The explosion's aftermath left a ringing in my ears. Thiago’s hand never left mine as we sprinted through the crumbling hallways of Victor’s estate. Shouts and gunfire echoed around us, but Victor’s words—He wants Bridgette—were louder than anything else.“What does he mean, Thiago?” I demanded, my voice shaking as I struggled to keep up. “Why would Elijah want me?”Thiago didn’t answer immediately. His jaw clenched, and his eyes scanned every shadow, every corner, as if Elijah himself could emerge at any moment.“It doesn’t matter,” he finally said, his tone clipped. “I’m not letting him touch you.”The determination in his voice sent a shiver down my spine, but it wasn’t enough to quench my growing fear.Raven’s voice crackled over the comms. “Thiago, we’ve got two SUVs outside, ready to extract. We need to move now.”“Copy,” he replied, his grip tightening on my hand as he pulled me toward the exit.As we burst through the estate’s main doors, the night was ablaze with chaos. Raven
Before anyone could react, one of Thiago’s men—someone I’d trusted—moved. He turned his gun on Thiago, the sharp sound of the safety clicking off echoing in the tense air.“What are you doing, Ramirez?” Thiago growled, his eyes narrowing.Ramirez hesitated, his face conflicted. “It’s not personal, boss. Elijah… he made an offer I couldn’t refuse.”Thiago’s expression darkened. “You just signed your death warrant.”Ramirez’s gun wavered slightly, but Elijah’s voice cut through the tension. “Enough of this.” He gestured toward me. “Bring her to me.”Raven moved instantly, stepping in front of me, her weapon raised. Thiago lunged at Ramirez, disarming him in one swift motion before using the man as a human shield. Chaos erupted as shots rang out, the confined space turning into a battlefield.Thiago was a blur of movement, taking down one man after another with ruthless efficiency. Raven’s aim was deadly, but the sheer number of enemies overwhelmed us.“Bridgette!” Thiago shouted, his vo
The safehouse buzzed with urgent energy as Thiago’s men prepared for war. Weapons were cleaned, maps unfurled, and strategies whispered in low tones. Yet amidst the chaos, Thiago stood apart, silent and brooding, the crumpled photograph still clenched in his fist.Raven approached cautiously, holding a headset. “We’ve intercepted chatter. Elijah’s team is on the move. They’re transporting something—or someone—to a secondary location.”Thiago’s jaw tightened. “Where?”“Industrial docks. West side,” she replied. “But the security is heavy, Thiago. This isn’t just a rescue mission—it’s a trap.”“I don’t care.” His voice was like ice. “They took Bridgette. I’m not waiting for them to make their next move.”Raven hesitated, her brow furrowing. “You’re running on emotion. That’s dangerous. Think this through—”“I am thinking,” Thiago snapped, his eyes blazing. “They want me distracted, weakened. They think I’ll hesitate because of her. But they don’t know Bridgette—she’s stronger than they
Thiago moved with the precision of a predator, his men flanking him as they closed in on the shipping containers. The air was thick with smoke, the sharp tang of gunpowder biting at his senses. Every step brought him closer to Bridgette—and to Elijah, the man who had dared to take her.Through the chaos, his focus remained unbroken, his thoughts a constant loop: She’s alive. I’ll get to her. I won’t fail her again.Raven’s voice crackled in his earpiece. “Thiago, we’ve spotted movement near the north perimeter. Looks like they’re relocating someone—probably her.”“On it,” Thiago replied, signaling his team to shift course.The weight of the detonator in Elijah’s hand felt oppressive, each step he took tightening the invisible leash around my neck. My mind raced as I searched for an opening, a way to warn Thiago without triggering Elijah’s wrath.We stopped near a black SUV parked at the edge of the docks. Elijah’s guards surrounded us, their weapons trained on every shadow. The tensio
The cold glow of the timer on the tablet seemed to cast a shadow over the entire room. My knees weakened, and I gripped the edge of the table to steady myself. The numbers ticked down relentlessly, each second a hammer driving the nail of panic deeper into my chest.00:59:58.Raven’s voice cut through the haze. “We don’t have time to freeze up, Bridgette. We need a plan.”Thiago, still groggy but regaining his composure, sat up on the cot, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the screen. “Sebastian doesn’t play games without an ace up his sleeve. He knows you’ll come for your father.”“I have to,” I said, my voice trembling but resolute. “This isn’t negotiable.”Thiago reached for my hand, his grip warm and firm despite the strain etched across his face. “Then we make sure it’s not a suicide mission.”Raven began pacing, her mind visibly racing. “He’ll expect you to come alone. If you don’t, he’ll kill your father. But if you do, he’ll still have the upper hand. We need to turn the tabl
The safehouse felt like a cage. The air was thick with tension, every creak and groan of the old building amplified in the silence. Thiago was relentless, his mind working overtime as he barked orders into his phone and coordinated with his team. Raven, though bruised and battered, insisted on joining the strategy discussions, while I stood in the corner, my thoughts swirling.Sebastian’s message wasn’t just a threat—it was a promise. And I knew he would make good on it.The knock on the door shattered the tense quiet. Raven and Thiago exchanged wary glances, both reaching for their weapons. I moved behind them, my pulse quickening as Thiago approached the door.“Who is it?” he called, his voice sharp.“It’s me. Marcus,” came the muffled reply.Thiago hesitated, glancing at Raven, who nodded. He unlocked the door, revealing Marcus standing in the dim hallway. He looked disheveled, his suit wrinkled and a faint cut on his cheek.“Marcus?” I asked, stepping forward. “What happened?”He
Raven pulled the van into a nondescript parking garage, shutting off the engine. The sudden silence was deafening.“Why are we stopping?” I demanded, my voice shaking.“Because we need help,” Raven replied, her eyes scanning the shadows.A figure emerged from the darkness—a tall, lean man with a scar running down his cheek. His presence was commanding, his sharp eyes taking in the van and its occupants with practiced ease.“Gabriel,” Raven greeted him with a nod.“You’re late,” he replied, his voice smooth and calm. His gaze shifted to me, lingering for a moment before turning back to Raven. “And you
The tunnel was suffocatingly narrow, the air thick with smoke and the echoes of Sebastian’s laughter still reverberating behind us. Each step felt heavier than the last, the weight of exhaustion and adrenaline threatening to buckle my knees. Thiago’s grip on my hand was firm, grounding me amidst the chaos.“Keep moving,” he urged, his voice a sharp command that left no room for hesitation.Gabriel led the way, his flashlight cutting through the murkiness of the passage. The flickering light painted ominous shadows on the walls, and every sound—every drip of water or distant creak—felt like an approaching threat.“Where does this lead?” I asked, my voice trembling.“To an access point near the docks,” Gabriel replied without turning around. “If Sebastian hasn’t already blocked it.”I swallowed hard, dread coiling in my stomach. The explosions, the relentless pursuit—it all felt too orchestrated, too perfect.“This is a trap,” I whispered, glancing back at Thiago.His jaw tightened. “Ma
The next few days were filled with a sense of impending danger. I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were walking on a tightrope, and any misstep would send everything crashing down. Thiago seemed just as on edge as I was, though he didn’t show it on the surface. But I could see it in his eyes—the same hunger, the same drive, the same readiness for whatever came next.I met him in his office late one afternoon. He was reviewing documents, his sharp gaze scanning the pages with an intensity that was almost unsettling."Thiago," I said softly, stepping into his space. He didn’t look up, but I could feel the tension in his posture. "Leah called me last night."His eyes flicked up to meet mine, narrowing slightly. "What did she want?"I hesitated, then told him everything she had said. "She thinks she can make a deal, but I don’t trust her. This isn’t over."Thiago placed the papers down carefully, then stood, crossing the room to stand in front of me. His presence was overwhelming, and fo
The city skyline shimmered under the evening lights as I stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows of Thiago's penthouse. The weight of recent events pressed heavily on my shoulders. Leah's calculated moves had thrown our world into disarray, and the revelation of her betrayal still echoed in my mind.Thiago entered the room, his expression a mix of concern and determination. "Bridgette," he began, his voice steady, "we need to talk."I turned to face him, searching his eyes for answers. "About Leah?"He nodded. "She's not just targeting the company; she's targeting us—our relationship, our future."I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing thoughts. "We can't let her win."He approached, taking my hands in his. "Then let's fight back. Together."The next morning, Lucia, Marcus, and I convened in the conference room. The atmosphere was tense, the air thick with anticipation.Lucia began, "We've traced the leak to a secure server. Only a handful of people had access."Marcus added,
The days that followed felt like a slow, meticulous countdown. The taste of victory was still fresh, but the knowledge that the war was far from over lingered in the back of my mind. Leah was not one to surrender easily, and I knew she'd find another way to fight back. But for now, the cards were in our hands.Thiago had been unusually quiet since the meeting, his focus sharp, but there was an intensity in his eyes that I couldn’t shake off. As if he was preparing for something I couldn’t yet see.I sat across from him one evening in the penthouse, papers scattered in front of me, but my thoughts were far from the numbers on the page. My mind kept wandering to Leah—how she had looked at me when she left the room, her smile not one of defeat, but of patience, like she was biding her time. That worried me more than any immediate retaliation.Thiago leaned forward, breaking my thoughts. "You’re thinking about her, aren’t you?"I met his gaze, not surprised that he had read me so easily.
By noon, I couldn’t pretend the walls weren’t closing in.The silence after Leah’s visit wasn't the kind that gave you peace—it was the kind that echoed. Every word she’d said, every warning she dripped like poison, kept looping in my mind like a cursed song I couldn’t turn off.Thiago was mine long before you walked into his life.You’re carrying a weapon.I stood in the shower longer than necessary, letting the water scald away the chill that had crept beneath my skin. But no matter how hard I scrubbed, I couldn’t rinse her off me.When I stepped out, I found Thiago waiting.He didn’t knock. He just stood there in the doorway, sleeves rolled, tie gone, shirt clinging to him like armor that no longer fit.“You’ve been quiet,” he said.“So have you.”He stepped inside, shutting the door behind him like he was sealing us off from the world.“You want to yell at me?” he asked. “Do it. I can take it.”I didn’t yell. I dried my hands on a towel, then looked at him square in the eyes.“Was
The next morning, I didn’t wake up to the usual soft chime of my alarm or the scent of espresso brewing from Thiago’s automated machine. I woke up to silence.Too much silence.The kind that settles like a fog in the bones, whispering that something has shifted. That something is wrong.I sat up, the silk sheets slipping off my skin as I reached for my phone. No new messages. No updates from Lucia or Marcus. Not even a single email from the security firm Thiago had commissioned. The stillness wasn’t peace—it was calculated quiet.Someone had pulled the plug.I moved quickly, throwing on one of Thiago’s button-downs, not bothering to fasten every button as I padded across the floor, phone in hand. I headed straight for the control panel by the wall—one that synced to the penthouse’s surveillance and internal comms. The screen lit up. Offline.“What the hell?”I tapped the screen again. Nothing.“Thiago?” I called out. No answer. My voice echoed back at me.That’s when the hairs on the
Bridgette’s POVI stood in front of the penthouse window, watching the city lights blink below me. Everything looked so peaceful from here, but I knew better. Behind the glimmering exterior, everyone was moving, plotting, fighting, hiding. Even the glass separating me from the world below felt like a wall between reality and illusion.Thiago had done his part—leaving no stone unturned, going after every single person who might have leaked information about my pregnancy. At least, that’s what he said. But that wasn’t enough. I couldn’t rely entirely on him. This was my fight too. And I wasn’t about to be dragged into a game I didn’t understand.I let out a long breath and walked back to the table, picking up the digital tablet in front of me. Lucia, Marcus, and the rest of the team were still waiting for the next move. There were no comforting words from Thiago; just the calculated look in his eyes whenever he saw me. He seemed pleased with the progress. He was the kind of man who belie
Bridgette’s POVThe war room atmosphere had descended on the office.Lucia, Marcus, and a handful of trusted executives gathered in the conference room, their faces grim. Even the interns sensed the tension and kept their heads down. No one wanted to be in the crossfire, not when the walls seemed to have ears—and possibly eyes.I stood at the head of the table, arms crossed, scanning the room.“This leak wasn’t random,” I said. “Someone here is feeding intel. And considering how quickly it reached the public… it had to come from someone high up.”Lucia nodded in agreement, tapping at her tablet. “We traced the earliest gossip back to an anonymous tip sent to three digital tabloids. Same language. Same phrasing. It wasn’t a coincidence.”Marcus leaned back in his chair, arms folded. “And you’re thinking it was someone in this room?”I didn’t flinch. “I’m thinking someone in this room knows who.”The silence was deafening.Thiago’s POVI arrived midway through the meeting, my presence d
The next few hours felt like I was walking through a fog, each step heavy with the weight of what was at stake. The note had shaken me more than I cared to admit, but it was also a wake-up call. I couldn’t let this go unnoticed. Not now.I grabbed my phone, dialed Marcus’s number, and pressed it to my ear. The ringing felt like an eternity.“Bridgette,” he answered, voice smooth, like he hadn’t just been part of the most volatile corporate environment I’d ever been in.“Marcus,” I said, keeping my tone level. “I need to know if you’ve had anything to do with the leak.”There was a long pause, longer than I expected.“Bridgette, you know I don’t get involved in... sensationalist games. That’s not my style,” he replied. The casualness of his words didn’t sit right.“I’m not asking about style. I’m asking about leaks.” I pressed, my voice tightening. “You had access to sensitive information, and I need to know if you gave it to anyone.”There was another beat of silence before Marcus spo
[BRIDGETTE'S POV]The sound of Thiago’s breathing lulled me. Slow. Steady. Unshaken.I hated that.How could he lie there like he wasn’t on the edge of something catastrophic? Like our whole reality hadn’t shifted the second I handed him that test?Maybe it had always been this way—me unraveling in silence while he anchored us with that dangerous, deliberate calm.I lifted my head slightly, just enough to watch him sleep. His face looked younger like this. Less ruthless. The weight of control he always carried had slipped off, if only for the night.I should’ve felt safer. I didn’t.I felt... seen.And being seen terrified me more than the test ever could.I slipped out of bed before dawn, dragging the blanket with me like armor. My feet found the cold marble of the penthouse floor, but I didn’t flinch.I needed space.Not to run—Just to breathe.The bathroom lights were too harsh, so I settled on the balcony. The city was just waking up. Lights blinking to life like a million eyes f