The cold wind hit Lilly’s face as she stepped outside, but it did little to cool the fire burning within her. Each step away from the house felt heavier, her thoughts tangled in a web of anger, sorrow, and confusion. She clenched her fists, the sight of Everlyn’s blood flashing in her mind like a haunting replay.Lilly stopped halfway down the street and glanced back at the house. She could still feel the weight of her mother’s frantic desperation, the wild look in her eyes as she clutched the knife. For a moment, guilt tugged at her chest. Had she pushed too hard? Was she wrong to demand answers from someone clearly at the edge of breaking?So many incomprehensible emotions hit Lilly all at once—a torrent of anger, confusion, sadness, and betrayal. But instead of clarity, they swirled and churned until something inside her shut down. It felt as though invisible walls were crumbling around her, and yet, there was no relief—only an all-consuming void.She became numb.It was a sensatio
Chloe stirred awake, stretching as the soft morning light filtered into her hotel room. The faint aroma of vanilla and lavender lingered, a scent that always reminded her of Lilly. Sitting up groggily, she glanced at the couch where she’d fallen asleep after combing through Lilly’s plans for the day. She blinked at the clock on the wall. Nearly 9 a.m. Her boss was always an early riser, so Chloe assumed she was already out. But something felt off. Rising, Chloe padded into the main living area, her sharp eyes scanning the room. It was unusually quiet. No hurried footsteps, no rustling of papers, no low murmurs as Lilly rehearsed her plans. The stillness unsettled her. Her gaze fell on the empty coat rack, where Lilly’s usual handbag and coat were missing. Chloe frowned. It wasn’t unusual for Lilly to slip out early, but she usually left a note or mentioned it in passing. Grabbing her phone, Chloe opened the tracking app linked to the small device she’d sewn into all of Lilly’s
Ray Manchester sat in his office, the weight of the morning’s call pressing down on him like a physical force. His jaw clenched as he replayed Chloe’s frantic voice in his mind. “It’s madam. She’s… gone.” Gone. Ray’s fist slammed onto the desk, the sharp sound reverberating through the room. He leaned back, dragging a hand through his hair as anger and guilt battled for dominance. He shouldn’t have let her go. He had argued with Lilly about her decision to travel alone, especially to Austria, where danger seemed to lurk in every corner for someone like her. But Lilly had been adamant. She always was. Her fiery independence was part of what he loved about her, but it was also what drove him to the edge. “I can handle myself, Ray,” she’d said just few days ago, her tone firm and cold. “You need to trust me.” And he had trusted her. Against his better judgment, against every instinct screaming at him to keep her close, he had relented. He had listened to her. And now she was missing
As Ray walked briskly to his waiting car, a nagging sensation tugged at the edge of his mind. He had made all the calls, given all the orders, and set everything in motion. Yet, there was a lingering feeling that something—something crucial—was slipping through the cracks. Seated in the back of his black Mercedes, Ray leaned his head against the cool leather and closed his eyes. He mentally reviewed his checklist. Drake was monitoring the Andersons and ensuring media silence. Jerry was leveraging his underworld connections in Austria. Viktor and the Alpha team were assembling at the hangar. The jet was being prepared. What was he missing? It came to him like a jolt of lightning. The baby. Ray’s eyes snapped open, his chest tightening. Lilly wasn’t just missing. She was missing while pregnant. His heir—their child—was out there too, vulnerable and at risk. He immediately grabbed his phone again, his fingers flying over the screen. His earlier preparations hadn’t accounted for th
“Aww, poor things,” Lilly murmured, her voice dripping with mockery as she surveyed the pathetic group of men scrambling to attack her.The leader, a wiry man who had mocked her moments ago, charged toward her in desperation, a knife clutched in his trembling hand. Lilly didn’t flinch. Instead, her lips curled into a cold, almost playful smile.Amateurs.She sidestepped his clumsy lunge with fluid grace, her movements swift and precise. Before he could recover, she reached out and grabbed his arm, her grip impossibly strong. With a calculated twist, she applied pressure to his armpit—an arc point known for its excruciating pain if targeted correctly.The man screamed, the knife clattering to the floor as his arm went limp. His knees buckled, but Lilly wasn’t done. With a sharp upward motion, she forced his arm backward, dislocating his shoulder with a sickening pop. He collapsed, unconscious, crumpling like a broken doll at her feet.Lilly tilted her head, a flicker of satisfaction cr
Ray tightened his grip on his phone as he stepped off the plane, the icy night air hitting his face like a slap. His pulse raced as the first bar of signal returned, and he immediately dialed Jerry’s number, his fingers trembling slightly.The line barely rang once before Jerry answered.“Where is she?” Ray’s voice was sharp, cutting through the static like a knife.“I’ve sent you the coordinates,” Jerry replied, his tone grim. “An old warehouse on the outskirts of the city. She’s still inside.”“I’m on my way.” Ray growled the words before ending the call abruptly.Jerry exhaled slowly, his hands shaking as he stared at the screen. The location pin glowed back at him. This wasn’t just a rescue—it was a race against time. Ray’s fury was palpable, even through the phone.Chloe paced outside the makeshift operations center they’d set up in a nearby safe house. General Lucas, Ray’s trusted ally in the Austrian military, had organized everything with surgical precision. Chloe had been tol
Her head tilted slightly as their gazes met, a teasing smirk tugging at her lips.“Hmmm, more people are joining the party. Me, I like,” she said, her voice laced with mockery but tinged with exhaustion. Her tone was unnervingly light, as though she was entirely unfazed by the chaos surrounding her.Ray’s steps faltered for a fraction of a second, his brain struggling to process what he was seeing. Around her, the men—hefty, rough-looking thugs who should have been towering over her in control—were kneeling. Their expressions were masks of terror, their bodies trembling like leaves in a storm.This wasn’t the sight he had imagined when he raced here. His Lilly, the soft, vibrant woman he’d sworn to protect, was supposed to be waiting for him, scared but hopeful. She wasn’t supposed to be… this.His jaw clenched as his eyes swept over her, taking in the blood streaking down her arm, the split in her lip, the bruises blooming along her skin. She was hurt—badly hurt—and yet she stood the
Ray’s heart twisted as he watched her, his mind racing. This wasn’t the Lilly he knew—but whoever this was, whatever had happened to her, he wasn’t going to let her face it alone.He straightened, his jaw tightening as resolve hardened in his eyes.“We’re leaving,” he said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.Lilly raised an eyebrow, her smirk deepening. “Oh, mister,” she said with a quiet laugh. “You you’re not in charge. I am. Back to my question who are you? I know you are cute and all which I like I still want to know, are perhaps the master they are talking about”Her words chilled him, but he refused to let it show. Whatever was going on here, whatever darkness had taken root in her, he was going to get her out. He had to.Ray’s jaw clenched at her words, but he forced himself to stay calm. The playful edge to her voice, the almost mocking way she spoke—it was as if she were testing him, waiting to see how he’d react.“I’m your husband. Ray Manchester. And no, I’m not
Fairy tales didn’t exist. Ray had always known that. And yet, he had let himself believe. Believe that after everything, he could finally have his happy ending. That Lily would come back, that they would put all the chaos behind them and just… be. But four months had passed. Four months, and she was nowhere to be found. And in those four months, she had caused more destruction than she probably even realized. The Anderson family was gone. The Manchester family had been silenced. The power structures that once dictated everything had crumbled beneath the weight of her actions. And yet, the world had gone eerily quiet. The media barely spoke about it. There were no reports, no scandalous headlines, no outrage. It was as if the universe had conspired to erase all traces of her, making her untouchable. He couldn’t reach her. He couldn’t speak to her. He couldn’t even see her. It was hell. And the worst part? It was starting to feel like the version of hell he had
The silence stretched between them.Lilly and Jerry—two people who had seen death, caused death, lived among death—now sat here, unable to make sense of the one loss that actually hurt.Lilly swallowed the lump in her throat.“I thought I could tell you that time would heal this. That one day, you’d wake up, and the pain would be gone.”Jerry gave her a hollow stare, waiting for her to continue.“But that would be a lie.”Her voice broke slightly, but she pushed through.“The truth is… you won’t wake up one day and magically feel okay. You’ll carry this pain with you. Every damn day.”Jerry’s jaw clenched. He knew that already, he knows deep down he will never get over losing his love right before it could even blossom.Lilly reached out and placed a hand over his.“But you’ll learn to live with it,” she whispered. “Because that’s what Chloe would have wanted. She didn’t fight this hard, endure this much, just for either of us to fall apart when she’s gone.”Jerry let out a ragged bre
Ray stared at her, his heart pounding in his chest.“One… m-m-month?” His voice cracked. “That’s too much, wifey.”His grip on her hands tightened, as if afraid that if he let go, she would disappear before his eyes.Lilly’s lips trembled, but she held her ground.“At least this way, you won’t be married to a woman who is mentally unstable, Ray,” she said softly. “And worse—a woman who shares her new body with her dead twin’s split personality.”Ray’s body stiffened.“Split what?” His brows furrowed, convinced he had misheard.Lilly sighed, wiping the stray tear that escaped her eye. “I’m sure you’ve already guessed it, Ray. You’ve seen it. You’ve felt it. Lia and I… we aren’t just one person. And I need to do this—for myself, for you, and for our baby.”Her voice wavered.“I need to be able to give you the same love you’ve given me. To birth our baby in a safe place. Please, Ray… please.” She squeezed his hands, her tears falling freely now.Ray felt something twist in his chest.Lil
The room felt unbearably heavy.Jerry sat still, his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands.And then, without warning—A sob tore through him.“Haaaaaa~~~” he yelled out. For the first time in life he felt like someone was trying to zap life out of him.The kind that clawed out from the depths of his soul, ripping past the walls he had spent years building.Tears streamed down his face. He didn’t even bother to wipe them.This wasn’t grief.This was devastation.This was an unbelievable moment, it was only aFew days ago that he realized the extend of his live for Chloe and now she dead.Dead just like that.This was the feeling of watching the one person who made life feel like more than just blood and war—slip through his fingers.He had lost Chloe.And now, what was left of him?Nothing.Nothing but this unbearable silence, this emptiness that no amount of vengeance could ever fill.He clenched his fists.He had always thought himself untouchable, someone who laughed in the fa
The room was too quiet.The kind of silence that made the air feel heavier, pressing against their chests like an unbearable weight.Lilly sat frozen, her eyes staring into nothing.She wasn’t crying. She wasn’t speaking.She just sat there, lost in the void.Ray was right behind her, not touching, not speaking just there.Because what could he say? What could he do?There were no words for grief like this. No bandage for wounds that cut this deep.On the other side of the room, Jerry knelt beside Chloe’s bed, his hands gripping hers with a desperation that made his knuckles turn white.His lips moved, whispering something under his breath.A prayer.Jerry Manchester the man who had never feared death, who had laughed in the face of danger—was now begging.To a God he didn’t even believe in.“Please—”His voice cracked, his fingers tightening around Chloe’s.“Please, don’t take her.”Tears burned at the corners of his eyes, but he refused to let them fall.He didn’t cry. Not Jerry Man
The scent of iron was thick in the air.Lilly’s eyes, cold and unyielding, swept across the men standing by. Their hesitation irritated her.“What the hell are you all waiting for?” Her voice cracked through the tense silence, sharp as a whip.The men snapped to attention.“Get him out of there. Now.”She didn’t need to say it twice.Two men rushed forward, reaching into the trunk and dragging David Deluca’s battered body out. His weight was dead, limp, his blood smearing against their gloves.“Take him to Damon.”Her tone left no room for argument.The men moved swiftly, disappearing into the building with their barely breathing cargo.Lilly stood still, her breathing measured, her fingers clenched so tightly her nails bit into her palms.She should feel satisfaction.But for some reason—She didn’t.Inside, the air was suffocating.The rhythmic beeping of the life support machine filled the room—until suddenly, the sound changed.The sharp, rapid BEEP—BEEP—BEEP sliced through the ai
Lilly inhaled sharply.Ray cursed under his breath.Jerry looked up, his expression wild, desperate. “We need to stop the bleeding!”But his hands were unsteady, his mind a mess.Lilly took over.“Move,” she ordered, her voice firm.Jerry hesitated, unwilling to let go, but Ray grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back.“Let her work.”Lilly worked fast, grabbing supplies from the medical kit. She cut away the fabric around the wound, assessing the damage. The bullet hadn’t passed through it was lodged inside.“Shit.”With gloved hands, she cleaned around the wound, applying pressure to slow the bleeding. Her movements were steady, precise years of training kicking in.Jerry could barely breathe.“Is she going to be okay?” His voice cracked.Lilly didn’t answer immediately. She grabbed a hemostatic gauze and pressed it firmly against the wound.“This will slow it down until Damon gets here,” she murmured.Ray kept his focus on Jerry, who looked like a man on the verge of breaking.“She’l
The shockwave rattled the car, and Chloe instinctively ducked.“What the fuck—?!” Jerry shouted, glancing at the rearview mirror.One of the enemy vehicles was now a burning wreck.And behind it—The Alpha Team had arrived.Meanwhile, in the Shooter’s Car…Matt watched in horror as one of their vehicles went up in flames.He gritted his teeth, his fingers digging into the seat.“Stop shooting!” he roared.His men hesitated, confused.But one look at Matt’s expression—twisted with fury and frustration—was enough to make them obey.Clark, sitting beside him, turned with a scowl.“Boss, I thought you said they wouldn’t have backup until we reached the city.”Matt’s jaw clenched. His hands balled into fists.“Well, are you fucking blind?” he snapped. “Or just too dumb to realize we’re already in the city?”Clark stiffened.“They own this place,” Matt muttered, his voice low and furious. “This is their fucking territory.”Clark exhaled sharply, running a hand down his face.“Then why the h
Jerry’s hands gripped the steering wheel tighter, his knuckles turning white. His mind was spinning, Chloe’s words echoing in his head.“You never miss a chance to make me feel like an object.”“But guess what, Jerry? I’m not an object.”His jaw clenched.“When have I ever treated you like an object?” he asked, his voice unusually quiet—almost confused.Chloe scoffed, rolling her eyes.Jerry, however, wasn’t done.His mind raced, trying to piece together where the hell he had gone wrong. Is that why she won’t give me a chance? Does she really think I see her that way?For the first time in his life, Jerry Mancini found himself questioning his own actions.And in doing so—He completely forgot they were being followed.A loud bang erupted behind them, and the car jolted violently to the side.Chloe snapped her head around, eyes widening as she saw the dark SUV gaining on them, its headlights like glowing eyes in the night.“Jerry, focus!” she shouted.Jerry’s head whipped back toward t