The hospital smelled of antiseptic and lingering fear. It had been hours since they’d found Damion—his body, at least—wandering aimlessly in the forest, his clothes tattered, his face hollow. His eyes had been vacant, unseeing, like a man whose mind had been completely shattered. It had taken three of Adrian’s men to restrain him, to drag him out of the depths of the wilderness before he could disappear forever. Now, he lay in a hospital bed, bound by restraints, machines beeping softly beside him, his unconscious form barely clinging to reality.The sterile hum of fluorescent lights and the rhythmic beep of heart monitors filled the hospital ward as Damion lay on a bed that, though pristine white, now seemed unbearably cold. His body—though it looked human to the untrained eye—moved with the mechanical precision of someone not fully in control of his own being. For hours, the doctors had worked tirelessly to stabilize him after his frantic escape from the cursed forest, but his con
Adrian stepped closer, his presence magnetic and conflicted. “I never wanted to hide. I never wanted to be a secret—an abomination lurking in the shadows of our family’s disgrace. But the curse forced my hand. I would do what I think is necessary to protect our legacy, even if it meant sacrificing my own freedom.”Lucas, still standing by the doorway, glared at him. “Your protection came at the cost of Damion’s sanity, and now you expect us to accept that you’re going to fix everything with some magical key?”Adrian’s eyes flashed with bitter determination. “I know it sounds impossible. But I have to try. Every moment we delay is another moment lost. I’ll leave the hospital now with my men to retrieve the key and bring it back to its rightful place. Only then can we begin to reverse this cursed cycle.”Carmela’s voice broke through, laden with both despair and defiance. “So you’re saying that until the key is returned, Damion is… gone?”“I am here,” Adrian’s gaze dropped momentarily,
Adrian’s eyes shimmered with an emotion he rarely allowed himself to show. “I never wanted to hide, Carmela. I never wanted to keep the truth from you. But fate is cruel, and the curse has twisted our lives beyond repair. I promise you—I will do everything in my power to make it right. Just hold on a little longer.”The intensity in his voice, the raw vulnerability in his eyes, stirred something deep within Carmela. With a shaky cry, she nodded, “I’ll wait. I’ll wait as long as it takes.”A heavy silence fell once more as Adrian turned toward the door. “I’m leaving now,” he announced. “I must retrieve the key and set things right. My men will accompany me, and I will return with answers. Until then, do not lose hope.”With that, he stepped away from Carmela, his expression resolute yet haunted. His loyal aides gathered around him, and together they left the hospital, disappearing into the murky light of early morning.⸻Meanwhile, Inside the HospitalThe corridors were quiet after Adr
The night had deepened into a nearly impenetrable darkness by the time the sirens began to wail outside the hospital’s perimeter. Rain fell in a fine, persistent drizzle, blurring the neon reflections on slick pavement and turning the air cold and heavy. Inside the hospital, however, the atmosphere was even heavier—a mingling of grief, dread, and a desperate need for answers. The news that Elena had attempted to harm Damion’s unconscious body, that she had already killed two police officers during her frantic escape, had set off a chain of events none of them could have foreseen. Now, as the police closed in, the night was rapidly becoming a maelstrom of chaos and betrayal.Carmela sat in a quiet, dimly lit room off the main corridor, her tear-streaked face illuminated only by the soft glow of a desk lamp. Her parents had been sent home, unable to face the gruesome revelations of the past hours. Only Lily remained by her side—a constant, albeit fragile, pillar of support—and Leonar
Leonard’s voice was steady as he spoke, “Carmela, we’ll find him. We’re following every lead, every signal. But right now, we must let the police handle Elena. They’re tracking her down, and from what I’ve heard, she’s already killed two officers. It appears someone is shielding her—someone with power, someone who wants to keep her actions hidden.”Carmela’s eyes widened in shock, “Killed two officers? Who could possibly protect someone like that?”Leonard shook his head, “We don’t know yet. But it’s clear that Elena is not acting alone. We must assume there’s a network behind her—an organization or perhaps even a faction within the Blackwood legacy that has its own agenda.”The gravity of Leonard’s words sank into Carmela like a stone. “Then why wasn’t I told any of this before? I deserve to know the truth!”Lucas scowled. “Because sometimes, the truth is too dangerous to reveal until it’s absolutely necessary. We’re all in the dark right now.”Carmela’s voice trembled with bitter re
Catherine, who had been watching silently from the corner, stepped forward, her voice trembling yet clear. “Your grandfather and I have known this secret for as long as we can remember. The key was hidden away to prevent its dark power from corrupting our bloodline. But if it falls into the wrong hands, if it is used to alter our fate, then nothing will ever be the same.” Lucas scoffed, his eyes narrowing. “And what makes you think that by fiddling with this key, you’ll bring him back? Damion I mean. Or that it won’t just damn us all?” Adrian’s voice was soft but unyielding. “Because I have no other choice. Every moment we delay, Damion’s fate slips further from our grasp. I’m not asking for blind faith—I’m asking for action.” Carmela’s tears flowed freely as she looked at him. “I just want him back, Adrian. I want to see him whole again. I’m tired of living in fear, in this endless cycle of lies and curses.” Adrian reached out, his hand hovering near hers. “I promise you, Carmela
Outside the Hospital After the commotion died down, Carmela slipped out of the hospital, her face a mask of sorrow and resolve. Lily joined her near a quiet courtyard outside, where the cool night air provided a small respite from the suffocating tension inside. “Carmela,” Lily said gently, her voice soft as she wrapped an arm around her friend, “what do we do now? How can we face all this?” Carmela stared into the darkness, her eyes glistening with tears. “I don’t know, Lily. I just… I can’t stop thinking about him. Every moment without Damion feels like an eternity of agony.” Lily squeezed her shoulder, her tone full of empathy. “I know, and I wish there was something I could say to make it all better. But right now, we have to believe that Adrian will do what he promised. That he’ll retrieve the key and fix this mess.” Carmela’s lips trembled as she tried to force a smile, but it faltered. “He said he would. But I can’t shake the fear that if the key falls into the wrong hand
The chill of the early night settled over the hospital’s secluded courtyard as Adrian—whose soul was that of Damion—stood with his back against a stone pillar. The corridor beyond was dimly lit by the soft glow of streetlamps, and a cold breeze stirred the fallen leaves around his feet. In that quiet moment, his heart pounded in his chest with a mix of dread and longing. He had just left the tumultuous command post inside, where grief and fury had mingled into a desperate call for answers, and now he found himself alone in the silence of the night.Before him, in the shadowed entrance of the hospital, his grandmother, Catherine Blackwood, emerged slowly. Her silver hair, pulled into a tight bun, framed a face carved with decades of sorrow and wisdom. Her eyes, though aged, shone with a fierce intensity as they met his. She had been waiting, as she always did, for this moment when the truth of their family’s cursed legacy would have to be faced.Catherine’s voice was low and tremulou
Isabelle’s POV The flashing blue and red lights outside my home were almost blinding, their glow casting distorted shadows across the walls. The tension that had held me captive for days still lingered, but Nathan was finally safe. He was asleep upstairs, his tiny body curled up under the blankets where he belonged. Yet, the weight in my chest refused to lift. A uniformed officer stood in front of me, his expression calm but probing. I knew they wanted answers—real ones—but I wasn’t ready to give them. I had my answers. I just couldn’t say them out loud. Damion. “Ms. Everett,” the officer began gently, flipping through his notepad. “I understand this has been an overwhelming situation, but we need to be sure we’re closing this case properly. Are you certain there’s nothing else you’d like to report? No new suspicions about who took your son?” I felt Damion’s presence behind me, lingering by the doorway, tense and silent. I swallowed hard, my heart pounding so loud it
Kaia’s POV The plan was unraveling faster than I had anticipated. When Damion stormed out after returning the boy, I knew things had shifted. I felt it in the way his voice trembled when he’d confronted me. The guilt. The hesitation. He was slipping away. And it was her fault. Isabelle. Always so righteous, so defiant, making him question everything I had carefully constructed. I paced the length of my penthouse, the sound of my heels echoing off the marble floors. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city glittered beneath the night sky, a perfect illusion of peace. But inside? Everything felt like it was closing in. Damion was supposed to be mine. I had done everything. Stood by him when his life crumbled. Cleaned up the mess after Isabelle abandoned him. I had been patient, understanding, even when he had made it clear she was still haunting him. And now? She was back, unraveling him piece by piece. And Walter—Walter was only making it worse. The call
Isabelle’s POV The house felt unbearably quiet without Nathan. Every tick of the clock on the wall seemed louder, each second pressing down on me with suffocating weight. The walls felt closer, the air heavier, the silence almost mocking. I sat curled on the couch, staring blankly at the framed picture of Nathan on the mantel. His bright smile, the way his eyes sparkled with innocence and trust—it was too much. Tears blurred my vision, but I didn’t cry. I couldn’t. Crying meant giving in to the fear clawing at my chest. It meant accepting the nightmare Walter had pulled me into. And I couldn’t break. Not when my son was out there, scared and alone. The sharp knock on the door jolted me out of my daze. My pulse spiked. I shot to my feet, half stumbling as I rushed toward the door. Please. Let it be the police. Let it be news. Let it be— I swung the door open, and my heart stopped. Damion stood there. And in his arms, cradled carefully, was Nathan. I couldn’t
Kaia’s POV It had all started with a whisper. The first time Damion had mentioned the child, I knew something was wrong. The way his voice caught when he asked about Nathan, the way his eyes lingered on the boy as if searching for a reflection of himself—it was like watching a man unravel in slow motion. And I couldn’t let that happen. Not again. Because I knew, deep down, that if Nathan was Damion’s son, everything I had worked for—the life I’d carefully built with him—would fall apart. So I did what I always did. I found a way to control the narrative. It hadn’t been difficult. Manipulation never was when you understood a man’s vulnerabilities. And Damion’s greatest vulnerability was his desperate need for closure. I hadn’t even needed to convince him. “It’s the only way,” I had whispered to him weeks ago, the night we’d sat in his study, the tension thick between us. “If she won’t tell you the truth, we have to find it ourselves.” And he’d agreed. But now, a
Isabelle’s POV The photograph trembled in my hands. Nathan—my sweet boy—blindfolded, vulnerable, and so far out of reach. The handwritten message beneath his image echoed in my mind. “You were warned. Now listen.” A cold knot twisted in my stomach. Walter. This was him. It had to be. I felt Damion’s presence behind me before I heard him speak. His voice was low, dangerous. “Let me see it.” I handed him the photograph with shaky fingers, my breath shallow. The moment his eyes scanned the image, his entire body stiffened. His jaw clenched so tightly I could hear his teeth grinding. The hand holding the photo curled into a fist, crumpling the paper slightly as his gaze darkened with rage. “Damion,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “What do we do? He’s my son. Our son—” “What?!” He turned sharply, his eyes burning with something unreadable. “Nathan is my son?!” I nodded nervously. I couldn’t lie to him anymore. It was for the best. He had to know the truth. If he’s
Isabelle’s POV The sound of shattering glass ripped through the house like a gunshot. “Nathan!” My heart seized, and without thinking, I bolted toward the kitchen. Damion was right behind me, his voice sharp. “Stay behind me, Isabelle!” I didn’t listen. All I could think about was my son—my baby. The kitchen window was broken, shards of glass glittering across the floor, but it was the open back door that made my blood run cold. The wind howled through it, carrying the sound of tires screeching in the distance. He was gone. Nathan. I stumbled forward, my breath catching painfully in my chest. “Nathan! Nathan, where are you?!” Silence. The kind of silence that leaves a void, the kind that makes you realize something precious has been stolen from you. Damion’s hands caught my shoulders, pulling me back as I shook uncontrollably. “Isabelle—stop! Stop! He’s not here!” His voice was rough but controlled, his grip anchoring me as I felt like I was falling apart.
Isabelle’s POV I stared at the message on my phone, the cold words burning into my mind. “You’re running out of time. Leave, or face the consequences.” Walter. I didn’t need proof. His fingerprints were all over this. The sudden sabotage of my contracts, the threatening text—it was his way of reminding me that I was nothing to him. That I was a problem he needed to erase. But the part that rattled me most wasn’t the threat itself. It was the fact that Walter knew I wouldn’t leave. Not this time. I set my phone down, inhaling deeply, fighting to steady my pulse. I wouldn’t be bullied. I wouldn’t let this man, or anyone else, push me out of my life. I had built everything from scratch. My business. My reputation. My home. But as I sat there, staring into the dimly lit living room, the ache in my chest was undeniable. Because I hadn’t just built this life for myself. I had built it for Nathan. The sound of his soft footsteps broke my spiral. “Mommy?” His sleep
Isabelle’s POV The morning came with a sense of foreboding I couldn’t shake. I’d barely slept, my thoughts consumed by Walter Ryder’s warning and the weight of his veiled threat. It wasn’t just his words that unsettled me—it was the way he delivered them. Calm. Cold. Unrelenting. Nathan’s laughter floated from the living room as I sipped my coffee, his innocent joy a stark contrast to the storm brewing in my mind. I glanced at my phone, the unread messages from Brian a reminder that my life wasn’t just a mess—it was a tangled web, and I was caught in the center of it. Stephanie’s call came just as I was about to head to the office. Her voice was rushed, almost panicked. “Miss Everett, we have a situation.” I gripped the phone tighter. “What is it?” “Three of our major clients have pulled out of their contracts this morning,” she said, her voice trembling. “No explanation. Just… gone.” The room tilted slightly, but I forced myself to stay calm. “All at once?” “Yes,” s
Isabelle’s POV Walter Ryder was a man whose presence lingered long after he left a room. Even now, as I sat in my office staring blankly at the door he had walked through, I could feel his cold, calculating gaze bearing down on me. His warning replayed in my mind, his words like shards of ice cutting through my resolve. “Take your son and disappear before Damion gets too close.” It wasn’t a suggestion—it was a threat. I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. Walter Ryder had always been a puppet master, pulling strings from the shadows, and I wasn’t naïve enough to think his visit was just a courtesy call. He wanted me gone. He always had. But this time, I wasn’t running. Later that afternoon, I sat in my living room with Nathan, his laughter filling the space as he played with his toy cars. Watching him, I felt a pang of guilt. His innocence was a stark contrast to the storm brewing around us, and I hated that he was caught in the middle of it. “Mommy,” he