Austin paced in a secluded corner, his movements tense as he waited. Glancing at his wristwatch with growing impatience, he exhaled sharply—just as a car came speeding recklessly into the alley. The tires screeched as it halted abruptly beside him.The driver’s door swung open, and out he stepped, a strange grin plastered on his face. “Did I keep you waiting too long?” His tone was almost teasing, but there was something unsettling about it.Austin shifted uncomfortably. “Lunch break ends in fifteen minutes. I don’t have much time.”The man simply nodded, leaning against his car, eyes fixed on Austin.Austin exhaled. “I know I’m behind on my repayment, but I swear, I’ll get you the money as soon as I can. Maybe even before the month ends.”The man let out a scoff, and then laughter.“You think I called you out here just for the money?” His smirk deepened. “I know which hospital your father is in, Austin. If this was only about the debt, his room would already be filled with flowers.”
Alex’s ears throbbed with the pulse of hip-hop music as he stepped into the club, still clad in his work attire after heading straight from the company.For the first time since Jaxon had uncovered the truth about him, he felt a slight sense of relief. But another weight still pressed on his mind. Michael.Weaving through the bodies moving on the dance floor, he made his way to the bar. The counter was crowded, but luck was on his side—an empty seat awaited him.He sank onto it with a heavy sigh, sweeping his gaze across the room. ‘Why’s this place so packed today?’ The thought crossed his mind before realization hit. ‘it’s Friday night, of course it is packed.’Turning to the bartender, he forced a strained smile. “Whiskey,” he ordered. She returned his smile with ease and nodded, reaching for a glass.As she worked, Alex dug into his bag for his phone, tapping open his DMs with Michael. Nothing had changed. Every apology he’d sent sat there, read but ignored. His jaw clenched. The s
Gingerhead let out a hearty laugh, and Alex chuckled along, his gaze fixed on the man's face."You still haven’t told me your name," Alex said.Gingerhead sighed, taking a slow sip of his drink before meeting Alex’s eyes. "Do you really want to do introductions, or do you just want to fuck me?"Alex’s brows shot up in surprise. He hadn’t expected someone who looked so nerdy and reserved to be this blunt.And yet, he loved it."Well, I don’t like introductions either," Alex admitted, downing the rest of his whiskey, never breaking eye contact.Gingerhead bit his lower lip, then wordlessly slid away from the counter, his fingertips grazing up Alex’s arm as he moved.A smirk tugged at Alex’s lips. He stood and followed, watching as Gingerhead led him toward the hallway at the far end of the club. He deliberately maintained a bit of distance between them, stretching the tension with every step.Gingerhead kept glancing back, his expression teasing, seductive, his pace slowing just enough
Michael struggled but managed to carry Alex up the stairs and into his bedroom. Alex had been out cold the entire drive back to his estate.With a grunt, Michael dropped Alex onto the bed and let out a deep sigh of relief. He collapsed beside him, chest rising and falling as he caught his breath. Carrying Alex had taken its toll.Turning his head, Michael studied Alex, who lay peacefully beside him. He pushed himself up slightly, eyes fixed on Alex’s face, his expression unreadable.Resting his head on his hand, he kept staring. Asleep, Alex looked softer, almost innocent. Slowly, Michael reached out, brushing a stray strand of hair from his face.‘Why does it have to be like this between us?’ The thought weighed heavy in his mind.As if sensing it, Alex stirred, his weary eyes fluttering open, locking instantly with Michael’s, who had been watching him intently.Without hesitation, Alex raised a hand, fingers ghosting over Michael’s face. “I’m glad you’re here,” he whispered, voice b
Isla woke up with a deep yawn, stretching her arm toward the empty space beside her. She expected to feel Jaxon lying next to her, but he was nowhere to be found.Her brows furrowed as she blinked her eyes open, glancing at his side of the bed. Letting out a quiet sigh, she sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes with the back of her hand."Jaxon?" she mumbled drowsily, stifling another yawn.Sliding out from beneath the sheets, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and reached for her phone. Unlocking it, she found everything exactly as she had left it the night before.Slipping on her flip-flops, she padded toward the door and stepped into the hallway."Jaxon?" she called again, her voice echoing slightly as she made her way toward the stairs.The night before, after her conversation with Austin, she had made up her mind—she was going to tell Jaxon about it. Something about Austin wanting to meet up before explaining himself felt off to her. It almost seemed like he had nothin
Jeremy sped off in his car, heading to work. His eyes flickered to his phone screen once more, hoping for a message from Isla, but nothing.‘Did she know he was in the mafia before?’ The thought gnawed at him. He shook his head, refocusing on the road. He remembered clearly how much Isla despised the mafia when they were together. She never held back her disgust, always speaking about them with pure contempt.He had often wondered why, but she never gave him an answer. Sure, everyone knew the mafia was powerful, ruthless, and knee-deep in illegal business, but Isla’s hatred ran deeper. It was personal. And he knew that.‘There’s no way she knew and still got with him. He must’ve hidden it from her. But... why hasn’t she responded after reading the message?’ His jaw clenched as he tilted his head in thought.As he approached the turn under a bridge, he made the sharp curve, and caught sight of a car sticking unnervingly close behind him. His brows furrowed. Checking the rearview mirror
Isla strode straight to the desk, her gaze sweeping the room in search of any clue—anything to prove she wasn’t just being paranoid.Reaching the desk, her eyes flicked over its surface. A few files lay scattered on top. She skimmed through them, but they were nothing more than work-related documents and contracts.Crouching slightly, she turned her attention to the drawers attached to the desk. Just as she was about to place her phone down and pull one open, her screen lit up with an incoming call.She frowned, glancing at the name. It was Austin. Her jaw tightened. ‘Bad timing.’ Without a second thought, she silenced the call and set the phone on the desk.Returning to the drawers, she tugged at one—locked. She tried another. Also locked.‘Locked drawers inside a locked room? That’s beyond suspicious.’ She tested each one, but none had been carelessly left open. ‘Great. Now I have to find the keys. And they better not be hidden too well.’Shifting her focus, she moved to the bookshe
“Isla!” Jaxon burst into his mansion, breathless. “Isla!” he called again, his voice echoing through the eerily silent house.Charlie’s words replayed in his mind as he rushed toward the stairs."Teresa has been here all along! Her mother changed their identities and appearance, terrified your father would come after the rest of the family. She fled Rome and has been hiding in a small house in Naples."“Isla!” he shouted once more, but the silence remained unbroken.Then he froze.Down the hallway, his study door was ajar.“Fuck!” he cursed, sprinting toward it.The moment he stepped inside, her scent lingered in the air. His stomach tightened as he rushed to his desk—only to find his journal missing. The rest of his belongings had been disturbed.“Fuck! She knows!” His pulse pounded as he bolted out of the study, slamming the door shut behind him. Without hesitation, he headed straight for her bedroom.The door was slightly ajar, and a cold dread settled in his chest. His worst fears
Idris pulled up at the bus stop where Michael had told him to meet for their date. For good reason, Michael had no intention of letting Idris anywhere near his apartment.Truth be told, he was hoping this would be the last time he ever had to see or speak to him again.“Pim Pim.” A car horn sounded, snapping Michael out of his thoughts. He looked up from his phone to see Idris parked right in front of him, grinning and waving excitedly.Michael forced a smile and got up from the bench, making his way to the car. He opened the door and slid into the passenger seat."Sorry for keeping you waiting," Idris said warmly, reaching out to take Michael’s hand.Michael glanced down at their hands and subtly pulled away, shaking his head slightly. “It’s fine. I just got here too,” he replied. Idris gave a small nod, his brows knitting together in concern.“You okay?” he asked, sensing that something was off.Michael shifted in his seat, meeting his gaze with a reassuring smile. “Yeah, of course.
Bianchi began to pace restlessly in front of Isla as he expected his men. Isla, who was still extreme weak, seemed to have hope seeing her capturer disoriented. She let out a smirk and flicked her brows. “I told you Jaxon would find you and kill you.” She muttered admist laughter, loud enough for him to hear. “Shut the fuck up!” Bianchi growled as he stormed closer to the chair where she was tied, his shivering finger pointing to her face. Isla kept her smirk, refusing to look away in fear. “You know…” he whispered, a smirk curling up the side of his lips. “I thought I would just have to kill one girl to get what I want, but…” he pulled out his gun from his back and traced it on Isla’s face, causing her breath to etch. “...why not add her bestfriend to make things more fun?” He grinned, and Isla’s heart skipped a beat. The smirk on her face instantly disappeared. “What are you talking about?” She asked with gritted teeth, and Bianchi let out an annoying laugh as he moved away fro
Sophie wandered the streets, tears brimming in her eyes, clutching posters of Isla. Bold red letters screamed “MISSING” above Isla’s picture, and beneath it, a ten-thousand-euro reward.She moved from one wall to the next, plastering the posters wherever she could, stopping passersby to ask if they had seen her.She had called and texted Isla multiple times, but got no response. She even tried Jaxon’s number, but for some reason, he wasn’t answering either.When she finally got through to Ray, he confirmed the worst—Isla was missing. The words hit Sophie like a brick. Panic surged through her. She wanted to report it to the police immediately, but Ray stopped her, assuring her that they were already handling it.Still, Sophie couldn’t stand feeling helpless. Sitting back and doing nothing while her best friend was out there—possibly in danger—wasn’t an option. So, she took to the streets, hoping that someone, anyone, might recognize Isla from the posters.Just as she was showing anoth
“Please… let me go,” Jeremy murmured as one of Jaxon’s men stepped into the room, the door creaking open. He carried a tray of food in one hand, a gun steady in the other.“I just need to speak to Jaxon Waverly. Please, I’m begging you,” Jeremy pleaded, his voice cracking. “I’ve got a wife and a kid waiting for me. I’ve been gone for days, they’ll be losing their minds by now. Please.”But the man said nothing. He crouched and set the tray on the floor, his gun never straying from Jeremy’s face.“Just let me talk to him. One phone call,” Jeremy said, his voice trembling now. “I swear, he’s probably forgotten I’m even still here. I’ve learnt my lesson. I just, look, my wounds are getting worse. If they don’t get treated properly, I’m gonna die from infection. Please, man.”Still, no response. The guard turned on his heel and walked out, unfazed, as if Jeremy hadn’t spoken at all.“Please!” Jeremy shouted, stumbling up from the narrow bed squeezed into the cramped room. He rushed to the
While Jaxon’s men spread out to search for Isla, he sat in one of the parked vehicles, Ray behind the wheel, and Alex in the passenger seat beside him.“This is mad,” Ray muttered, shaking his head as he drove. “Who in their right mind would kidnap Isla?”Alex frowned, equally confused. “Seriously. It makes no sense. Why Isla?” he asked, twisting in his seat to glance at Jaxon, who sat silently in the back, in the owner’s spot.Jaxon’s gaze was hard, distant. He shook his head slowly. “This is deeper than it looks. Whoever did this… they know me. Isla doesn’t have enemies like that. This isn’t about her. it’s about me. This is on me,” he said quietly, brows furrowed with guilt.Ray glanced at him through the rearview mirror, skeptical. “Isn’t that a bit of a stretch?” he asked. “Who would even dare come after you? This kind of thing doesn’t happen to you, because no one’s ever had the guts.”Before Jaxon could respond, his phone chimed with a notification.“That’s facts,” Alex added,
Austin lay in the hospital bed, his mangled hand swaddled in thick bandages. Beside him, Dustin sat silently, his eyes filled with pity and disbelief.“I still don’t get it, man,” Dustin said, shaking his head. “You lost your hand… because of Isla? That don’t make sense. She wasn’t even in town when this all went down.”“You don’t have to get it,” Austin murmured, his voice hoarse and weak as he stared at the remains of his hand. “I did this for her. When she sees what I gave up… she’ll know I love her. She’ll know I’d never put her in harm’s way like Jaxon did.”Dustin exhaled sharply, frustration bubbling up. “Are you hearing yourself right now? You nearly died, Austin! If I hadn’t come when you called, you would’ve bled out on that damn floor. And now you’re feeding me this half-ass explanation? Don’t I deserve the truth?”Austin turned his head slowly, his gaze heavy with regret. After a long pause, he spoke again, voice low. “I got mixed up with a loan shark. He’s the one who did
As Isla lay silently in the cage, exhaustion and thirst weighing her down, the sudden sound of keys jingling against metal snapped her out of her haze. The cell gate creaked open.Her heart pounded violently in her chest, dreading what was coming next. Before she could react, rough hands clamped around her ankles and yanked her forward.“Aghhh!” she cried out as her skin scraped against the cold, hard floor, sharp stinging cuts forming along her arms and legs.“Shut the fuck up, woman!” Bianchi snapped, irritation lacing his voice. A trail of smoke curled from the cigarette hanging at the corner of his lips. “Tie her to the chair,” he ordered.His men wasted no time. They grabbed her, forcing her onto a chair as she thrashed against their grip. A thick, coarse rope was wound tightly around her, pinning her arms to her sides. Blood trickled from the fresh cuts on her skin, staining her already filthy blue shirt.“Let me go!” she screamed, but Bianchi only chuckled, shaking his head.“N
Mrs. Bennett sat in Jaxon’s living room, her gaze sweeping across the grand interior while he settled into the couch opposite her.The room was silent, save for their presence, as his men waited outside for further instructions.“Mrs. Bennett, I appreciate you coming here with me. I have so many questions, and I’d really appreciate it if you could answer them,” Jaxon said, his tone steady.She exhaled, a weary sigh escaping her lips. “I’m already here, aren’t I? Not like I had much of a choice,” she murmured, leaning back against the couch.“I know you need rest, so I’ll keep this brief.” He met her gaze, and she gave a small nod before he continued, “How did Teresa Blackwood become Isla Bennett?”A soft sigh left her lips. “I changed our names and identities after your father killed my husband. Don Westerly wasn’t a man of mercy—he was ruthless, powerful. My husband made the mistake of getting entangled with him, and it cost him his life. I knew that settling the score wouldn’t be en
Austin waited in his usual secluded spot, anxious for the meetup. At last, he had the money, one final payment before cutting ties with the loan sharks for good.Right on cue, a car screeched around the corner, nearly clipping him. Austin quickly stepped back, cursing under his breath.The vehicle jerked to a stop, engine cutting off. As the driver slid out, Austin exhaled sharply. “You really need to stop pulling that stunt,” he muttered, irritation lacing his voice.The man grinned, flashing a set of crooked teeth. “Austin! You’ve got my money. Finally.”Without a word, Austin reached into the inner pocket of his suit and pulled out a thick brown envelope. He extended it with a firm expression. “This is the last time we do business.”The man took the envelope, nodding as he peeled it open. He sifted through the cash, eyes narrowing. “I trust you wouldn’t be stupid enough to short me.”Austin shrugged. “Count it if you want.”The man scoffed, gave a brief nod, then tossed the envelop