The car that had dropped me off at the library had disappeared.Standing on the sidewalk at the library’s main entrance, I frowned. Had Masato instructed the driver to leave me here alone? Very unlikely. I looked around to make sure the man hadn’t parked somewhere else.Frustrated, I pulled out my phone to text Masato, but another vehicle approached. It looked a lot like the black sedan, but I didn’t recognize the license plate. The car stopped right next to me. I took a step back.The window rolled down. Two Asian men were inside, dressed in expensive suits with unfriendly expressions."Get in," ordered the younger one, who looked a lot like Masato. The other, the driver, just kept staring at the road.I swallowed hard. Could these be the Blue Falcons? Had they finally come to kidnap me?Sensing my hesitation and obvious fear, the young man glanced around and, while looking at the street ahead, discreetly lifted the fabric of his sleeve. A small but unmistakable tattoo was inked on h
I took a deep breath and followed him into the building, trying to stay calm despite the unease gnawing at me inside. The place exuded an air of mystery and danger. Each step echoed on the concrete floor, and I felt the weight of Masato's men's eyes on me, as if they were evaluating my every move.The hallway we walked through was dimly lit, with old brick walls, almost as if we were entering a bunker. Masato walked ahead, imposing and confident, as if this were his absolute domain."You'll see that things are very different from what you imagine," he said without looking at me, his voice reverberating in the empty space."That's what worries me," I murmured, still unable to shake off the discomfort.We arrived at a large room, at the center of a space that seemed like a mix between a warehouse and an operations center. There were computers, armed men, and a huge map on the wall, marked with various points around the city. Masato led me to a sturdy wooden table in the middle of the ro
Masato observed for a moment before responding, as if pondering how much he should reveal. He pulled out a chair and sat in front of me, leaning closer. It seemed he was finally ready to come clean.“The Blue Falcons...,” he began, his voice deep, “are one of the oldest and most powerful criminal organizations in this country. They started as a small group of mercenaries but soon realized that true strength wasn’t in open combat, but in silent control—money, politics, bribery. Over the decades, they infiltrated every level of power. Politicians, corporations, law enforcement... they had influence over everything.”He paused, his eyes fixed on me, gauging my reaction.“My family,” he continued, “was one of many that stood against the Falcons. My father believed we could live an honorable life, with clean business practices. He had a company that was growing, gaining ground in the market, and the Falcons wanted a cut. When he refused to pay the 'protection' they demanded, they started d
"Do you really think Thomas is going to believe this story?"Frustrated, I crossed my arms while gazing out at the scenery. After the meeting with the Eagles ended, Masato ordered me into his car to head to our next destination—a private airport where a jet was already waiting for us. He had just explained his plan to justify my absence if Thomas intervened, but I wasn’t feeling confident at all."Of course he will," Masato replied, his attention focused on the road ahead. "Because you know the key is in the details, and I’ve packed this plan with them."I let out a sarcastic laugh, still staring out the window."Details, huh? And what do you think will happen when he starts asking questions? Thomas isn’t stupid; he’ll figure out something’s wrong."Masato shot me a quick glance before refocusing on the road."Thomas might be clever, but he doesn’t know who he’s dealing with. He’s used to manipulating everyone around him, but with me, it’s different."I held my tongue. I wanted so bad
The silence in the airplane cabin was almost palpable, broken only by the soft hum of the engines. I glanced at Masato sideways, trying to decipher what he was hiding. I knew there was more to the story between him and Thomas than he was letting on, and the vague hint that Thomas's past was complicated only heightened my curiosity—and my unease.As I leaned back in my seat, the memory of Thomas's words still echoed in my mind: "You don't know who he really is." Was he right? Thomas had insisted several times that I was on the wrong side, that Masato wasn’t who he seemed to be, but so far, all I had seen was Masato protecting me. To some extent.After all, he was also keeping me in the dark. Just like now.We didn’t speak for the rest of the trip, and I didn’t dare try. Masato clearly wanted his space, despite supposedly doing all this for my own good. My phone had been confiscated, and the new device had only two numbers: Masato’s (predictable) and an unknown sender, which I assumed w
Without further delay, I went back to the lower floor, determined to find some way to open that door. I knew Masato was meticulous with secrets, but even the most careful make mistakes.Besides, I realized something crucial: if that door had two locks, one regular and one electronic, there had to be a key or a code hidden somewhere.I went straight to the living room, examining the furniture and decorations. The mansion was luxurious, but there weren’t many places to hide something. I started with the obvious spots, opening drawers, moving cushions, and checking behind pictures, but everything seemed perfectly arranged, as if no one had touched it in months. Not a single clue.Frustrated, I continued my search through the other rooms. In the office, I found a heavy wooden desk filled with neatly organized folders and documents. Maybe this was the place. I went through the folders one by one, looking for any loose papers, but everything seemed to be in order, nothing out of place. Then
The tension in the air was palpable as Masato released me, his gaze still fixed on me as if he were calculating each of my next moves. I stood there, paralyzed, my heart racing. I knew I was in dangerous territory, and each of his words sounded like a dark promise of what was to come."Get up. Now." His voice was cold, controlled, but carried a latent threat.With no other option, I stood up from the chair with trembling legs and made my way to the upstairs, feeling Masato's eyes burning into my back as I walked away. The hallway felt longer and more oppressive than ever, and each step echoed in my mind, anticipating the punishment he had promised.When I reached the room, I closed the door behind me and leaned against it, trying to catch my breath. I glanced at the clock: there were still two hours until nine-thirty. Time seemed to drag on, but at the same time, the thought of each passing minute bringing me closer to the inevitable night at the beach made my stomach churn.I approac
Two weeks had passed.Conveniently, Thomas had understood my “condition” and why I needed to leave work immediately. He took into account all the details that Masato instructed me to give if too many questions were asked, mentioned that the twins missed me, and that the woman, Eva, didn’t seem too sad about my absence, which was no surprise, to be honest.After being harshly punished by Masato, I must admit, I felt more inclined to be obedient. I no longer questioned his orders or sought trouble. I took my meals, kept the house tidy, and most of the time didn’t bother him by seeking details about what exactly was so important on that secret island or why he was away every day, only returning at nightfall.I also stopped asking about the secret room. Not that I didn’t want to know—of course, I was dying of curiosity—but I wasn’t eager to anger Masato again. The whippings still stung from time to time, even though the billionaire had tended to my wounds thoroughly after the session.Eve
"After you passed out, we managed to corner the old man who was hell-bent on taking my head off at all costs," Thomas began. "Then we got to you and saw you were in bad shape. The bullet grazed your head."I carefully touched my temple, finally noticing that a gauze bandage was there."I wanted to kill him right then and there," Masato continued, "but my priority… our priority was you. So, I smeared Thomas’s face with blood and sand to make him unrecognizable, and we headed to the boat where the Ravens were waiting for us.""And they didn’t suspect anything? Seriously?" I asked."No. I made up some excuse, and we slipped away. Afterward, I erased our tracks—or at least did my best—and brought us here.""But hold on. At no point did you guys explain how you didn’t kill each other the moment you were out of danger. I thought you hated each other."Masato scratched his chin."Well, we…""We talked about what happened. About Sheyenne."When Thomas said the name of their former girlfriend,
"You're only alive because she asked.""Funny, I was going to say the same thing."Feeling a terrible, pulsating pain on the side of my head, I tried to ask for a pill, but instead, I just groaned. The sound made Masato and Thomas quickly fall silent and come toward me."Bianca?" I heard Thomas’s voice, and someone holding my face, but a quick movement made the hand pull away."Hey!""Don't touch her," Masato ordered."I'm starting to reconsider whether I let you live or not, you worm.""Can you two stop, please?" I complained, trying to sit up with my eyes still closed."Don't push yourself too much," Masato said, sounding worried."Careful," Thomas said.Then I felt two pairs of hands on my shoulders and back, helping me sit up. I placed my hand on my forehead and winced in pain."I'll get you some medicine," warned the blue-eyed billionaire. I heard his footsteps moving away.A few seconds later, my other billionaire held my chin and asked, "Can you open your eyes?""I can." And th
A man in his fifties, dressed in the same attire as the Blood Ravens, entered the area where we were. He wasn’t pointing his weapon at us, though he held it in his left hand."I don’t know what kind of soap opera this is,” he warned, looking at Masato. “But you made a deal with us. The Hawk’s head is ours.”Thomas didn’t react. Masato looked confused, as if unsure of what to do. He glanced at me, desperate, but what could I do under these circumstances?!“Don’t let this happen,” I pleaded with Masato. “Don’t let them take Thomas. Please.”He didn’t even react. He just pretended he didn’t hear me.The silence felt heavy between us, like a silent threat. The Blood Raven man took a step forward, his disdainful smile illuminated by the faint light filtering through the trees. Masato looked frozen, as if every fiber of his being fought against some decision he knew he had to make.“So that’s it?” I shouted, my voice breaking. “You promised you were here to protect me, but now you’re going
Explosions and screams echoed around us as Masato and I ran, dodging debris and fallen bodies on the ground. The Royal Falcons and the Ravens were locked in an unending, relentless battle. The Blue Falcons, caught off guard, reacted immediately, but it was clear how exhausted they were.Worried, I bit my lip, wondering what they would do to Thomas. Had he already escaped to a safer place? I was genuinely concerned for him. As the man himself had said, the Blood Ravens didn’t take prisoners.Masato, with his focused and determined gaze, never let go of my hand, guiding me along a route that only he seemed to know.“We’re almost there,” he said as we ran, his voice muffled by the sounds of war around us. “The hidden pier is just behind those rocks. We have a boat waiting.”“Hidden pier?”“Yes. Thomas has a secret spot on this hell he calls an island. That’s probably where he’ll try to escape, though I doubt he’ll make it there alive.”I felt a knot in my stomach.“What if he survives?”
I froze, unable to process what was happening. Masato’s face, which I had thought lost forever, was right there in front of me, his expression serious and intense. My eyes filled with tears, a mixture of shock, relief, and anger bubbling within me.“Masato… you…” My voice came out shaky, broken by emotions. “Where have you been? How could you just disappear and leave me… with him?”I hugged him desperately. Despite the terrible sounds of the ongoing fight, the feeling of safety that washed over me was immense. There, in Masato’s arms, I knew I had nothing and no one to fear.“I didn’t leave you, Bianca. Believe me, it was the last thing I wanted to do,” he replied, his eyes burning with an unusual intensity. “To protect you and to get us out of this hell, I had to make a dangerous deal.”“A deal?” Horror mixed with relief in my chest. “With the Blood Ravens?”Masato nodded, a hint of surprise in his gaze as he realized I knew the gang’s name. He explained:“Yes. To reach you, to get y
Thomas's revelation hit like a cold stone in my stomach. I was still weak, my body barely recovered, and now we had a war ahead of us? The thought of more battles, more losses, more wounds was almost unbearable. But there was no time for hesitation.“How many?” I whispered, my voice barely audible.“More than we’re ready to face,” he replied, tension evident in his voice. “The Royal Hawks are determined to take control of the island and bring me down.” He paused abruptly. “And this time, they won’t make the same mistakes Adrian did.”“What do you mean by that?”Thomas sighed.“Our spies said they recently formed an alliance with another enemy group of ours.”“Another group?”The billionaire nodded, his lips pressed in nervousness.“Unfortunately, over time, as I expanded my empire, I made more enemies. Of course, the Eagles are still our biggest rivals, but other groups also want us destroyed.”I crossed my arms, distressed.“Okay, and who exactly have the Royal Hawks aligned with?”T
The darkness enveloped me completely, and time seemed to lose its meaning. There was no pain, no fear—only a comforting emptiness that almost made me forget everything that had happened.When I finally awoke, I found myself in a place that was initially unfamiliar. The ceiling was white, illuminated by a soft light. Blinking slowly, I realized I was in a comfortable bed, surrounded by machines and medical equipment. The sterile smell and the low hum of the devices around me made me realize that I was back in the hospital ward of Falcon Island.I turned my head slowly and saw Thomas sitting next to my bed, his elbows resting on his knees, hands clasped, and his eyes fixed on me. There was an intensity in them that seemed to suggest he was carrying the weight of the world. Upon noticing I was awake, he leaned closer, taking my hand.“How do you feel?” he asked, his voice low, almost as if he were afraid to break the silence.I tried to speak, but my throat was dry. Thomas quickly grabbe
Adrian's weight on my body felt unbearable. His blood trickled, hot and thick, down my neck and face, mixing with my own blood, which continued to seep from the wound on my side. I tried to move, but I was too weak. My arms trembled as I struggled to push his limp body away.It was then, amid my blurred vision and rising desperation, that I heard hurried footsteps approaching. My heart leapt as I saw Thomas appear in front of me, his gaze filled with a restrained fury and, at the same time, relief. In his still-trembling hands was the firearm that had fired the shot.He had saved my life… and killed his own brother.The man quickly lifted Adrian's body off me, his expression shifting to something between worry and despair as he took in my condition."Bianca," he murmured, his voice rough. His fingers shook as they touched my bruised, blood-covered face. "I'm... sorry it came to this."A solitary tear slid down my cheek as I tried to smile, even with the pain throbbing in every part of
My heart was pounding uncontrollably. I knew that if I approached, I would be stepping into a game where the rules belonged to Adrian, and any misstep could mean the end. But Carmélia’s life depended on my choice, and I couldn’t leave her behind.I cast one last look at Thomas, hoping he had a plan — anything. He clenched his fists, his eyes burning with helplessness and anger, but he made no move. I knew he was trying to stay calm, trying to think of something as I slowly walked toward Adrian.Each step echoed in the silence, increasing the weight of that decision. Adrian smiled, satisfied, as if he had already won. He pulled the weapon away from Carmélia and grabbed her arm, pushing her toward Thomas.“There you go, brother, I kept my part of the deal. Now, Bianca is my guarantee.” He pulled me to his side, keeping the gun pointed at me.I tried to stay steady, but my hands trembled. I looked at Thomas one last time, hoping he’d say something, do anything to stop Adrian from taking