"Where the fuck is she?!" RAyNe's voice thundered through the estate like a bomb going off, sending staff scattering in every direction. A vase flew across the hallway, crashing into the wall and exploding into porcelain shards. Lucian didn’t flinch. He stood there, eyes steady as RAyNe raged in circles, fists clenched, jaw tight enough to snap. "It’s been two days. TWO fucking DAYS! No camera picked her up? No guards saw anything? No scent trails, no tech ping, no leads?!" "We’ve checked every surveillance inch for the last seventy-two hours," Lucian said calmly. "She vanished." "That’s impossible," RAyNe spat, grabbing the edge of the table and flipping it violently. Papers, files, glasses…everything shattered. "No one vanishes from under my nose!" He was unraveling. Sienna had woken up earlier that day. Quiet. Withdrawn. And though he had gone in to see her, he barely said anything more than, "You’re safe now. I’ll explain everything soon." But he hadn’t explained sh
RAyNe’s men had the warehouse surrounded like a noose tightening around a throat.From the shadows, he watched her…Celeste…saunter out of the warehouse like she didn’t have the devil himself watching her every move.Her phone rang.She answered with a smile, her voice coated in sugar. "Yes, I’ve fed her, baby."RAyNe’s jaw locked.Celeste chuckled. "I’ll be back soon."Lucian shifted beside him. "It’s him. Adrian.""I know," RAyNe muttered, his eyes narrowing.A scream tore through the still night air.RAyNe stiffened."Nirvana," he growled.Lucian’s hand twitched toward his weapon. "Orders?"RAyNe didn’t blink. "Not yet."Inside the warehouse, Nirvana screamed again.Celeste scowled, yanked the phone from her ear, and cursed. "That stupid bitch! Why is she being so difficult?!"She hung up.The phone rang again.Siara.Celeste rolled her eyes. "Not now."Another scream."Ugh!!"She ignored the call, shoved the phone in her pocket, and stomped back inside.RAyNe’s hand went up."Move!
“Drive faster.”RAyNe’s voice cut through the silence like a blade. His hand gripped Nirvana’s cold fingers tightly as she lay in the backseat, her head against his chest, bruised, bleeding, but conscious.“I’m fine,” she muttered weakly.“No, you’re not.”“You don’t get to say that.”His jaw clenched. “I just dragged you out of hell.”“You threw me in it first.”Lucian, seated in the front, didn’t dare breathe too loud.Gianni kept his eyes on the road, foot pressed to the pedal. “ETA: ten minutes.”RAyNe looked down at her face. Her cheek was swollen, her lip cut. The dried blood on her temple made something in him twist violently.“I didn’t know they took you,” he said quietly. “If I had…”“You bought me,” she whispered. “What difference would it make?”RAyNe didn’t reply.She winced, shifting in his hold. He reached for the blanket draped over the seat and tucked it around her. She turned her face away.“You’re safe now.”“You think that fixes it?”“No. But I’ll kill anyone who ev
Nirvana sat curled up on the plush guest bed, knees to her chest, eyes locked on the window, even though there was nothing interesting outside. Just trees swaying. Sky darkening. Shadows moving.She hadn’t spoken to RAyNe since he brought her back.But she had started talking to everyone else.Gianni made her laugh yesterday with his horrible card tricks. Lucian always brought her her favorite snacks and asked no questions. Luna braided her hair in silence, letting Nirvana feel human again. And Elias Monroe…too calm, too observant, too gentle…kept checking her vitals like he could diagnose her grief.But Sienna? Sienna had crawled into her broken world and sat there beside her. Quiet. Present. Real. They talked at night when the whole house was asleep. They cried, sometimes without speaking.RAyNe? She avoided him like plague.She heard the door open but didn’t move.His footsteps were unmistakable.She tightened her arms around her legs.“I’m moving you into my room,” RAyNe said flat
"You eat toast like it personally offended you."Nirvana didn’t look up from her plate. "That’s rich coming from someone who cuts steak with the same aggression as a mob enforcer."RAyNe grinned as he sipped his coffee. "You calling me a brute, wild sin?""I’m calling you a psycho with expensive manners.""You love it.""I tolerate it.""That’s not what you said last night."She kicked his leg under the table.He laughed.Lucian walked in, placing a few files on the table. "Morning.""He’s already working?" Nirvana rolled her eyes. "Do you guys have off days, or is it world domination all day, every day?"RAyNe didn’t miss a beat. "What’s sleep when you own the night?""Ugh. You’re impossible.""But cute."She narrowed her eyes. "Questionable.""Undeniable.""Delusional."Sienna entered with Elias, mid-laugh. "You two are worse than a telenovela.""Don’t encourage him," Nirvana muttered.Elias chuckled as he took a seat beside Sienna. "It’s good to see you like this, Nirvana."She sof
RAyNe sat alone in his office, the heavy silence gnawing at his insides. One hand gripped the edge of the desk, the other hung loose by his side.He couldn’t focus. Couldn’t breathe properly.Her words wouldn’t stop ringing in his head.“I never chose you. You forced your way in.”His jaw tightened.He didn’t know why his chest ached so badly. Or maybe he did…and didn’t want to admit it.She didn’t know.Didn’t know he’d never bought her to play with her. Didn’t know he had loved her from the very first time they met.Didn’t remember.Flashback - Five Years AgoThe Elites Banquet.High ceilings, gold chandeliers, men in custom-tailored suits and women dressed in whispers of diamonds and silk.RAyNe stood near the bar, swirling whiskey in a crystal glass. Sharp suit. Sharper confidence.And then…She walked in.Nirvana Castillo.Bright. Beaming. All teeth and laughter. The kind of woman who walked like the world was hers.And it was.He approached her without hesitation.“You look bore
"SOMEONE CALL FOR HELP!!"The shriek cut through the upper floor like a razor. One of the younger maids was screaming from the hallway outside the guest wing, her face white with panic.RAyNe's head snapped up.Nirvana's heart dropped.She hadn’t moved from the top of the stairs since finding Sienna’s bloodied body. Her limbs had gone stiff, her voice frozen in her throat."What happened?!" Elias's voice boomed as he sprinted up the steps with RAyNe and Lucian close behind."I…I don’t know, she just…""Move!" RAyNe barked, shoving past them. He saw Nirvana frozen in place, and then…His eyes landed on Sienna at the bottom of the stairs."Sienna!" he roared and bolted.Elias dropped to his knees beside her, checking her pulse, tilting her head carefully."She’s alive," he murmured, "but she needs to get to the hospital immediately. Head trauma. Possible spinal injury."RAyNe turned his gaze up the stairs slowly…locking eyes with Nirvana.His chest heaved. His stare darkened."What the
"You’re late," Adrian snapped, slamming the door shut as soon as Siara walked in.She tossed her clutch on the glass table, unbothered. "And you’re still breathing. Lucky you."Adrian poured himself a drink, hands slightly shaking. He hadn’t been the same since RAyNe stormed that warehouse. Since Nirvana disappeared from their radar. He paced more now. Slept less. Paranoia was seeping into his bones."You shouldn't have come here. Not with everything so hot.""Relax," Siara rolled her eyes. "I’m not stupid. I wasn’t followed.""He’ll come for us.""No," she said coolly, taking the glass from his hand and drinking it herself. "Not anymore. I’ve taken care of it."Adrian frowned. "What the hell are you talking about?"Siara’s lips curled into a smile as she sat on the armrest of his couch. "I gave him something else to worry about.""What did you do?""I made Nirvana the villain."Adrian blinked. "You what?""She’s locked up. Confined like a dog. Everyone thinks she tried to kill RAyNe’
Nirvana didn’t care that she was barefoot. She didn’t care that the chilly morning air bit into her bare legs. She just wanted to get away.. from the suffocating house, from the mocking puppy love looks, from him.She pushed through the heavy front door, stepping into the sun-drenched driveway.The crisp breeze hit her skin, raising goosebumps. The world outside felt too bright, too open, too mocking.Behind her, the heavy door slammed open."Nirvana!" RAyNe's voice sliced through the air like a whip.She ignored him, lifting the hem of the satin dress so she could move faster across the pebbled drive."You’re really going to run away again?" RAyNe barked, fury threading his voice.She spun around."I'm not yours to keep!" she shouted back.RAyNe strode after her, slow and deliberate, like he had all the time in the world. Like a storm building behind deceptively calm skies."You’re mine because you made yourself mine," he said, voice low and dangerous."I didn’t make myself anything!
The morning light filtered in like a damn spotlight, too sharp, too bright, highlighting every detail of the disaster that was the bedroom. Nirvana blinked awake, slowly, groggily, her cheek pressed to something warm and firm.She tilted her head and stared. RAyNe.Naked.Asleep.The calm rise and fall of his chest looked deceivingly innocent, lips parted just a little, lashes so long they almost dusted his cheeks. She should punch him in the face, but her fingers betrayed her. They reached out, brushing over the deep frown between his brows. Gently, she massaged the tension out.He didn't stir.She turned her head and surveyed the room. Holy hell. Clothes scattered like they'd been in a brawl with gravity. The sheets twisted on the bed like a crime scene. There were handprints on the floor-length mirror. And... was that a bra hanging from the ceiling fan?"Ugh... fuck my head..." she muttered, sitting up slightly.RAyNe's eyes opened. Green and wicked.She froze.Slowly, carefully, s
RAyNe kicked open the double doors to his room, still carrying Nirvana over his shoulder like she was nothing more than a stubborn little package that had pushed every one of his damn buttons."Put me down! RAyNe! You psycho! Put me the hell down!" Nirvana shouted, pounding her fists against his back, her heels long discarded during the chaos."Be quiet, wild rose," he muttered darkly, voice low and dangerously calm.He walked into the grand bedroom…floor-to-ceiling windows, low lighting, the scent of leather and cologne clinging to the air. The heavy door slammed shut behind them.He finally tossed her onto the massive bed. She bounced slightly, hair splaying out over the pillows, chest rising and falling with her anger."You’ve really lost your fucking mind," she spat, crawling backward on the bed, her eyes flashing.RAyNe's blazer was already off. His shirt was halfway unbuttoned, revealing a hint of his chest, tattoos peeking out like dangerous secrets."Maybe," he said, stalking
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