stacks of old documents, some stamped with red ink.CONFIDENTIAL.I swallowed hard as I pulled out