Allison's POV.We stayed silent for a while, the sound of our breathing mingling with the distant footsteps of Viktor's men outside. The tension was thick, a coiled spring ready to snap at any moment. My mind raced, calculating our options. This storage room was a temporary sanctuary, but it wouldn’t hold for long if they decided to sweep the area.Williams leaned against the wall opposite me, his eyes still locked on mine. There was a question there, something he was holding back. I could see the wheels turning in his head, trying to figure out what exactly he’d gotten himself into. But instead of asking, he simply nodded, a silent acknowledgment that he was ready for whatever came next.A sudden crash outside made both of us flinch. I pressed my ear to the door, straining to hear. The voices were louder now, closer. My pulse quickened. We needed a plan, and fast.“Look,” I whispered, turning back to Williams, “they’re closing in. We need to create a diversion, something to throw the
Williams' POVAs I walked back through the city streets, the adrenaline from our narrow escape still pulsing through my veins, I couldn’t shake the image of Allison’s face—determined, fierce, and yet, beneath it all, vulnerable. I had seen that look before, in those brief moments when her guard slipped, and it twisted something deep inside me. I hated that I had to leave her like that, alone in the middle of a war zone, but what choice did I have? She insisted, and I knew better than to argue when she was in that state.But damn it, it felt wrong. Every step away from her felt like a betrayal.Jonathan was waiting by the car, his expression impassive as always, but I could tell he’d been tense. He’d seen the gunfire, heard the commotion. “Is everything alright, sir?” he asked as I approached.“No, Jonathan, everything is far from alright,” I replied, my voice sharper than I intended. I yanked open the car door and slid into the back seat, trying to calm the storm in my head. “Drive.”
Allison's POVThe door to my hideout clicked shut behind me, the sound echoing in the empty space. My breath came in sharp, painful bursts as I stumbled towards the old, worn couch. The wound in my side throbbed with each step, the adrenaline that had kept me going finally wearing off. I pressed my hand against it, feeling the warm, sticky blood seeping through my fingers. "Dammit," I muttered, my vision blurring as I sat down heavily on the couch. I grabbed the first aid kit I kept stashed nearby and tore it open with shaking hands. The pain was excruciating, but I welcomed it—it kept me focused, kept me grounded. I winced as I cleaned the wound, biting down hard on my lip to keep from crying out. The stab wound wasn't deep, but it was enough to slow me down, enough to remind me of just how close Viktor's men had come to finishing me off. But I wasn't done yet. Not by a long shot.Just as I finished wrapping the bandage around my waist, the door burst open. Viktoh stormed in, his
Allison's POV.When I finally stirred, the cold floor beneath me was the first thing I noticed. My body ached from the uncomfortable position, and for a moment, I couldn’t remember where I was. My vision was hazy, and in came light, and I squinted, trying to make sense of the world around me. It was dawn.Someone was moving in the background—faint, careful footsteps that drew closer until they stopped right beside me. Panic flared in my chest, but before I could react, they sat down, their presence both familiar and comforting.I blinked rapidly, trying to clear the fog from my mind. Slowly, the room came into focus, and so did the person beside me. My heart skipped a beat when I finally saw him—Edward Blackwood."Allison," he said softly, his voice rich and smooth, like the calmness after a storm. The sound of it hit me like a wave, crashing over the walls I’d built around myself. Before I knew it, I was reaching for him, wrapping my arms around him as if my life depended on it."Edw
Williams POV.I stood in front of the massive floor-to-ceiling windows of my penthouse, watching the city below as it buzzed with life. But my thoughts weren’t on the people scurrying like ants or the usual hum of the city. My mind was focused on one thing: Viktor Romanov and his filthy empire.This wasn’t just business for me—it was personal. Everything I had planned over the past few days had been for Allison’s sake. She didn’t know yet, but I had made sure Viktor Romanov and his men would feel the weight of my wrath. Money, power, and influence—I was willing to use every bit of it to bring that bastard down."Sir, they’ve made the arrests," Jonathan, my P.A., said as he walked into the room. His voice was steady, but there was a slight hint of excitement. He knew the gravity of what had just been accomplished."Good," I said, my voice cold and flat. I didn’t turn to face him just yet. Instead, I let the satisfaction of hearing those words settle in. "How many?"“Six were arrested,”
Jessica's POV.The cold cement floor of the prison cell had become all too familiar to me. My body ached from the endless nights of discomfort, and my mind was worn down from the constant fear. I pressed my hand to my stomach, feeling the slight swell beneath my fingers. Four months. I was four months pregnant, and I knew if I didn’t get out soon, I wouldn’t survive—let alone the baby.My brother, James, had promised he would get me out. I clung to that hope like a lifeline, knowing that he was the only one who could make something like this happen. He was a five-star general, powerful, connected, and cunning enough to pull off the impossible. But still, there was always that creeping doubt in the back of my mind. What if he couldn’t? What if I was stuck here forever?A sudden, quiet knock on the bars of my cell snapped me out of my thoughts. I stiffened, my pulse quickening. It was late—far too late for anyone to be here. I peered through the dim light, squinting to see a figure dres
Allison's POV.The smell of sizzling meat filled the air as the fire crackled, sending sparks into the twilight. Edward stood over the grill, flipping burgers with an easy grin, while Mia and Ryan were laughing at some joke Viktoh had made. It was peaceful. For a brief moment, it almost felt normal, like we weren’t constantly looking over our shoulders for the next threat. But the tension never really left us. It lingered, always there, a shadow lurking behind every smile.I leaned against the picnic table, sipping my soda, trying to enjoy the rare calm. My mind, though, couldn’t shake the weight of everything that had happened. Viktor Romanov was out there. Somewhere. Watching. Waiting. We all knew it. But for tonight, I wanted to forget about him—just for a few hours.Ryan grabbed the remote and flipped on the small TV we had set up outside, half-joking about how he was missing the game. His laugh died as soon as the screen flickered to life.“Whoa. Guys… you need to see this,” Ryan
Jessica's POV.My heart pounded in my chest, not from fear, but from the surge of hatred that pulsed through my veins. Hatred for everyone who betrayed me. Williams, the man I once loved, had abandoned me like I meant nothing. Don, the father of my child, sold me out to save his skin. And Allison Miles… that worthless, conniving bitch… she was the one who set everything in motion, the one who ripped my life apart.My hand instinctively went to my stomach. I was four months pregnant, and the baby inside me deserved revenge. Deserved justice. I deserved to make them all pay. I’d teach them what real betrayal felt like.I had gotten out of that hellhole, thanks to my brother, and I wasn't going back. But Don, oh… Don would get what was coming to him. He was the first on my list.I had been waiting in his apartment for hours. I knew his habits, knew he’d go out drinking, screwing around with some whore. I’d found the spare key under the mat, just as I suspected, and now here I was, sitti