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
Williams POV.The little girl sat on the floor, a small puzzle spread out in front of her, her tiny fingers working with quiet determination to fit the pieces together. I leaned against the doorframe, watching her with a sense of warmth I hadn’t felt in years. Every now and then, she'd glance up at me, her green eyes—so strikingly similar to Allison's—meeting mine. She had been distant at first, a frightened, fragile thing. But now, she was starting to open up. She was coming to me on her own, bringing her toys, even holding out her arms for me to pick her up. It softened something in me. She wasn’t mine, and I knew that. I didn’t even feel I had the right to name her, not yet. She belonged to Allison. But that didn’t stop me from calling her "baby." It was the only name that felt right, the only one that didn't impose too much. She was still a mystery in so many ways."Baby, what are you working on?" I asked, stepping forward and crouching beside her.She looked up at me, a shy smi
Allison's POV.The moment I saw her standing in the doorway, my heart clenched painfully. Baby. She was standing there, eyes wide, reaching out with her tiny arms before I even had a chance to move. A dull ache spread through my chest, and suddenly, I couldn’t hold back anymore. My feet moved on their own, closing the distance between us. I dropped to my knees in front of her, my hands trembling as I reached out to her. “Baby,” I whispered, my voice breaking.Before I could pull her into my arms, she wrapped her little arms around my neck, clinging to me like she was afraid I’d disappear again. The warmth of her small body hit me like a wave, and I buried my face in her soft hair, breathing her in. My chest tightened, and I felt the sting of tears welling up, something I hadn’t felt in years. I had never been this emotional before, not in front of anyone. But the weight of being reunited with her broke something deep inside me.I held her close, feeling her tiny heart beating agains
Allison's POV.The night was cold, rain still drizzling from earlier, as I made my way through the alleyway. My mind was still on Baby and Williams, my heart weighed down with all the things left unsaid. I should’ve stayed longer. But I had work to do, and Viktor Romanov was still out there.The hideout wasn’t far now, just a few more blocks. I kept my head down, my senses heightened as usual, always prepared for anything. At least I thought I was.Suddenly, I felt a sharp, blinding pain explode in my arm. I gasped, staggering forward as I instinctively clutched the searing spot. My fingers touched something cold and hard—an arrow, buried deep in my flesh, the tip sticking out the other side.I blinked, my vision blurring with shock as I tried to process what had just happened. Slowly, painfully, I turned my head and looked up.There she was.A girl, young, wearing a dark hoodie that obscured most of her face. She stood poised on the rooftop of an abandoned building, her bow still rai
Edwards’ POV.It had been three days since Allison went AWOL. Three agonizing days. And the silence? It was deafening. Every hour that passed without a word from her ate at me like a vulture picking at a carcass. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. “Allison is too good to vanish like this,” Mia said, pacing in front of me. Her brows were knitted together, worry etched into her features. “She would’ve sent a signal, anything by now.” “She’s not invincible, Mia,” I replied, my voice harsher than I intended. The truth of those words tasted like bile in my mouth. My jaw clenched as I tried to control the panic rising in my chest. I couldn’t think like that. If I gave in to that fear, I’d lose it. But it was hard, harder than I’d ever admit, knowing she was out there somewhere, possibly in danger, and I couldn’t do a damn thing about it.Viktoh, their boss, stood by the large window, staring out like he always did when he was deep in thought. His silence unner
Allison's POV.The pain had no beginning or end. It was everywhere, all at once. I couldn’t tell if my heart was racing or if it had stopped altogether, but I felt the rhythm of agony pulsing through every nerve in my body. My wrists were raw from the ropes that bound me, and I could feel blood pooling beneath me where the chair had already cut into my skin. I barely registered the cold, metallic floor beneath me anymore; all I could feel was the endless, burning pain.Viktor’s shadow was over me, the twisted grin on his face searing itself into my memory. He wasn’t done. I knew it. He was just getting started. Every time I thought I couldn’t take more, he found a new way to make me suffer."Bring her back," he commanded, his voice sharp and cruel. He gestured to one of his men with a flick of his wrist. "I want to hear her scream."A ragged breath left my lips, a pitiful sound I hated myself for making. I tried to prepare myself, tried to push the pain away, but when I saw what the m