Luca gritted his teeth. He clutched his injured hand as blood seeped through his fingers. His face contorted in a mix of pain and fury. “What the hell is going on?!” he roared, his voice echoing through the factory’s cavernous space.Before he could issue any orders, he noticed that the papers were now missing too. “What the fuck? What are you idiots doing? The masked man who had stabbed him was already sprinting toward the exit, Kiara in tow. She stumbled, but the man kept a firm grip on her arm, pulling her along.“Follow him! " Don’t let him get away!” Luca shouted, but his men hesitated, their confusion evident.Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps broke through the tension as one of Luca’s guards burst into the room, his face pale beneath his mask.“Boss, we’ve got a problem! " The police are here—they’re surrounding the building!”“What?” Luca barked, his eyes narrowing. He glanced toward the exit where the masked man had fled, then back at his remaining men. “How the hel
Detective Harrison sat in the passenger seat of the lead car, the tracking device clutched tightly in his hand. The faint signal beeped steadily, growing stronger as they neared the guest house on the outskirts of the city. His radio buzzed to life, an officer’s voice crackling through.“Sir, we’ve just received a call to the emergency line back at the office. They said an anonymous tip-off claims Kiara Lux is being held at a guest house. When we checked, it was in your vicinity.”Harrison’s heart leaped. “Does the location match the tracker’s signal?”“Yes, sir. The description aligns perfectly.”“Alright. Move fast. " No mistakes this time,” Harrison ordered, leaning forward as the vehicle picked up speed.The guest house came into view—a decrepit structure with peeling paint and an air of abandonment. Harrison’s instincts screamed caution. “Park out of sight,” he instructed. “We don’t want to alert anyone inside.”The team disembarked quietly, their weapons drawn as they fanned ou
“They were just so adorable, and seeing the smiles on all their faces made me so happy, Dad.” Kiara rambled on about her previous expedition for a charity project. She was extremely passionate about helping the less privileged. The kids in the Caribbean, particularly Jamaica, didn’t have access to any water, so she and her team stayed there for a couple of weeks, making boreholes, wells, and taps for them. Of course, she was a Lux, but she didn’t misuse her power, or take it for granted. Instead, she put it towards helping others who were in need, endangered, or living in not-so-safe homes. It had become a part of her, one that she could never take away.She pointed at her phone smiling, “Look at them!” Her father, Damian Lux, watched the video to the end, feeling very proud of his one and only daughter. “And there was this lovely little girl too, she was so intelligent and beautiful, I couldn’t help but admire how strong and resilient she was.”“She told me she would go to the river
“Mr. Campbell?” Kiara exclaimed in surprise, “Oh my goodness, you’re here! What for?” She asked as she led him to the couch. He was the last person she was expecting to see visiting her since he had to man the NGO all by himself. “This is such a pleasant surprise, could I offer you anything to drink?”“Oh, no,” he chuckled. Standing at 5’6, Mr. Campbell was a buff man who was dark in complexion. He was the one who governed the NGO that she followed to Jamaica and he was very friendly. “You must have dropped ya’ purse,” He shook his head, tutting his lips as he pulled it out of his backpack. “I have always told you to be more careful with your belongings.” He said sternly, his Jamaican accent seeping out through his words already.“I appreciate you,” She smiled sheepishly, thanking him. Lord knows where she’d be without Mr. Campbell’s help. “Don’t call me uncle, you’re making me feel old.” He teased, laughing heartily. “If anything, I should be the one thanking you for all the work yo
Kiara turned to face the mystery man. She didn't know what she was expecting but seemed to forget that this was a masquerade party. She couldn't see his face, because he had a green masquerade mask on that complimented his pretty eyes. He was dressed in a black suit with the usual red tie. He was extremely fit, she could tell, and all it did was want to make her take him to the bedroom.“Why, thank you,” She responded, bowing her head ever slightly, trying to dead the nasty thoughts that overtook her mind. All of a sudden, she felt nervous. Not knowing who she was talking to was a huge game changer for her, since she wasn't used to it. But, it was just for the night.What could go wrong?“I spotted you from across the room, you looked absolutely ravishing, I just had to come over and say hello. So, hello.” He offered a warm smile and bent to kiss her hand. “And who might you be?” His eyes traveled over her, from her hair to shoes. She was curvy and he loved that, it would give him som
Kiara’s shouting made Luca run to the room. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?” He worriedly glanced at her, before redirecting it to his bag.”Why the hell is my bag on the floor, Kiara? My laptop is in there!” He spat, rushing to pick it up.Kiara could barely speak, “N-no, you tell me what the fuck this is right now!” She shouted again, waving the mask in the air. Luca’s eyes finally landed on the masquerade mask in her hand. Her hand was trembling, she didn’t want to believe it. No, not yet.“Did you attend the Charity Gala, Luca?” She asked, a bit calmer now. She steadied herself by taking three deep breaths in, anticipating his answer. “Yes…I did.” He confirmed as he stood back up, towering over Kiara.“Oh my God, I can’t believe this,” she said, waving the mask in her hand, “I can’t believe I kissed you! You!” She threw it onto the bed, running her hand through her hair.So, he was the cause of her sleepless nights and wet dreams? She groaned, wanting to smash her head into the wall.
“You what?” Kiara said, backing up a bit. He couldn’t possibly be serious, right? “You heard me right…I love you.” Luca repeated himself, his gaze moving to her lips once again. He wanted to kiss her again, test the waters. See what they could become and where they’d land.Kiara’s heart rate soared, as her skin became flushed with a light shade of red. His hand moved to her waist, while the other cupped her face gently, lovingly. “Do you mean it?” She breathed, looking up at Luca.“Every damn word, princess.” He said, as their noses bumped together. He brushed his lips against hers gently, creating tension between them. Kiara’s heart was pounding, her mind was hazy and all she wanted to do now, at this very moment, was to give in. “I want you.”Luca kissed her softly and tenderly with more passion. She had missed this feeling so much, she didn’t want it to end. His lips danced against hers in perfect unison, as he slid his hand down to her ass. He squeezed gently making her giggle int
Kiara had the best sex of her life 2 days again. She couldn’t get it off her mind. Anytime she thought about it, she always felt giddy, like a high schooler falling in love for the first time. Since he stayed over the weekend, they exchanged a lot of glances, with unspoken words communicated through their eyes. She got up from her bed, around 9 A.M., and decided that she wanted to make some iced tea in the kitchen. She originally wanted to pay a visit to Luca in his room, but upon realizing that his door was locked, she postponed it till later and decided to make breakfast for him.Meanwhile, Luca was in his room, talking with someone over the phone. “Just do it and make it snappy too,” he yelled, bringing his voice down to a hushed whisper, “Remember you can’t let anyone see you, okay?” The foreign voice over the phone gave an affirmative reply, which made Luca hum in satisfaction.“Damian mustn't know about this either, otherwise it’ll all be screwed up,” he reminded, making sure t
Detective Harrison sat in the passenger seat of the lead car, the tracking device clutched tightly in his hand. The faint signal beeped steadily, growing stronger as they neared the guest house on the outskirts of the city. His radio buzzed to life, an officer’s voice crackling through.“Sir, we’ve just received a call to the emergency line back at the office. They said an anonymous tip-off claims Kiara Lux is being held at a guest house. When we checked, it was in your vicinity.”Harrison’s heart leaped. “Does the location match the tracker’s signal?”“Yes, sir. The description aligns perfectly.”“Alright. Move fast. " No mistakes this time,” Harrison ordered, leaning forward as the vehicle picked up speed.The guest house came into view—a decrepit structure with peeling paint and an air of abandonment. Harrison’s instincts screamed caution. “Park out of sight,” he instructed. “We don’t want to alert anyone inside.”The team disembarked quietly, their weapons drawn as they fanned ou
Luca gritted his teeth. He clutched his injured hand as blood seeped through his fingers. His face contorted in a mix of pain and fury. “What the hell is going on?!” he roared, his voice echoing through the factory’s cavernous space.Before he could issue any orders, he noticed that the papers were now missing too. “What the fuck? What are you idiots doing? The masked man who had stabbed him was already sprinting toward the exit, Kiara in tow. She stumbled, but the man kept a firm grip on her arm, pulling her along.“Follow him! " Don’t let him get away!” Luca shouted, but his men hesitated, their confusion evident.Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps broke through the tension as one of Luca’s guards burst into the room, his face pale beneath his mask.“Boss, we’ve got a problem! " The police are here—they’re surrounding the building!”“What?” Luca barked, his eyes narrowing. He glanced toward the exit where the masked man had fled, then back at his remaining men. “How the hel
Hours later, Callyer stood outside Damian’s office, clutching the completed power of attorney papers. His concern for his friend hadn’t lessened, but Damian had made it clear that further questioning would only create tension. He knocked lightly before entering.“Here’s the document you requested,” Callyer said, placing the papers on Damian’s desk.Damian looked up, his face unreadable. “Thank you, Callyer. I’ll handle it from here.”Callyer hesitated, wanting to say more, but Damian’s tone left no room for discussion. With a curt nod, he turned and left the office.The moment the door closed, Damian reached for his phone and dialed the number he had been dreading calling. The line connected after the first ring.“Do you have what we asked for?” The voice on the other end demanded, cold and impatient.“Yes,” Damian replied, his voice steady despite the storm raging inside him. “I have the papers." Where do you want me to bring them?”The kidnapper gave him an address—a secluded wareho
Callyer shook his head, his expression equally perplexed. “Of course not. Damian, you know I’d never betray your trust. But this just confirms what I’ve been saying—you’re not telling me everything. If the police are already involved in something, you’d better let me in on it now.”Damian exhaled sharply, forcing himself to stay composed. “This has nothing to do with what I asked you to do. Stay out of it for now.”Before Callyer could press further, Damian signaled to the employee, “Tell the receptionist to let them in.” He turned back to Callyer, “Give me a moment,” he said, grabbing the clothes the employee had left and heading to the restroom attached to his office.Minutes later, Damian emerged, dressed sharply—with a few points of dressing perfection—but still carrying the heavy air of a man under siege. He adjusted his tie as he settled in his chair. As if it were calculated, there was a slight knock on his door. They saw Harrison standing by the door. “Come in.” Detective H
Damian stepped into the office. His intention was to maintain his usual air of composed authority, masking the turmoil inside. But his dressing gave him out the moment he stepped in. He was still in his robe. The workers around were shocked but afraid to approach him. They just murmured within themselves. Even though he noticed the awkward stares and murmurs, the turmoil his heart was in would not let him pay the least attention to it. “Is Callyer here already?” he asked the receptionist, ignoring her curious stares. The urgency in his tone made the receptionist very uncomfortable. “Yes, sir. Mr. Blake got here about a minute ago. " He’s waiting at your reception,” the lady replied. "Good,” Damian responded on his way to the office. “Damian,” Callyer Blake, his lawyer, called out the moment he sighted him, but he didn’t give him the expected audience. “Please come in,” he told the lawyer who was at that time sitting in the lobby at the front of his office. The first thing he did
The air between Damian and Maria was heavy with unease as they stood in Kiara's room, Damian still in Maria’s embrace. Maria was about to say something when a voice interrupted. “Sir, your phone,” one of the house staff called out hesitantly from the hallway. “It’s been ringing nonstop.”Damian turned sharply, his already frayed nerves making him curt. “Why didn’t you bring it earlier?”“I’m sorry, sir,” the worker stammered, handing over the device. Damian snatched it, glancing at the screen. The call was from an unknown number.“Who now?” He muttered under his breath before dialing the number. “Hello?”There was a pause at the other end, followed by a distorted, chillingly calm voice. “Mr. Damian Lux. It’s been a long time.”Damian froze, his knuckles whitening as he gripped the phone. “Who is this?” he demanded, his voice sharp.The voice chuckled. “Let’s not waste time with introductions. " I believe you’re looking for your daughter, Kiara, right?”Maria, noticing the sudden chan
Maria shifted uneasily in their bedroom, the morning light filtering through the curtains. Damian sat on the edge of the bed, his face an unreadable mask of tension and exhaustion. His hands rested on his knees, his posture rigid as though carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.“Damian,” Maria began softly, breaking the silence. She sat beside him, her delicate hand resting lightly on his arm. “I know you’re angry. " I’m angry too, but...” She hesitated, searching his face for any sign of softening. “Kiara is still our daughter. Whatever mistakes she’s made, we can’t turn our backs on her now.”Damian let out a sharp breath, his jaw tightening. “You think I don’t know that?” he snapped, though his voice held more frustration than malice. “Do you have any idea what it feels like to know that your best friend—a man you’ve trusted with your life—has been sleeping with your daughter—a child young enough to be his daughter? Betraying your family? And Kiara... she lied to me,
“Luca?”Kiara’s pulse quickened at the familiar voice—a mix of anger and cold amusement that sent chills down her spine. She was pushed into a chair; the black bag yanked off her head. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she saw him—Luca, leaning casually against a table, his arms crossed, a sinister smirk playing on his lips.“Luca,” she spat, her voice trembling with rage and fear. “What the hell is this?" Why did you have me kidnapped?”He laughed—a sharp, mocking sound that echoed through the room. “Kidnapped? Such a dramatic term, Kiara. Let’s call it... a necessary intervention that should have taken place a long time ago.”She glared at him, her hands struggling against the tight bindings. “Intervention? You’ve gone too far, Luca. Whatever game you’re playing, it ends here.”“Oh, Kiara,” he said, shaking his head mockingly. “You’re so naive." Do you really think you’re the heroine of this story? " That you can outsmart me and bring me down?” He leaned closer, his smirk fadin
Kiara's breath hitched as she read the message. Her mind raced. Driver Guy? The same guy she’s been hoping to meet? Who could that be? She didn’t recognize the number, but the name felt oddly familiar—the same way she’d refer to the man who saved her anytime the conversation came up. A chill ran down her spine. Could this be a trap? Or was it the key to uncovering the truth? Maybe she could finally have something tangible enough to throw Luca under the bus. Maria noticed her daughter’s reaction. “Kiara? " What’s wrong?” she asked softly, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face.Kiara hesitated. Should she tell her mother about the message? No. She’d already dragged her family through enough. If she’s doomed to tell anyone, definitely not her mother. This was something she needed to handle on her own—at least for now.“It’s nothing, Mom,” Kiara lied, pocketing the phone. “Just a spam message.”Maria’s brow furrowed with concern, but she didn’t press. “Get some rest, sweetheart.