The silver tray clinked lightly in his hands.RAyNe stood at the threshold of the cold room where she was being kept…this time, not with anger, but something far worse.Uncertainty.His fingers flexed around the handle of the luxury breakfast platter, steam curling from golden pancakes, exotic fruits, poached eggs, and freshly pressed juice in crystal glasses.But Nirvana didn’t even lift her head.She was seated on the floor, back pressed against the wall. Her legs drawn to her chest. Her eyes were hollow, dry, empty.She looked like she hadn’t slept at all. Her skin looked pale against the oversized shirt someone had left her with. She didn’t even glance up when he stepped in."You haven’t eaten in three days," he said finally, placing the tray down on the small table near the door.No response."You need to eat."Still nothing.He took two slow steps forward, stopping when he saw her flinch—just the smallest twitch of her shoulder."Nirvana."Her head didn’t move. Her gaze stayed f
"Fuck! They’re circling left!"Lucian’s voice thundered over the deafening sound of gunfire. RAyNe ducked behind a burnt-out SUV, blood spraying the side mirror as bullets ricocheted everywhere."I see them!" RAyNe growled, lifting his weapon and taking down two men with clean shots to the chest. "Move!"The deal had gone sideways the moment they’d stepped foot on the compound.A rival cartel had set a trap, and now, RAyNe and Lucian were knee-deep in blood, gunpowder, and chaos.His phone vibrated in his pocket. Again.Then again.He ignored it, too focused, too sharp…Until the last man dropped.Silence. For a second.RAyNe exhaled, panting. Then pulled out his phone.Gianni’s name flashed across the cracked screen.He answered."Miss Castillo... she jumped off the balcony."That was all he heard.A gunshot split the air.His body jerked.His phone flew from his hand and shattered against the pavement.Lucian shouted his name as blood poured from his shoulder."RAyNe!""I’m fine!"L
The door to the black car shut with a solid slam.RAyNe exhaled sharply, blood still drying beneath the fresh bandage on his arm.Gianni glanced at him through the rearview mirror."Begin the search," RAyNe muttered. "Whoever took her... it has to be someone who knows me. Or someone who knows her.""Yes, boss," Gianni replied, already tapping into the secure satellite interface wired through the dashboard. "I'll mobilize all local trackers. If she's breathing, we'll find her."RAyNe leaned back, knuckles whitening.He wasn’t going to wait for fate to be kind.He was going to force its hand.The estate gates groaned open, and RAyNe stormed into the mansion with the rage of a god on the brink of destruction.Guards stepped aside.Siara was descending the stairs in a silky robe, holding a wine glass with her usual arrogance.She didn’t even flinch as he approached.Until his hand wrapped around her throat."RAy…!" she choked, glass dropping and shattering against the marble.He slammed h
It had been three months since Nirvana vanished.Three months since RAyNe had left her breakfast in the confined room, glancing once at the closed door before heading out to visit Sienna at the hospital.Three months since he came back to the bloodied pavement, Siara’s stammering lies, and the devastation of a girl who had jumped from a balcony just to escape the life he'd built around her.Three months of silence.Three months of rage.Three months of searching like a man possessed.And now, in the city of Paris, in the middle of a polished ballroom gilded with marble and diamonds, RAyNe stood at the edge of the grand chandelier-lit floor, staring at the woman he had bled for.She was laughing softly, her lips painted wine red. Her dress was black, silky, plunging dangerously low in the back and hugging every curve he remembered. But what crushed him wasn’t her beauty. It was the emptiness in her eyes when she glanced at him.No flicker of recognition.No anger. No pain. Nothing.She
“She doesn’t remember me.”RAyNe’s voice was quiet. Unstable. Wrung with something that bordered on disbelief and madness.The car rolled into the estate’s driveway, tires crunching against the stone. Nobody in the car said a word.He had been silent all the way home from the Paris event. Silent… but trembling. A storm with no outlet. A man who’d just watched the only person that had ever truly touched him look through him like he didn’t exist.When the car stopped, he was the first to move. He burst out like a fuse lit at both ends, unbuttoning his suit jacket in harsh jerks, tossing it to the floor the second they walked into the house.The silence was broken by the crash of a vase shattering against the wall.His tie followed. Yanked off, flung somewhere into the darkness.“She looked through me,” he said hoarsely. “Like I wasn’t even there.”Elias was next to enter. His calm, unreadable presence only made RAyNe more unstable.“You wanted the truth?” Elias said. “Here it is: I warn
The envelope sat on RAyNe’s desk like a cursed artifact.The letter inside was worse.A formal white page. A signature at the bottom. And a check.Fifteen million dollars.Lucian stood by the window, arms crossed. Gianni leaned against the bookshelf. Sienna sat quietly in the corner of the room, still pale but watching.RAyNe read it again."To Mr. RAyNe St. Trinity,This check is a settlement for the sum you paid in acquiring my niece, Nirvana Castillo, nearly a year ago. Her life no longer belongs to your world, and it is my wish to sever all remaining ties.Respectfully,Darius Voltaire."RAyNe’s jaw clenched as he gripped the check."He’s trying to buy her away from me," he growled.Lucian stepped forward. "Boss. It’s a settlement. Not a war."RAyNe’s hand tightened. "Why can’t any of you understand? I’ll never let her go. I can’t. She’s mine."He made to rip the check in two, but Lucian strode forward and snatched it out of his grip."This is madness, boss."RAyNe’s eyes burned r
The days since the elevator incident passed like smoke.Nirvana tried to shove it all into the furthest recess of her mind: RAyNe’s kiss, the haunting familiarity of his eyes, the twist in her chest that had nothing to do with fear. She spent more time with Darius, and even more time planning.But the scars of her life…the ones memory hadn't erased…burned hotter than ever.And so, when the invitation came, handwritten and sealed in black wax with a familiar sigil, she didn’t hesitate.A charity gala.Held by none other than Castillo Enterprises.Hosted by Adrian Holt.And sponsored anonymously by someone Darius called "a benefactor from the old circle." Someone who wanted Nirvana to attend. Someone who claimed to have answers.Darius was suspicious. Nirvana was curious. She wore blood-red silk and a knife hidden in the slit of her dress.She walked into that ballroom like a queen reclaiming her throne.The chandelier dripped with crystal. The air hummed with wealth and secrets.And at
The conference room shimmered with polished marble floors and high glass windows, sunlight slicing through like judgment. Nirvana stepped into the lion's den with fire in her eyes and vengeance pumping through her blood. She wore tailored black…power draped across her curves like it belonged there, like she’d never fallen, like the empire had never been stolen.Whispers swirled. Board members leaned in, startled. She didn’t flinch.“She’s back.”“Didn’t she vanish?”“Looks exactly like her mother.”Adrian sat at the head of the long mahogany table, leaning back in the leather chair with a smug grin and a sharp Armani suit that matched the venom in his voice.“Well, if it isn’t the runaway bride of the Castillo legacy,” he drawled. “Nirvana, dear, I thought you were dead.”Nirvana didn’t blink. “And I thought you were a man.”Gasps rippled. Adrian’s smile twitched.She moved to the seat directly opposite him. “Let’s begin.”The air grew taut as her uncle, Darius, stepped inside and nod
The chandeliers dripped light like gold melting from the ceiling. Crystal flutes clinked against manicured nails, laughter trilled through the air like champagne bubbles, and soft classical music rose beneath the rich murmurs of elite society.Nirvana stepped into the grand hall, her arm looped with her uncle Darius Voltaire's, her presence enough to steal the breath from the room. She wore deep emerald silk that hugged her curves in reverence, her red hair cascading in sleek waves down her back, a sapphire pendant resting just above the swell of her collarbone."You look more like your mother every day," Darius said, his voice warm.She glanced up at him, the barest smile tugging her lips. "That’s the fifth time you’ve said that tonight. Are you trying to make me cry in the middle of a ballroom?"He chuckled. "Just trying to remind you who you come from. She’d be proud of you tonight. And so am I."Nirvana’s smile softened. "I hope so.""Now," Darius said, pausing as he glanced acros
The conference room shimmered with polished marble floors and high glass windows, sunlight slicing through like judgment. Nirvana stepped into the lion's den with fire in her eyes and vengeance pumping through her blood. She wore tailored black…power draped across her curves like it belonged there, like she’d never fallen, like the empire had never been stolen.Whispers swirled. Board members leaned in, startled. She didn’t flinch.“She’s back.”“Didn’t she vanish?”“Looks exactly like her mother.”Adrian sat at the head of the long mahogany table, leaning back in the leather chair with a smug grin and a sharp Armani suit that matched the venom in his voice.“Well, if it isn’t the runaway bride of the Castillo legacy,” he drawled. “Nirvana, dear, I thought you were dead.”Nirvana didn’t blink. “And I thought you were a man.”Gasps rippled. Adrian’s smile twitched.She moved to the seat directly opposite him. “Let’s begin.”The air grew taut as her uncle, Darius, stepped inside and nod
The days since the elevator incident passed like smoke.Nirvana tried to shove it all into the furthest recess of her mind: RAyNe’s kiss, the haunting familiarity of his eyes, the twist in her chest that had nothing to do with fear. She spent more time with Darius, and even more time planning.But the scars of her life…the ones memory hadn't erased…burned hotter than ever.And so, when the invitation came, handwritten and sealed in black wax with a familiar sigil, she didn’t hesitate.A charity gala.Held by none other than Castillo Enterprises.Hosted by Adrian Holt.And sponsored anonymously by someone Darius called "a benefactor from the old circle." Someone who wanted Nirvana to attend. Someone who claimed to have answers.Darius was suspicious. Nirvana was curious. She wore blood-red silk and a knife hidden in the slit of her dress.She walked into that ballroom like a queen reclaiming her throne.The chandelier dripped with crystal. The air hummed with wealth and secrets.And at
The envelope sat on RAyNe’s desk like a cursed artifact.The letter inside was worse.A formal white page. A signature at the bottom. And a check.Fifteen million dollars.Lucian stood by the window, arms crossed. Gianni leaned against the bookshelf. Sienna sat quietly in the corner of the room, still pale but watching.RAyNe read it again."To Mr. RAyNe St. Trinity,This check is a settlement for the sum you paid in acquiring my niece, Nirvana Castillo, nearly a year ago. Her life no longer belongs to your world, and it is my wish to sever all remaining ties.Respectfully,Darius Voltaire."RAyNe’s jaw clenched as he gripped the check."He’s trying to buy her away from me," he growled.Lucian stepped forward. "Boss. It’s a settlement. Not a war."RAyNe’s hand tightened. "Why can’t any of you understand? I’ll never let her go. I can’t. She’s mine."He made to rip the check in two, but Lucian strode forward and snatched it out of his grip."This is madness, boss."RAyNe’s eyes burned r
“She doesn’t remember me.”RAyNe’s voice was quiet. Unstable. Wrung with something that bordered on disbelief and madness.The car rolled into the estate’s driveway, tires crunching against the stone. Nobody in the car said a word.He had been silent all the way home from the Paris event. Silent… but trembling. A storm with no outlet. A man who’d just watched the only person that had ever truly touched him look through him like he didn’t exist.When the car stopped, he was the first to move. He burst out like a fuse lit at both ends, unbuttoning his suit jacket in harsh jerks, tossing it to the floor the second they walked into the house.The silence was broken by the crash of a vase shattering against the wall.His tie followed. Yanked off, flung somewhere into the darkness.“She looked through me,” he said hoarsely. “Like I wasn’t even there.”Elias was next to enter. His calm, unreadable presence only made RAyNe more unstable.“You wanted the truth?” Elias said. “Here it is: I warn
It had been three months since Nirvana vanished.Three months since RAyNe had left her breakfast in the confined room, glancing once at the closed door before heading out to visit Sienna at the hospital.Three months since he came back to the bloodied pavement, Siara’s stammering lies, and the devastation of a girl who had jumped from a balcony just to escape the life he'd built around her.Three months of silence.Three months of rage.Three months of searching like a man possessed.And now, in the city of Paris, in the middle of a polished ballroom gilded with marble and diamonds, RAyNe stood at the edge of the grand chandelier-lit floor, staring at the woman he had bled for.She was laughing softly, her lips painted wine red. Her dress was black, silky, plunging dangerously low in the back and hugging every curve he remembered. But what crushed him wasn’t her beauty. It was the emptiness in her eyes when she glanced at him.No flicker of recognition.No anger. No pain. Nothing.She
The door to the black car shut with a solid slam.RAyNe exhaled sharply, blood still drying beneath the fresh bandage on his arm.Gianni glanced at him through the rearview mirror."Begin the search," RAyNe muttered. "Whoever took her... it has to be someone who knows me. Or someone who knows her.""Yes, boss," Gianni replied, already tapping into the secure satellite interface wired through the dashboard. "I'll mobilize all local trackers. If she's breathing, we'll find her."RAyNe leaned back, knuckles whitening.He wasn’t going to wait for fate to be kind.He was going to force its hand.The estate gates groaned open, and RAyNe stormed into the mansion with the rage of a god on the brink of destruction.Guards stepped aside.Siara was descending the stairs in a silky robe, holding a wine glass with her usual arrogance.She didn’t even flinch as he approached.Until his hand wrapped around her throat."RAy…!" she choked, glass dropping and shattering against the marble.He slammed h
"Fuck! They’re circling left!"Lucian’s voice thundered over the deafening sound of gunfire. RAyNe ducked behind a burnt-out SUV, blood spraying the side mirror as bullets ricocheted everywhere."I see them!" RAyNe growled, lifting his weapon and taking down two men with clean shots to the chest. "Move!"The deal had gone sideways the moment they’d stepped foot on the compound.A rival cartel had set a trap, and now, RAyNe and Lucian were knee-deep in blood, gunpowder, and chaos.His phone vibrated in his pocket. Again.Then again.He ignored it, too focused, too sharp…Until the last man dropped.Silence. For a second.RAyNe exhaled, panting. Then pulled out his phone.Gianni’s name flashed across the cracked screen.He answered."Miss Castillo... she jumped off the balcony."That was all he heard.A gunshot split the air.His body jerked.His phone flew from his hand and shattered against the pavement.Lucian shouted his name as blood poured from his shoulder."RAyNe!""I’m fine!"L
The silver tray clinked lightly in his hands.RAyNe stood at the threshold of the cold room where she was being kept…this time, not with anger, but something far worse.Uncertainty.His fingers flexed around the handle of the luxury breakfast platter, steam curling from golden pancakes, exotic fruits, poached eggs, and freshly pressed juice in crystal glasses.But Nirvana didn’t even lift her head.She was seated on the floor, back pressed against the wall. Her legs drawn to her chest. Her eyes were hollow, dry, empty.She looked like she hadn’t slept at all. Her skin looked pale against the oversized shirt someone had left her with. She didn’t even glance up when he stepped in."You haven’t eaten in three days," he said finally, placing the tray down on the small table near the door.No response."You need to eat."Still nothing.He took two slow steps forward, stopping when he saw her flinch—just the smallest twitch of her shoulder."Nirvana."Her head didn’t move. Her gaze stayed f