I locked my eyes on Josie. Her hands began to shake, and her chest stretched with fast, uneven breaths.“He wants to tell the truth,” I muttered, reading the text again. “What truth exactly?”She drew a deeper breath and pulled her hair behind her ear. “Maybe… Maybe it's about that sexual assault.” I heard the tremor in her voice, despite her attempts to sound calm. I knew she was anything but. I could only guess what sort of dark thoughts were running through her head.My brows knitted. “It sounds suspicious, don't you think? Why would he want to tell me anything on his own? I was convinced I would have to drag the information out, or rather, beat it out of him.”Josie's lips twitched into a wry smile. “Well, we both saw that he got scared. Maybe he wants to use this as an opportunity to tell you his version of the story.”That sounded reasonable, but we were also talking about a guy who had threatened to kill Josie, and who had been accused of a serious felony. I drew a deep breath
JOSIEFifteen Minutes EarlierI exited the banquet hall and walked through the long corridor, heading to the same café where Killian, Tony, and I had been sitting after Tony's lecture. I climbed the stairs, but the whole upper floor was dark, and the café closed.“Great,” I grumbled. “Now what?”I pulled out my phone and called Tony, slowly walking through the dark corridor. Had he meant some other café? Was there another café on this floor? All those thoughts swirled inside my head as I listened to the waiting signals until the call automatically disconnected. Just perfect. Had he switched his phone to silent mode?A few curses built at the tip of my tongue just as the text came. I sighed in relief, noticing it was from Tony.“The café is closed, but I found another place. Walk to the opposite side of the corridor. The last door on the left.”My brows knitted. Something felt off. Why would he make me walk through the entire floor when we could simply meet downstairs among people? Dra
KILLIANI stormed through the corridor by the banquet hall, heading to the staircase. Ryder was following me. I remembered that Josie mentioned she and Tony were supposed to meet in the café right above the auditorium, so that was our first place to check. I wanted to be wrong. I wanted her to sit somewhere with Tony, laughing at my paranoid behavior, but deep down I knew she was in danger. If that fucker had come here, he'd gone straight for her…“You should have kept your brother on a tight leash!” I roared, running upstairs.“I tried!” Ryder snarled. “I made sure he wouldn't know you or Josephine are here.”A dry chuckle escaped me. “Guess it didn't work out well, did it?”“Fuck you, Killian!” he snapped.I spun around, grabbing his collar and slamming him against the wall. “Your brother should have been rotting in jail, but you and your father helped cover all his deeds. If Josie gets hurt because of him, I'll make sure your entire family pays for this.”Ryder swallowed, slowly ra
Josie hadn't woken up for the next fifteen hours, and the anxiety within me rose. The doctors said that the problem might go beyond her physical injuries and be caused by trauma. That was understandable. That fucker had wanted to rape and kill her, and she'd defended herself, ending up killing him in self-defense.I hadn't talked to Ryder since we'd seen each other at the precinct. I knew that he was torn between the need to mourn his brother and the relief I'd seen on his face. At the precinct, he'd assured me he would testify in Josie's favor. She was the victim, and I would seriously damage anyone who dared claim otherwise.Tony's condition had improved. His head stopped spinning, and the throbbing pain decreased. He was still under observation, but he used that time to work on his laptop while lying in bed. He had also replaced me by Josie's side a few times, insisting I showered and slept for at least an hour or two. I reluctantly agreed, knowing that I needed to be focused and pr
JOSIEThe faint be-ping sound pulled me out of my unawareness. I felt as if I were slowly rising from the depths of the cold, dark waters to the surface. The pain struck a moment later. It seemed to flood my entire body. I groaned—or at least I thought I did—as I struggled to open my eyes. The light hurt, perhaps even more than the radiating pain. Sensing everything at once was overwhelming, but then I felt something else… A touch. Someone's warmth. Killian… He was sitting by my bed. He was holding my hand. I slightly lifted my head and stretched my lips, trying to smile at him.“Josie?” I heard his hoarse voice, and my chest tightened.“Killian…” My voice cracked, and a hot tear fell down my cheek.“Don't cry, my little daredevil,” he whispered, leaning over and kissing the place marked by the tear.That, of course, made me cry even more, and I couldn't stop the tears I shed. They were like a waterfall of emotions; they were unstoppable. Killian gently pulled me up and wrapped his ar
KILLIANI hated to leave Josie like this, but I had no other choice. Right now, my father was probably convinced I had decided to follow his orders. I'd hired the best lawyer I could to handle Josie's case, and I was on the way to New York. But if he thought it was due to his cold command, he couldn't be more wrong. The reason I was currently on the plane had nothing to do with my father's wishes. Josie was not a liability or a flaw that needed to be cut off. I didn't know when, but she had become essential for everything I did and everything I planned—the center of my universe.I was fully aware of my selfishness. Hadn't I needed her so much, I would have agreed to Kaiden's proposal. Had she been any other girl, I would have agreed without a second of hesitation, but I couldn't let her go. A harsh laugh escaped me as I thought of all the things I was willing to give up on to keep her by my side. And yet, I was the one who had fuck-up her life in the first place. Even if I hadn't been
JOSIEThe sound of typing echoed throughout my room, but it wasn't me who was taking the frustration out on the laptop keyboard. Tony had practically moved to my room since Killian had left, and since he'd been absent for a few days, he was now working nearly non-stop.“Does my presence bother you? Perhaps I should leave?” I asked sarcastically.“What?” He finally turned his eyes from the laptop screen toward me. It took him a moment to process my words before he gave me a sheepish smile. “Sorry. I'm almost done.”I sighed and slowly shifted to the edge of the bed, trying to get up.“What do you think you're doing?” He jerked to his feet, frowning.“I'm trying to get out of bed,” I explained dryly.“Why?” He folded his arms across his chest, and I rolled my eyes.“Because I have two legs and I need to, at least occasionally, use them?”His frown deepened. “You also have stitches on your right thigh, and you shouldn't move. If you need something, I will get it for you.”I pinched the br
My eyes narrowed as I looked at Kaiden's smiling face. “Why are you here?”He rolled his eyes. “How about you start with ‘Thank you, Kaiden’?”“Thank you, Kaiden,” I said dryly. “Now, answer, why are you here?”He sighed and theatrically placed his hand on his chest. “You wound me.” He sat on the chair beside my bed. “I've been around and heard that dickhead's voice in the corridor,” he explained.“What an amazing coincidence.” I gave him a thin-lipped smile. “Not only are you in LA but also in my hospital. You also accidentally walked by and suddenly recognized the voice of one of the hundreds of LAPD officers. If I'm that lucky, shouldn't I play the lottery?”Kaiden gave me a look. “You have the right to be suspicious, but frankly, yes, you are THAT lucky. While you were here for the Digital World Conference, I was sealing an important deal for the Blair Consortium. Feel free to check that out if you want to. I came to this hospital because one of our clients had a nasty car acciden
Four Years LaterYan Hao, Estelle, and Isabelle had become nothing more than a bad memory. Lou Zichen had been quickly convicted and sent to prison. Estelle and Isabelle landed behind bars six months later. The remains of Yan Hao's army and all his collaborators had been caught one by one. Special Agent Brooks made sure they all ended where they belonged. As if sensing there was no more danger around us, Aria, our beautiful daughter, was born a day after the final trial ended.My once filled with dread and nightmares life had become nearly blissful. Certainly, large areas had needed to be rebuilt, but Killian and I had pieced it back together. I had never returned to Blair Digital. After a year, Blair Digital merged with Tony's company, becoming Blair & Melton Interactive. Killian and Kaiden had recreated the Blair Consortium, making it twice as profitable as before. Of course, they both had wanted me to work for the consortium, assuring me I would find a place there. I'd refused. Inst
Killian didn't like my decision. He'd spent hours trying to make me change my mind, but I knew that this was the only way to end this. Since my leading doctor refused to let me out of the hospital, my team moved into my room, computers and other tech gear included. Killian brought me a laptop table so I could work while lying in bed. Well, at least I wasn't breaking the doctor's orders, not entirely.In two days, we managed to add over fifty more locations to the Eye. We focused on private airports, harbors, and train stations. Then we slowly began to plug as many traffic cameras as we could. The area watched by the Eye extended its range with every second, but it still wasn't enough to find Yan Hao.“Ryuu should have helped us search for his former boss,” Ashley grunted, her eyes locked on the computer screen.I let out a long sigh. “Ryuu has done enough. I cannot blame him that he took his mother and left. Now they can be family again.”Ashley shook her head. “Still, he should have—
JOSIEHe had come for me. He had found me. I remembered his lips on mine. I remembered a vague smile curving his lips. I remembered my voice cracking. I remembered the tears mixed with laughter… Then the sounds and images became blurry. Killian's voice softened and faded.I must have fainted afterward.Returning to awareness was followed by the pain. It pulsed through different parts of my body, but it didn't bother me that much. Perhaps I owed it to painkillers, or perhaps I felt that way because I knew I was safe.Despite the ache, my lips curled up slightly as I opened my eyes. I was lying in bed—a hospital bed—covered with soft sheets. A drip was connected to my arm, most likely the reason the pain I felt was almost acceptable. But none of that put a smile on my face or filled my chest with warmth. Killian's touch did it.He was sitting by my bed, his hand holding mine. His head rested next to our joined hands, his eyes closed. I slowly rose to sit, carefully not to move my hand o
After carefully analyzing the route and comparing it with the plans Tony had found before, we continued through the woods according to Ryuu's instructions. We climbed a small hill and finally saw it—a ten-foot-tall barbed wire fence with watch towers.“Son of a bitch,” Kaiden breathed out as his eyes took in the ridiculously well-guarded facility. “I've seen prisons with less security.”My lips formed a thin line. “Well, now we know for sure that the tunnels are the only way in.”I contacted Gunner and the rest of the groups searching other areas, informing them of what we found. I looked at my watch, and my stomach churned. We had less than twenty minutes, and that was only if Yan Hao decided to stick to his own rules. A part of me knew he might choose to kill Josie sooner...My chest tightened at the thought. I needed to get inside. I needed to find her. Now. “How long until you get here?” A low growl rang in my tone.“Three minutes,” Gunner replied, panting. I knew that he was prob
KILLIANThree Hours EarlierThe Happy App, Josie's creation, no longer existed. Yan Hao must have gotten desperate to get money, and he most likely forced some poor bastard to hack the system, using all means necessary. As Ashley and Kei explained to me, the hacker had entered the system thanks to a small device planted in the server room. Of course, that meant someone from Yan Hao's army must have broken into Blair Digital... I made a mental note to fire the head of security upon hearing the news.This attack might have ended in a huge disaster. I didn't even want to imagine the chaos such a monstrous leak of data could have caused. Certainly, Josie had created a drastic solution in case everything went south. She anticipated the worst scenario. She might have sacrificed her dearest creation, but she sure as fuck saved the entire company.I loved her for it... and for many other reasons... and perhaps a few more I still couldn't remember. Now I could only hope the rest of my memories
My body began to rattle as I stared at Ryuu. Again, his expression was unreadable. Was it just a part of an act, an improvised solution, or did he decide not to respect the deal we made?“You bastard,” I breathed out.Ryuu responded with a cold smirk. “We both know Killian will do anything to have you both back... alive. Let's make him hope he'll get to see you again.”Yan Hao looked at me before bursting into cold, disgusting laughter. “Then should we let history repeat itself? Should I let him pay a generous amount of money before slitting your throat? It would be quite poetic, don't you think? Like father like son. Maxwell Blair thought he was saving his brother... I bet that his son will pay just as eagerly.”A shudder rushed through my body, and my eyes filled with tears. I didn't even know if Killian was conscious. They didn't know that either. Then again, this was a way to buy more time. If Yan Hao wanted Killian's money, he would need to wait for his answer, probably send proo
JOSIEI tried not to think about what was happening on the upper floors. I tried not to think about that arrogant hacker or that the Happy App might no longer exist had he decided to break into our system. Instead, I tried to make those hours count. I talked to Mrs. Satoh, slowly establishing her condition and if there was a chance either of us could escape her cell. The good news was that she wasn't cuffed or otherwise restrained; the bad news was that she had already tried everything, scaling the wall to find a single loose rock included. Well… shit.“So you've been talking to my son?” Mrs. Satoh's voice cracked slightly. “I haven't seen him for more than three years…”My chest tightened. “How long has Yan Hao held you captive?”“I lost track of time,” she murmured. “But I wasn't always locked in a cell like this. Sometimes, I was given a nice room. I was fed well too. My conditions changed depending on…” She trailed off, but I knew what she was about to say.“Depending on Ryuu's ob
KILLIANI stared at the large map displayed on the wall-size screen. The red dots marked the places where Yan Hao's men were recently seen—the possible places where they gathered. We had today's war meeting at Gunner's base, in his office. The base, seldom occupied by more than twenty people at a time, was currently filled with more than two hundred. We all could sense that Yan Hao had been preparing for his final strike, and we had to make sure we could respond to whatever he came up with.The door opened, and Samuel Brooks entered the room. The FBI agent gave Gunner, Kaiden, and me a tight smile before walking over to the map and stopping beside me. “Good to see you alive and well,” he muttered by way of greeting.“Good to be alive.” I smiled wryly.Gunner rose from his chair behind the desk and stepped toward us. “I hope you left your badge outside like I told you to, Brooks,” he warned, giving the agent a firm stare. “If you're not certain whether you'd like to be part of this, be
“What do we do now?” I choked out when Ryuu finally opened the bathroom to let me out.“We need to go.” He grabbed my arm and started pulling me toward the door.Panic surged in an instant. “I can't! I don't even know if the encrypted message passed! I didn't find your mother either!”Ryuu grabbed my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes. “We don't have more time. If I don't bring you to Yan Hao now, we're both as good as dead.”I sucked in an uneven breath, ineptly trying to calm down and failing. “So... what will happen now?” I finally managed.He exhaled slowly and looked me up and down. “You'll have to lie, and you'll have to be very convincing. You'll have to put on your best act, as if your life depends on it because it will.”I swallowed a thick knot in my throat. “Tell me what to do,” I breathed out.“First of all, you'll have to act like you're disoriented,” he said. “A few people saw me when I carried you here. You'll have to pretend as if you were unconscious most of the t