My knees buckled under me, the shock of what I was seeing hitting me like a physical blow. "No," I whispered, the word barely escaping my lips. "What happened, Ethan? Where is she?"He didn’t speak immediately. His gaze dropped to the floor, as though he couldn’t bear to meet my eyes. When he did sp
MARCUSTwo days. It had been two days since I last heard from the guys, and it felt like an eternity. The last time we spoke, Nick had called me with a strange message: go pick up Lupita and Grandma at the airport. He mentioned something about them being asleep, but the way he said it, the way he av
OLIVIAI woke up to a freezing chill creeping through my body, my back pressed against something cold, almost like I was lying in a freezer. My eyes fluttered open, but the dim light around me made it hard to make out anything clearly. As my senses returned, I realized something else, the absence of
My heart dropped into my stomach. His words sent a chill deeper than the cold that already gripped me. I had no idea what he was planning, what horrors awaited me next. But one thing was clear, he wasn’t done with me yet.Xander stepped further into the room, his eyes glinting with an unsettling mix
OLIVIAA tremor ran through my body as I saw him coming closer, his hand gripping another needle. I had come to fear both needles and Xander, for they had been the instruments that brought me to this terrifying place. The thought of either one made my skin crawl. My muscles, once eager to run, now f
OLIVIAThe tears wouldn't stop. I was completely numb to the pain in my feet, but the sight of Xander meticulously cutting and removing my toenails sent waves of horror and helplessness through me. I had no idea whether toenails grew back after they were surgically removed in such a brutal way, but
I didn’t know how to respond. What could I say? That I didn’t choose my father? That I was just as trapped in this fate as he was? There were no words that would change anything. There was no argument that could stop him.His eyes met mine again, and I saw something darker there, something more unse
NICKIt had been three days since Olivia disappeared, the longest, most agonizing three days of our lives. Every day felt like a never-ending loop of despair. We woke up, checked the rooms, scoured the island, hoping to find some trace of her. But no matter how much we searched, it was as if she had
MARCUSI regret ever listening. I wish I had kept my distance, stayed out of it, and resisted the temptation to eavesdrop on Olivia’s therapy session. I only wanted to understand what that man, Xander, had done to her. I needed to know the depth of the damage he had inflicted upon my wife. Never in
LUKEI stood outside, listening to Nick as he worked on breaking Xander down. The boy was good, too good for my liking. I never intended for those boys to be involved in my line of work. Keeping Nick behind was never meant to have him do this, it was meant to keep him away from Olivia. Being around
NICK“Do your worst, Nick,” Xander sneered, blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth as he spat it onto the floor at my feet. “See now? You people shot me, and I haven’t been able to contact my guys. The alert is out. It’s no longer just about Olivia. Now, your whole circle is fair game.”I coul
MARCUS“Olivia, you’re still not well,” I said, my voice firm but laced with concern. “And yet, you want to know about that? I’m not telling you anything right now. Recover first if you want to be included. Until then, I’m not saying a word.”I could feel my frustration rising. We had just gotten ho
OLIVIABy the time we landed back at New Village, Luke’s men were already waiting for us at the airport. The moment we arrived, Marcus spoke with them outside the car, while I settled inside with the kids. My baby girl was still fast asleep in my arms, and her brother had just started to stir as the
Nick“Nick, calm down. There was nothing you were going to do there. You promised not to interfere with her anymore. She left with her husband and kids to fix herself, to fix her marriage. You don’t belong there.”I stopped, the words hitting me like a slap. I turned to glare at him, fury bubbling i
MARCUS“Home. I want to go home.”Those were the first words Olivia spoke when she finally woke up. The urgency and exhaustion in her voice were clear, and it broke something in me to hear it. Home. The place where she could feel safe again, where she could begin to heal. I didn’t hesitate for a sec
OLIVIAI couldn’t tell how long I had been unconscious or why I had lost consciousness in the first place. The confusion lingered in my mind, but when I finally opened my eyes, everything shifted. There, sitting quietly beside me, was Marcus, his head resting on the edge of my bed.His presence felt
MARCUSI trembled with fury as I watched my wife in such a state. The sight of her, broken and trembling, filled me with a rage that burned so intensely, I could barely contain it. The urge to scream, to shout, to lash out at everything and everyone was overwhelming. I wanted to destroy everything,