Jace’s POV Both I and Lyla stepped out carefully from the underground passage, our bodies filled with adrenaline. The side street was unsettlingly silent, yet we understood not to think that we were finally safe. The USB's weight in Jace's pocket seemed more burdensome than usual. It presented their sole opportunity to vindicate themselves and reveal the corruption that had engulfed their lives entirely. Lyla's hands shook a bit as she called Ryan. "Answer, answer," she whispered to herself. At last, Ryan responded. "Let me know you’re okay." “Right now,” Lyla murmured. "We have the evidence." "We must release this before they discover our location." Ryan paused. "That will be more challenging than we expected." Kensington possesses strong ties. He is already steering the media storyline. The official narrative claims that you and Jace are wanted fugitives, sought for financial offenses and hindering justice. They refer to you as a perilous pair. "They've issued an APB for the tw
Jace’s POV Smoke and rubble filled the observatory’s entrance as operatives dressed in black rushed in equipped with silencers and night-vision equipment. Jace pulled Lyla behind a control panel, heart racing. Ryan lifted his hands, yelling, “They require me to be alive!” However, they did not arrive to discuss terms. A bullet struck Ryan in the shoulder, knocking him down to the ground. He shouted as Jace dragged Lyla into a crawl space beneath the floorboards. The ground echoed with the sound of heavy boots above. Lyla murmured, “We’re confined.” Jace's thoughts raced. “Nope.” "We have a single opportunity." He pulled the hard drive from the observatory’s central terminal—encrypted videos, AI records, and the main key to the monitoring network. Ryan moaned, blood gathering underneath him. "You must complete it." The AI—they refer to it as Project Black Protocol. It is already coordinating across boundaries. "They are utilizing your code, Jace." Jace paused—then reached a hars
“She looks so beautiful” Bailey,my younger sister, said sitting beside me as she took in the baby’s hand. The baby had fallen asleep.My smile grew wider as I stared at the new-born baby girl, my best friend had just given birth to.I wish she knew the guy she had a one-night stand with. He would be so happy to see his baby.As funny as it was, the baby had taken all the father’s features and none from his mother.Becky layed on the bed with a tired smile. “She already has five thousand likes,” she said, staring at her phone.I nodded. I had been so happy about the news of my best friend giving birth and had posted it on my blog.Becky cleared her throat and stood up “Can you take her to the PEDs doctor? She said she will have to give her some vaccines,” she said.I nodded with understanding that I knew she was weak. She deserves to rest after all she just gave birth. I stood up and walked towards the PEDs doctor’s office. Bailey followed me. The doctor had gone for an abrupt break,
I entered the room with a fake smile, even though everything within me was trembling with fear at the possibility of this baby being my husband’s own.Becky sat up immediately, when she saw me. She gave me her usual smile, which I returned with a fake smile.“Have you told Chad about the baby?” She asked. “No, he is in a business meeting,” I said as I gave her the baby.She gave me a tight smile. “I understand. He is a billionaire. He is always busy,” she replied.I nodded. An awkward moment existed between us before I finally decided to break the silence.“You never told me you registered your name with Mrs. Karma?” I asked calmly.She swallowed hard. I watched her expression for a while before I added, “I never knew you had suddenly become Mrs karma”. She stared at me for a while. “Well, Chad said I could use his name to avoid gossip. I didn’t think you would have a problem with that,” she said and swallowed hard.I nodded with a raised eyebrow. “I see”. Few minutes later my husb
Deep hurt pierced through my heart as I made my way to my car with a blurry vision.My heartbeat fastened with every step that I took. Immediately, I opened my car and rushed inside and closed it. Trying to close all the beautiful memories that filled my head.“No” I screamed as I hit my hands on the steering wheel. My heart heavy with anger. How could Chad just sweep everything we had under the carpet? All the memories we had from the university down to this time.Something wet and salty flowed down my cheeks and landed on my lips. I realized that I had started crying again.I shook my head. He was not worth my tears, but each time I said that, I remembered the five years of dating and five years of marriage he ended because of her.The sadness slowly turned into rage. My heart ached from the anger I felt. I had given up my dreams of being the CEO of a jewelry company to work as an accountant in his company.I knew I was more than that. I deserved more than that position, but I did i
Lyla pov.Jace karev had been my rival right from Harvard days. He always wanted to be ahead of me. I think a part of him hated that I was the best in the Accounting department, considering the fact that he was the best graduating student in the medical department.History has it that he genuinely loved medicine. In fact, he was the best cardiologist student, but his father sent him back to school to study accounting.Given our history, I was meant to be quiet and let him do the talking, but curiosity took over me. “Aren’t you meant to be in jail?” I asked.The Karev Company has been the best ceramic and steel company for the past hundred years.When my husband said he wanted to go into the same niche, his friends advised him to go against it.The Karev’s owned the entire steel and ceramic niche, but with my aid and guide, he managed to become the best, superseding their own company.A bitter chuckle escaped his lips. “I had always known that you were not as smart as they thought you
Lyla pov“So what do you have to say about this?” He asked me to draw back from my thoughts.I opened my mouth to say something and closed it back.“I was not drunk,” I defended.I am not even into alcohol. The last time I took tequila at Becky’s request, I made a mess of myself.He nodded with a tight smile. “Says the girl who had a bottle of tequila beside her,” he replied.“What?” My car brakes failed. I am a coffee girl, not an alcoholic, ‘’ I explained.His stony expression returned. “Are you going to take the deal or not?” He asked.I stared at the ring and at him. Marrying him meant I would be tied to another loveless marriage.And I truly wanted a break from all this. But at least, it would be better than Chad’s own. At least I know I am prepared to have any emotional connection.I also had to save my ass from this setup.“For how many years?” I asked.“Forever. You will be by my side forever,” he replied.Blood drained from my face as it turned white. Seeing my expression, he
Lyla’s POV. The slap was hard on Jace’s face but he didn't flinch; he stood his ground and tightened his jawline to endure the pain. Jace’s family didn't seem to be pleased with his actions and when we got to the house, his fiancée Sasha, was pacing around the house alongside Jace’s mother After we got out from the registry, it was a silent trip home because I wasn't in the mood for too many questions; the only thing I wanted to do was call my sister Bailey; I know she would be worried about me, and I don't know what she would be doing.Even though I tried to ignore it, my head was banging badly but I sat still like nothing was happening. I wondered what my life would be like; everyone now had a different narrative about me. I didn't even have the balls to check the comment section of my blog because I wasn't sure how my followers and other blogs would react to the news. I wasn't sure what to do when Jace’s father slapped him, but I knew better than to interfere. “Have you gone star
Jace’s POV Smoke and rubble filled the observatory’s entrance as operatives dressed in black rushed in equipped with silencers and night-vision equipment. Jace pulled Lyla behind a control panel, heart racing. Ryan lifted his hands, yelling, “They require me to be alive!” However, they did not arrive to discuss terms. A bullet struck Ryan in the shoulder, knocking him down to the ground. He shouted as Jace dragged Lyla into a crawl space beneath the floorboards. The ground echoed with the sound of heavy boots above. Lyla murmured, “We’re confined.” Jace's thoughts raced. “Nope.” "We have a single opportunity." He pulled the hard drive from the observatory’s central terminal—encrypted videos, AI records, and the main key to the monitoring network. Ryan moaned, blood gathering underneath him. "You must complete it." The AI—they refer to it as Project Black Protocol. It is already coordinating across boundaries. "They are utilizing your code, Jace." Jace paused—then reached a hars
Jace’s POV Both I and Lyla stepped out carefully from the underground passage, our bodies filled with adrenaline. The side street was unsettlingly silent, yet we understood not to think that we were finally safe. The USB's weight in Jace's pocket seemed more burdensome than usual. It presented their sole opportunity to vindicate themselves and reveal the corruption that had engulfed their lives entirely. Lyla's hands shook a bit as she called Ryan. "Answer, answer," she whispered to herself. At last, Ryan responded. "Let me know you’re okay." “Right now,” Lyla murmured. "We have the evidence." "We must release this before they discover our location." Ryan paused. "That will be more challenging than we expected." Kensington possesses strong ties. He is already steering the media storyline. The official narrative claims that you and Jace are wanted fugitives, sought for financial offenses and hindering justice. They refer to you as a perilous pair. "They've issued an APB for the tw
Jace POV Jace and Lyla never expected that their urgent search for justice would bring them face-to-face with the person behind their misfortune—Mike Kensington. The gathering was unplanned. It was a snare. Having just evaded capture at the train station, they received a communication from an unknown sender. "Join me at Warehouse 19." Are you interested in Kensington? "I can hand him over to you." Jace and Lyla were aware it was a gamble, but with no alternative clues and Kensington strengthening his hold on the city, they had no option. They showed up at the deserted warehouse right before midnight. The atmosphere was filled with the scent of rust and oil, while the faint yellow lights above them flickered. Shadows stretched ominously, complicating the effort to determine if they were by themselves. "This doesn't seem right," Lyla murmured, holding tightly to the firearm she had acquired from an officer at the station. Jace surveyed the surroundings. "Remain nearby." "If this
Jace’s POVThe following morning, Jace got up to the noise of his phone ringing violently on his nightstand. Moaning softly, he stretched out his hand for it, squinting at the morning brightness as he replied. "Really?" who could be calling me this early. "Jace, Bro, you have to check this out," his friend Ryan said, sounding intense and rather disturbed. "Take a look at the news." Immediately. Jace sat up abruptly, his heart racing as he grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. The morning news aired, and he felt a chill run through him at the sight of Sasha’s face displayed on the screen, her name highlighted in bold text underneath. It read; “Local Socialite Sasha Reynolds Unveils Ex-Fiancé’s Treachery in Surprising Interview”. Jace felt a knot in his stomach when the screen showed Sasha in what appeared to be a high-end café, her makeup flawless, portraying the image of the heartbroken victim. "Jace Karev and I were meant to begin a family," she stated, her voice quivering s
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