JOSIE“Something's come up. Urgent matters. We can't meet tonight.”I read the message from Killian and frowned. He was doing it again. He kept me in the dark. Hadn't we promised to keep each other informed about everything? When my team and I had contacted Yichen, I'd sent Ashley to tell Killian about it right away. Why couldn't he at least tell me a short version of the reason we couldn't see each other?I sat on the bed and rubbed the aching spot on my chest. Would I ever find the right moment to tell him how I felt about him? A part of me hoped this confession would change something between us. Maybe he would confess too?A wave of heat flooded my cheeks. Even thinking that Killian might confess his love to me sent my heart racing… But what if I was the only one who felt something? What if this was merely an infatuation for him, and now whatever he'd felt for me before Estelle showed up was slowly dying? That would explain his current lack of trust, wouldn't it?I sucked in a ragg
KILLIANThe blood in my veins turned into molten lava as I stared at Helio Salazar and Josie through the two-way mirror. This guy was lying. He had to. But Josie knew him; she didn't deny it or the fact that she had delivered him packages. Still, she was sitting there, shaking her head and fisting her hands. She looked at Helio with disgust, almost like she didn't know Helio Salazar had been working for my mother before and learned only now...“I'm going inside,” I told Gunner before grabbing the door handle.“Wait.” Gunner grabbed my arm, pulling me to a halt. “Don't interfere just yet.”I ground my teeth. “This isn't right. She clearly has no idea what he is talking about.”“But the photos say something different, don't they?” He gave me a wry smile.I released the door handle and dragged my hand over my face. “I know, and this is what bothers me the most…”I shifted my gaze back to the two-way mirror and fixed my eyes on Josie. I could see the thin layer of tears filling her eyes,
“It would have been so much easier if we had those in better resolution,” Tony grumbled as he stared at the photos. “There's not much I can do with those poor-quality copies.”“I'm aware. Josie said the same thing.” My lips twisted into a wry grimace as I recalled her frustration.Tony scratched his chin before meeting my gaze. “How is she holding up, by the way?”“She is pissed, and I cannot blame her.” I got up from my chair and snatched the half-full decanter from the cabinet. “I told her to stay in her apartment for a few days, but the truth is that it'll be damn hard to prove anything without my mother, and she's not even answering my calls.” Tony chuckled, and I gave him a look. “I don't see how you find it amusing.”“Of course, it's amusing.” Tony rolled his eyes. “Your mother tried to make you talk to her for years. Now you get to see what it feels like.”I shook my head. “I wouldn't mind her going MIA in any other situation, but now, I'm not the only one who needs her to be h
JOSIEI knew Killian wanted me to stay in my apartment, but I couldn't. I'd spent hours pacing around the rooms, forcing my brain to miraculously find a way out of this situation. I had even called Veronica Rendall, telling her about Estelle's move. She'd promised to help me deal with the press if everything went south. Knowing I had her by my side helped a little, but the restlessness still hugged me tightly like an annoying friend, one impossible to get rid of.I was inching closer to a mental breakdown when Ashley called me, suggesting we have lunch together. I agreed right away. I knew my decision might have been reckless. Then again, I couldn't hide in my apartment forever just because Estelle might have come up with another evil plan.“So… this Salazar or whatever... He tries to frame you, right?” Ashley asked in between stabbing pieces of salad with her fork.I nodded. “It looks like it. Estelle or someone working for her must have paid him to tell this odd story. He tried to c
I sat on the bed, staring at the shattered pieces of the phone now splayed on my sheets. I had canceled my meeting with Veronica, briefly explaining what had happened. I'd told her I was fine just to calm her down. I didn't want her to worry, but the truth was different.I was still shaken as I went home, constantly recalling every second of my mad chase after the thief. Why hadn't he taken the bag into the car? Letting go of it made no sense. Besides, the more I thought about it, the more I realized he would have been the clumsiest thief in the world if he had dropped the bag while jumping into the van. But what if he hadn't meant to steal the bag in the first place?My gaze drifted to the smashed phone pieces, and I ground my teeth. What if the plan had been entirely different? What if the thief had taken my bag just to destroy my phone? No… It was impossible. No one knew about the secured phone I used to talk to Killian. I had never even pulled it out in public… except for today.I
Someone clearly made holes in my lungs, and now air escaped through these tiny holes each time I drew a breath. My hands trembled as I picked up Tony's number, but he didn't answer the call.“Think, Josie. Think!” I gritted out, dragging my fingers through my hair. Tony had to be at one of his Chicago meetings already, and I had to find a way to tell Killian about Yan Hao's invitation.I loosened a breath, trying to put my thoughts in order. I had to contact Killian, but I also had to call Kei and convince him to come with me. Logically, Kei was the only person who could help me, not only because I could use him as my translator but also because I knew he would be a translator I could trust.I glanced at the clock on my laptop screen. It was almost ten o'clock. I had eleven hours to get ready, to prepare myself for… for anything that could happen in Hong Kong.“Gunner… I could call Gunner,” I murmured, reaching into my purse and trying to find a business card I had gotten from him onc
“What are you doing here?” I demanded, folding my arms across my chest.Kaiden's brows rose an inch. “And what do you think people usually do at the airport?”“I'm serious, Kaiden. What are YOU doing here?” I tried to pin him with a firm stare, but he only laughed.“I'm going to Hong Kong,” he explained, “and after a short discussion, your friend told me you were invited too.”I worked my jaw. It wasn't hard to guess that Kaiden had been the one Ashley had bumped into, but I had yet to establish whether it was a good or bad thing that he was going to Hong Kong with us.Kaiden's eyes shifted to Kei, and his smile became tight. “And you are?”Kei cleared his throat and got up from his seat. “Kei Nishida. I'm a member of Josie's team. We worked together on—”“I'm not interested in your resume, Mr. Nishida,” he said curtly before turning his gaze to me. “May I ask what you are doing here in the waiting hall?”My one brow moved up. “I'm waiting for my plane?”Kaiden's face turned serious.
KILLIANTo say that the last twenty-four hours had been exhausting would have been a huge understatement. Preparing for the sudden trip chained me to the desk in my study for several hours, and the last-minute meetings my father sent me to were an unbelievable pain in the ass. The meetings turned out to be rather pointless, and, by the end of the third one, I had become certain they were meant to keep me occupied and away from other important issues… like the matter of the thief who had tried to steal Josie's purse.My restlessness grew by the heartbeat, and I was seconds away from calling her using my standard phone. I knew that sooner or later, I was bound to do something reckless, and today I was sliding on the verge. I was going to risk making that call. All I needed was a moment of privacy—a place without Estelle or her minions. The problem was that they were hell-bent on guarding me throughout the day, to the ridiculous extent that I couldn't even go to the men's room without se
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