Bailey’s POVThe damp air of the warehouse made it difficult for me to breathe; it reeked of urine stench, and the surrounding area was in ruins with abandoned properties. I sat there wondering how long the place has been used as their hideout for torturing their victims. The cold metal handcuffs dug deep into my wrists; I had virtually lost count of how many hours I had been there, yet the weight of exhaustion pressed down on my body like a rock. My body ached severely from being tied up for so long, but I needed to remain strong. I can't give up yet, not now, not ever. “Hello! Anybody ther”e? I called out but got no replies. Where have they all gone to? This would have been the best time to escape, but fuck, I've been bound to the seat just so I won't escape like the previous time. Suddenly the door clicked and then was flung apart; there he was standing with a smirk on his face, smiling mockingly at me, Raphael—my worst nightmare. I shifted slightly, wincing in pain as the br
Lyla’s POVThe kicks in my tummy were becoming consistent these days; my little ones have been stressed like their mother; I barely had time to rest, totally forgetting about my clinic visit for my routine check every week. For the past couple of weeks, the only thing that has occupied my mind was the thought of getting my sister Bailey released from the hands of those mafians. My poor sister, I just wonder how badly she's been treated by those ruthless people, and to even think it's her husband, Collins, that orchestrated all these is so unbelievable. I sat in my car; my grip on the steering wheel was so hard that my knuckles hurt. The city lights shone outside the windshield, but all I could focus on were Vanessa’s words echoing in my head."You give yourself up, and Bailey goes free."It wasn’t just a trade; it was a trap, a test. And worst of all, a message.They wanted me, not just because of Bailey. Not just because of the mafia.Because of something I didn’t know yet.A deep
Bailey's POVAs I sat there staring aimlessly into the darkness of the room, my pulse pounding in my ears as Rafael’s footsteps vanished away, yet his cruel smirk lingered in my mind. I was free from the chair but not from him and definitely not from this nightmare, or so I thought. I still couldn't believe that Collin, whom I love and got married to, doesn't even care if I get hurt or not; he was even in close communication with these people. The image I saw earlier of him standing with that woman wouldn't leave my head either. With trembling hands I gently rubbed at the raw skin where the ropes had been. With the room still dimly lit, the harsh light above made it impossible for me to see beyond the shadows.I have to be strong, she said barely audibly, forcing herself to think past the fear growing in her chest.“Indeed, Rafael had played his game well in planting a seed of doubt and worry deep into my mind.” The truth was glaring at me right in the face, yet I refused to succu
Bailey’s POVThe train yard smelled of rust and oil, the cold air hitting at my skin as I was being dragged forward. The handcuffs was put back unto my wrist, my body still sore from all the hours of captivity but my instinct was sharper than ever, with each step I was becoming very alert of the environment, using the corner of my eyes to peep around looking for any possible loophole to escape once I get the chance. I was ready for anything, even if I die trying, there had to be a way and I'm not taking any chances, not anymore. Vanessa was walking ahead of me, her heels clicking against the gravel. A group of men, more or less her enforcers walked by each of my side and their grips so firm on my arms. But they weren't the real threat. The real threat was the man waiting at the far end of the train yardThere he stood, a figure in the shadows just beneath the skeletal remains of an abandoned train. He was tall, his posture disturbingly calm, his presence felt like a heavy weight, s
Lyla’s POVBailey's body laid there on the ground, the moment I saw her fall something inside me snapped. I won't lose her to death, never I said within myself as I charged towards her. “NO!”I moved toward her, and stood by her side, my vision becoming blurry as chaos erupted around us. Bullets flew past me but I dogged swiftly and the thick smoke from the explosions made it impossible for me to see clearly. My lungs were drying up as I pushed forward, but I didn’t care.All that mattered was Bailey surviving this ordeal, that is the only thing that really makes any sense to me now. I dropped to my knees beside her, my hands trembling as I pressed against her wound. Blood was seeping uncontrollably through her shirt, it felt warm and sticky beneath my fingertips.“Bailey! Please stay with me!” I said my voice cracking as a result of the smoke I've had to inhale. Her eyelids fluttered slightly, her breath growing shallow. “Lyla…” she whispered, her voice barely audible and barely a
Lyla’s POV So finally you've decided to come out clean? I said looking sternly, my face laced with fury. A pang of guilt flickered in his eyes, yet he remained calm. “Lyla… I didn’t betray you.”I scoffed, is that so?. “Really? Hope you remember I saw those photos of you and Vanessa.”He sighed heavily. Honestly Lyla I'm lost of words, I know nothing I say now can change how you perceive me, but _“It’s not what you think.”“Then explain.” Make me understand better, I'm listening, I said , folding my arms and gently hitting my foot against the hard floor. He gradually ran a hand through his hair, frustration clearly written all over his face. “Vanessa and I—it was all a setup. She wanted to manipulate you.”I scoffed. “And you let her?”“Well, I didn’t have a choice.” He said exhaling sharply. “She had something on me.And if I didn’t play along, she would’ve handed Bailey over to the architect weeks ago.”My breath hitched. Weeks?“Does that mean she planned this from the start?”C
Bailey's POV An instant pang of pain was what I felt. That was the initial sensation I experienced upon waking up. A continuous, monotonous pain in my side, each inhalation a reminder of how near I had been to death. I struggled to open my eyes, my sight initially unclear. Lyla dozed off in a chair next to me, with her arms folded and her body tight even while resting. Collins stood by the door, softly talking on his phone. I inhaled gently. "Are we alive?" Lyla jolted awake, her eyes wide open. "Bailey?" I gave a faint smile. "You seem to be in terrible shape." She emitted a strangled laugh, her eyes shining with relief. "Sure, but you appear in worse shape." Collins moved ahead. “What are your feelings?” I moved a bit, grimacing. "Feels like I was shot." He let out a breathy laugh. "That would be correct." Lyla moved in closer. "We're organizing our upcoming action." The Architect's work is not complete. "We must conclude this before he discovers us once more." I compe
Bailey's POV I wasn’t meant to be here, because the anger I felt from within could make me cause havoc before realizing it. I explained all this to Lyla, but she pleaded with me to stay behind, letting her and Collins handle it.But this was my fight too.The architect has stolen my life before I ever understood its worth. He led me, altered my past, twisted my perception of reality. But now, I was taking it all back.We moved under the cover of darkness, our group slipping through the night like aliens . The architect's underground facility was a fortress, but we had one advantage.Vanessa.She betrayed the architect for us or so we thought, but it was for herself. She knew he would kill her the moment he decided she was a liability. She gave us everything: security codes, guard rotations, even the location of his panic room.All that was left was the execution.Collins and Chad struck first, eliminating the perimeter guards with brutal efficiency. Silenced gunfire cut through the
Jace POV Jace stood there at the center of the living room, thoughts of Sasha’s betrayal weighed on him like an impending storm. The sound of her footsteps gradually vanishing as she marched up the stairs to gather her belongings, creating a silence that felt so unlike her but yet overwhelming. Lyla stood several inches back, observing him sparingly and thinking of all possible ways of calming the tension already rising within him, uncertain if he would be in rage or crumble beneath his feelings. "Jace?" she spoke softly, her tone a calming balance to the turmoil within him. He let out a very sharp breath and brushed his hair back with his hand. "I ought to have figured it out sooner." "I ought to have realized how deceitful and dangerous she could be the whole time." Lyla moved closely towards him and held him by the shoulder. "At times, we hope to see the good in others—even when they haven’t earned it." He raised his head staring deeply into her eyes, his face a clear indica
Bailey's POV I wasn’t meant to be here, because the anger I felt from within could make me cause havoc before realizing it. I explained all this to Lyla, but she pleaded with me to stay behind, letting her and Collins handle it.But this was my fight too.The architect has stolen my life before I ever understood its worth. He led me, altered my past, twisted my perception of reality. But now, I was taking it all back.We moved under the cover of darkness, our group slipping through the night like aliens . The architect's underground facility was a fortress, but we had one advantage.Vanessa.She betrayed the architect for us or so we thought, but it was for herself. She knew he would kill her the moment he decided she was a liability. She gave us everything: security codes, guard rotations, even the location of his panic room.All that was left was the execution.Collins and Chad struck first, eliminating the perimeter guards with brutal efficiency. Silenced gunfire cut through the
Bailey's POV An instant pang of pain was what I felt. That was the initial sensation I experienced upon waking up. A continuous, monotonous pain in my side, each inhalation a reminder of how near I had been to death. I struggled to open my eyes, my sight initially unclear. Lyla dozed off in a chair next to me, with her arms folded and her body tight even while resting. Collins stood by the door, softly talking on his phone. I inhaled gently. "Are we alive?" Lyla jolted awake, her eyes wide open. "Bailey?" I gave a faint smile. "You seem to be in terrible shape." She emitted a strangled laugh, her eyes shining with relief. "Sure, but you appear in worse shape." Collins moved ahead. “What are your feelings?” I moved a bit, grimacing. "Feels like I was shot." He let out a breathy laugh. "That would be correct." Lyla moved in closer. "We're organizing our upcoming action." The Architect's work is not complete. "We must conclude this before he discovers us once more." I compe
Lyla’s POV So finally you've decided to come out clean? I said looking sternly, my face laced with fury. A pang of guilt flickered in his eyes, yet he remained calm. “Lyla… I didn’t betray you.”I scoffed, is that so?. “Really? Hope you remember I saw those photos of you and Vanessa.”He sighed heavily. Honestly Lyla I'm lost of words, I know nothing I say now can change how you perceive me, but _“It’s not what you think.”“Then explain.” Make me understand better, I'm listening, I said , folding my arms and gently hitting my foot against the hard floor. He gradually ran a hand through his hair, frustration clearly written all over his face. “Vanessa and I—it was all a setup. She wanted to manipulate you.”I scoffed. “And you let her?”“Well, I didn’t have a choice.” He said exhaling sharply. “She had something on me.And if I didn’t play along, she would’ve handed Bailey over to the architect weeks ago.”My breath hitched. Weeks?“Does that mean she planned this from the start?”C
Lyla’s POVBailey's body laid there on the ground, the moment I saw her fall something inside me snapped. I won't lose her to death, never I said within myself as I charged towards her. “NO!”I moved toward her, and stood by her side, my vision becoming blurry as chaos erupted around us. Bullets flew past me but I dogged swiftly and the thick smoke from the explosions made it impossible for me to see clearly. My lungs were drying up as I pushed forward, but I didn’t care.All that mattered was Bailey surviving this ordeal, that is the only thing that really makes any sense to me now. I dropped to my knees beside her, my hands trembling as I pressed against her wound. Blood was seeping uncontrollably through her shirt, it felt warm and sticky beneath my fingertips.“Bailey! Please stay with me!” I said my voice cracking as a result of the smoke I've had to inhale. Her eyelids fluttered slightly, her breath growing shallow. “Lyla…” she whispered, her voice barely audible and barely a
Bailey’s POVThe train yard smelled of rust and oil, the cold air hitting at my skin as I was being dragged forward. The handcuffs was put back unto my wrist, my body still sore from all the hours of captivity but my instinct was sharper than ever, with each step I was becoming very alert of the environment, using the corner of my eyes to peep around looking for any possible loophole to escape once I get the chance. I was ready for anything, even if I die trying, there had to be a way and I'm not taking any chances, not anymore. Vanessa was walking ahead of me, her heels clicking against the gravel. A group of men, more or less her enforcers walked by each of my side and their grips so firm on my arms. But they weren't the real threat. The real threat was the man waiting at the far end of the train yardThere he stood, a figure in the shadows just beneath the skeletal remains of an abandoned train. He was tall, his posture disturbingly calm, his presence felt like a heavy weight, s
Bailey's POVAs I sat there staring aimlessly into the darkness of the room, my pulse pounding in my ears as Rafael’s footsteps vanished away, yet his cruel smirk lingered in my mind. I was free from the chair but not from him and definitely not from this nightmare, or so I thought. I still couldn't believe that Collin, whom I love and got married to, doesn't even care if I get hurt or not; he was even in close communication with these people. The image I saw earlier of him standing with that woman wouldn't leave my head either. With trembling hands I gently rubbed at the raw skin where the ropes had been. With the room still dimly lit, the harsh light above made it impossible for me to see beyond the shadows.I have to be strong, she said barely audibly, forcing herself to think past the fear growing in her chest.“Indeed, Rafael had played his game well in planting a seed of doubt and worry deep into my mind.” The truth was glaring at me right in the face, yet I refused to succu
Lyla’s POVThe kicks in my tummy were becoming consistent these days; my little ones have been stressed like their mother; I barely had time to rest, totally forgetting about my clinic visit for my routine check every week. For the past couple of weeks, the only thing that has occupied my mind was the thought of getting my sister Bailey released from the hands of those mafians. My poor sister, I just wonder how badly she's been treated by those ruthless people, and to even think it's her husband, Collins, that orchestrated all these is so unbelievable. I sat in my car; my grip on the steering wheel was so hard that my knuckles hurt. The city lights shone outside the windshield, but all I could focus on were Vanessa’s words echoing in my head."You give yourself up, and Bailey goes free."It wasn’t just a trade; it was a trap, a test. And worst of all, a message.They wanted me, not just because of Bailey. Not just because of the mafia.Because of something I didn’t know yet.A deep
Bailey’s POVThe damp air of the warehouse made it difficult for me to breathe; it reeked of urine stench, and the surrounding area was in ruins with abandoned properties. I sat there wondering how long the place has been used as their hideout for torturing their victims. The cold metal handcuffs dug deep into my wrists; I had virtually lost count of how many hours I had been there, yet the weight of exhaustion pressed down on my body like a rock. My body ached severely from being tied up for so long, but I needed to remain strong. I can't give up yet, not now, not ever. “Hello! Anybody ther”e? I called out but got no replies. Where have they all gone to? This would have been the best time to escape, but fuck, I've been bound to the seat just so I won't escape like the previous time. Suddenly the door clicked and then was flung apart; there he was standing with a smirk on his face, smiling mockingly at me, Raphael—my worst nightmare. I shifted slightly, wincing in pain as the br