Lily's POVThe eerie silence that followed the gunshot sent a jolt of fear coursing through my veins. My heart raced as I scanned the surrounding area, trying to pinpoint the origin of the alarming sound."Did you hear that?" I asked, my voice trembling with unease, as I turned to Aiden for reassurance. His expression mirrored my own apprehension, his eyes scanning the perimeter with furrowed brows."Yeah, I heard it," he replied, his tone tense as he surveyed the estate grounds for any sign of danger. "It's probably just... just..." He trailed off, his words faltering as he struggled to come up with a plausible explanation."Just what?" I pressed, my voice tinged with anxiety. "That sounded very dangerous."Aiden's gaze flickered towards the distant tree line, his jaw clenched with determination. "It's probably just my men doing some target practice," he finally offered, though his words lacked the conviction to fully ease my fears."But what if it's not?" I countered. My voice was b
Lily's POVAs I stood frozen in the doorway, my heart plummeted at the sight before me. Aiden's tear-streaked face moved upwards to meet mine, and his arms cradled Cook's lifeless form. Panic surged through me, my mind reeling at the sight of blood staining her clothes.The gunshot....had it met her?God!"Aiden, what happened?" I choked out, my voice trembling with fear and disbelief. "What the fuck happened? What the fuck happened to Cook? Tell me!"Aiden's gaze met mine, anguish etched into every line of his expression. "The bullet met her. She was in the kitchen when it happened."Waves upon waves of horror came crashing down on me. At first, I felt immobilized, like my feet had turned to marble, like I could not move even if I wanted to. And then I defrosted and melted into a heap of anguish beside the unmoving Cook.As I knelt by Cook's side, my heart clenched at the sight of her pale face and the blood staining her clothes. Desperation clawed at my chest as I reached out to tou
Ricardo's POVThe long pier overlooked the Hudson River, and the Statue of Liberty loomed in the distance like a silent guardian of the city. I was standing on the pier, trying to let the cool air from the river wash away my fears.Sighing loudly, I stared at the small fishing boats that floated lazily on the river's surface. But my thoughts were far from the iconic monument or the floating boats before me. Instead, they were consumed by one burning desire: to hear that Aiden was finally dead.The mere thought of his demise filled me with a vile sense of satisfaction, coursing through my veins like a toxic elixir. For years, I had plotted and schemed to rid myself of that pestilential thorn in my side, and now, it seemed, my efforts might finally bear fruit.Maybe....just maybe that Mitch man would be successful in killing my archenemy. Then I would kill Mitch and dump his body in this very river.But even as I relished the prospect of Aiden's demise, there was a nagging voice at the
Lily's POVAs Aiden and I sat in the waiting room of Doctor Youn's office, my heart raced with a mix of happiness and anxiety. It had been a week since Cook's tragic death, and the pain of losing her still lingered like a heavy cloud over our heads.Yet, amidst the sorrow, there was a tiny ray of hope as we waited to see Lucas. Even though Aiden and I had lost Cook to death, there was still the joy of knowing that my brother was alive and well.Aiden sat beside me, his hand clasping mine tightly, a silent reassurance that we were in this together. "It feels like forever since I last saw him," I whispered, my voice barely above a murmur as I stole a glance at Aiden. "Do you think my brother is okay?"Aiden's eyes softened with concern as he turned to me, his grip on my hand tightening ever so slightly. "He's a fighter, Estelle, at least from all you've told me about Lucas." He replied, his voice a low murmur. "He'll pull through, I know he will."I nodded, trying to push aside the nag
Lily's POV"I thought... I thought I was going to die," Lucas choked out between sobs. "When those men... when they shot me, all I could think about was how I would never see you again."My heart shattered into a million pieces as I listened to his anguished words. The realization of how close we had come to losing each other flooded my mind, and tears streamed down my face once again."Oh, Lucas," I whispered, my voice trembling with emotion. "I can't even begin to imagine what you went through. But you're here now, and I'm here. We made it through together."Lucas dried his tears, his gaze was wary as he looked at me. "I suppose you'd want to hear about how I got shot," he said, his voice tinged with hesitation. "You might have wondered..."I smiled gently, reaching out to hold his hand. "Lucas, I already know everything," I assured him. "I know about what happened, about your dealings with Ricardo. You don't need to explain anything to me."Confusion flickered across Lucas' face as
Aiden's POVAs I sat in the chair, observing Lily and Lucas sharing their tender, loving moments, a pang of realization hit me deep within. It was in that precious instant that I understood what had been missing from my own life—a real family.In their embrace, I witnessed a bond so strong, so unbreakable, that it touched a part of my heart I didn't know existed. Lily's strong love for her brother and the lengths she had to go through for him humbled me.Hell, they weren't even biological siblings!For most of my life, I had been living my life solo, lacking the warmth and unconditional love that a true family provides. I had built walls around my heart, protecting myself from the vulnerability that comes with opening up to others. But in that moment, those walls began to crumble.Seeing Lily willing to live with and surrender her body to a man she hated me, and seeing her endure everything just to make sure her brother's surgery was paid for, was the highest form of love I had ever s
Aiden's POVI stood there, the weight of the bullet in my hand feeling like a heavy burden, pressing down on me with undeniable force. I felt both angers and fear deep inside of me, both crashing into one another and making my mouth turn sour.My mind raced, trying to make sense of the situation. How could this be possible? How could someone have targeted me, and why?I knew why, alright. Ricardo had every reason to want me dead. But I knew Ricardo very well, and I knew that he was a very cautious man. He would rather draw me out to the open and finish me off than come into my house, where he knew I'd have men surrounding him in no time.It was what he'd done when he'd kidnapped Lily. He knew what she meant to me, and what I would do to have her back. He'd used her as common bait to draw me and my men to him, where he'd proceeded to stab me.A cold shiver ran down my spine as I remembered my stab wound. Instinctively, my hand slipped upwards and touched that place just below my heart,
Lily's POVAs I watched Aiden drive off, a pang of worry shot through me like a bolt of lightning. He looked so troubled, so burdened by something heavy on his mind. I couldn't shake the feeling that he was keeping something from me, something important."What's wrong with him?" I muttered to myself, my brow furrowed with concern. "Why won't he tell me?"The thought gnawed at me, like a persistent itch I couldn't scratch. I wanted to reach out to him, to offer him comfort and support, but I didn't know how to break through the wall he was slowly building around himself again.It reminded me too much of that time, a few months ago, when I'd just met him, and he'd been a dark, sullen man.I sighed heavily, my shoulders sagging with the weight of uncertainty. Ever since Cook's death, things had been difficult for both of us. Aiden had been distant, lost in his own thoughts, and even though he had tried to hide it for my sake, I could still see it.I could see right through him like clear