Lucas’s POVNotwithstanding, the tension between Mandy and me was still palpable as we stood in the living room, both of us watching Emily play with her toys on the floor. The weight of the situation hung in the air, a silent understanding between us that things were escalating, and we had no choice but to put aside our differences for her sake. "Lucas, I don’t know what to do anymore," Mandy’s voice was strained, barely above a whisper, but I could hear the panic in it. I didn’t know what to say. There were no words that could make this easier. Emily’s safety was at risk, and that was all that mattered. "We’ll figure this out," I said, my voice steady, but inside, I was anything but calm. Damian’s presence loomed over us like a dark cloud, and every second felt like we were running out of time.Mandy’s eyes met mine, searching for some sign that I wasn’t as lost as I felt. "You don’t get it, do you? I’ve kept Emily safe from all of this for so long, and now… now I have to rely on
Lucas’s POVMy hands were shaking as I held the envelope, the weight of it pressing down on me like a heavy stone. The words on the paper still haunted me: "You can’t protect her forever. She’s mine now."But it wasn’t just the cryptic message that rattled me—it was what came next. As I unfolded the paper, a photograph fell out, slipping from between the folds. I bent down to pick it up, and the sight of it nearly made my heart stop.It was a picture of my elder brother, Thomas. His face was frozen in time, a younger version of him, full of life and promise. But there was something wrong about the picture. Behind him, barely visible in the background, was a figure I didn’t recognize. I stared at the image, my mind racing, as the pieces started to fall into place. My brother had died under mysterious circumstances, and I’d always suspected there was more to the story than what the police had told me. But this... this was something else entirely. I looked at the back of the photograph
Mandy's POVThe weight of the envelope Lucas had found still hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. I couldn’t shake the feeling that everything was unraveling faster than I could keep up with. The truth about Damian, the lies, the betrayal—it was all coming to light in a way I wasn’t prepared for.But what unsettled me the most was Lucas. He had always been a man of control, of precision, someone who could calculate every move. But now, as he stood there, holding that envelope with a look of determination in his eyes, I saw a different side of him. A side that was vulnerable, desperate even, to protect Emily and me.I had always known that Lucas cared about Emily—how could he not? But this? This was something deeper. He was willing to burn bridges, to confront the very people who had shaped his life, all for the sake of the little girl who wasn’t even his by blood. It was hard to ignore the emotion that swelled in my chest when I saw him like this, fighting for us.“Are you sure ab
Lucas povThe weight of Damian’s words was suffocating, lingering in my mind like a poison I couldn’t escape. He had spoken with such calm confidence, as if he knew I was already ensnared in his game. Though, he was right. I didn’t know who I was up against. But I would. I sat at my desk, the dim glow of the lamp illuminating the file in front of me. It was a collection of Damian’s known dealings—business ventures, partnerships, investments—but none of it explained the darkness I sensed beneath the surface. Damian wasn’t just a ruthless businessman or a manipulative relative. He was something far worse. Then, I grabbed my phone, hesitating for only a moment before dialing the number of the private investigator I had hired months ago. “Mr. Lucas,” came the gruff voice on the other end. “What can I do for you?” “I need you to dig deeper into Damian’s past,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me. “Everything. Connections, dealings, anyone he’s worked with. L
Lucas's POVThe thoughts of the flash drive burned a hole in my pocket as I made my way toward Damian’s office. Each step felt heavier than the last, the urgency of the situation pressing down on me. I had the evidence. I had the proof. This was the moment I had been waiting for, the moment where I would confront him and expose the truth. But as I walked, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was stepping into something far darker than I had ever imagined. Not long, I arrived at his building, the sleek, modern structure towering above me, casting a long shadow across the street. I had been here before, but today felt different. However, the elevator ride up to his floor was silent, the hum of the machinery the only sound. When the doors opened, I stepped out into the polished hallway, my mind focused on one thing confronting Damian. His office door was ajar, and I didn’t hesitate to push it open. Damian was sitting behind his desk, as calm and collected as ever. His eyes lifted f
Mandy’s POVI sat across from Lucas, his face tight with anxiety, the evidence and Damian’s chilling ultimatum laid out between us. His words had been heavy, and as he spoke, I could feel the tension in the room grow thicker with each passing second. He told me everything—the documents, the flash drive, the truth about Thomas, and the dangerous web Damian had spun. But it wasn’t just the evidence that shook me. It was the choice that hung in the air, the one Damian had given us. “Damian wants us to leave,” Lucas said, his voice strained. “He’s offering us a way out. He wants me to walk away from everything—Mandy, Emily, everything—and disappear. If we don’t, he’ll make sure we regret it. He said it would be worse for you and Emily if I don’t agree.” I stared at him, my mind racing, but my heart felt like it was suffocating in my chest. Though,the weight of the decision was suffocating. But I had always known Damian was dangerous, but hearing it from Lucas, hearing the fear in hi
Lucas’s POVIf anything, the more I learned about Damian’s reach, the more dangerous it seemed. And as much as I wanted to protect Mandy and Emily, as much as I was determined to expose Damian for the monster he was, I knew we couldn’t do it alone. I needed help. And not just any help but from someone who knew Damian better than anyone else. Someone who had been burned by him.That’s how I found myself sitting in a dimly lit bar on the outskirts of the city, a place where shadows seemed to gather and whispers were the only currency. The man I was meeting wasn’t someone I’d ever expected to trust, but desperate times called for desperate measures. His name was Derek, and he had once been one of Damian’s closest associates before things went south. Now, he was a man with a grudge—and a lot of useful information.Derek had always been a mystery to me. He was sharp, calculating, and always one step ahead of everyone else. I’d heard rumors about him—rumors that said he was just as dangerou
Mandy’s POVThe sun was setting, casting a soft golden glow across the backyard as I watched Emily play. Her laughter echoed through the air, a sound that always brought a sense of peace to my heart. She was chasing after her dog, with her small feet pounding against the grass as she giggled, her innocence and joy so pure it made everything else seem insignificant.But that moment of peace was fleeting as I had turned my back for just a few seconds to grab a drink from the kitchen, the sound of Emily’s laughter still in my ears as I moved inside. It wasn’t long—just a few minutes, but when I returned, the backyard was silent. Too silent.“Emily?” I called, stepping out into the yard. My heart skipped a beat when I didn’t hear her response. I scanned the area, my eyes darting over every corner, every tree. There was no sign of her.I felt the first stirrings of panic in my chest. “Emily?” I called again, louder this time, my voice trembling. Still no response. My heart began to race as
Mandy’s POVThe SUV’s tires screeched as it came to a halt, the eerie silence of the abandoned warehouse district swallowing the sound. My pulse raced in my ears as I sat motionless, gripping Emily’s limp body tightly. Each second felt like an eternity. The night air outside was thick with tension, the kind that made you feel like something terrible was about to happen, but you had no idea how to stop it.Lucas didn’t even glance at me as he opened the door and stepped out of the car. His face was set, hardened, like he was preparing for war. I followed quickly behind him, clutching Emily closer to my chest, her tiny body a fragile weight in my arms. The warehouse loomed in front of us—an ugly, decaying building at the edge of the city. There was nothing welcoming about it, nothing that suggested it could be a place of hope. It was a hollow structure, abandoned and broken, much like the world we had stepped into.We moved quickly toward the entrance, the dim lights of the street
lucas’s POVThe phone call felt like a weight around my neck, each second dragging me deeper into something I never wanted to revisit. My grip tightened on the steering wheel, knuckling white as I stared out the window. But my mind wasn’t on the road ahead—it was on the voice that had just spoken through the phone. "You should be rotting in a cell, Lucas."His words rang in my ears like a death sentence. Every syllable is a reminder of the mistakes I’d made, the enemies I’d created, and the man I once was—the man I still couldn’t fully outrun. I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay calm. "I don’t have time for grudges," I said, my voice clipped and controlled. "I need your help."The silence on the other end of the line stretched painfully long. I could hear him breathing, the rasp of air in and out as if he were savoring the moment. Finally, he spoke again. "Bring her here. But after this, you owe me."The words hit me like a blow to the chest, but I forced myself not to re
Mandy’s POVEverything around me blurred into nothing. The cold pavement bit into my knees, but I barely felt it. My arms tightened around Emily’s small, lifeless body, my hands trembling as I pressed my forehead against hers. "Please, baby… please…" My voice cracked, but no response came. The weight of her in my arms, too still, too cold, made it impossible to breathe. A strangled sob tore from my throat as I rocked her, desperate to bring life back into her. She had been laughing just hours ago, giggling in my arms, full of energy, full of love. Now, she was slipping away, and I couldn't stop it. "We need to get her to a hospital!" Ethan's voice cut through the fog of grief, sharp and urgent. He was crouched beside me, his hands hovering as if afraid to touch her, as if touching would make this nightmare real. Lucas stood frozen, his face unreadable, but his hands were clenched into fists at his sides. His knuckles were white, his whole body rigid. "If anything happens t
Lucas’s POVThe world felt like it was closing in on me. The lights flashing from the police cars outside the warehouse, the sound of sirens wailing in the distance, it all blended into a haze of confusion. Mandy had been pulled away, and I could only watch as she and Ethan ran for their lives. The chaos unfolding around us seemed like a nightmare I couldn’t wake from. Sophia had done this. She’d planned every step with the precision of someone who was playing a long game, and now, I was caught in it. A pawn. And I had no idea how to fight back. My mind was racing, but there was no time to think. I had to do something—anything—to protect her, to protect Emily. The weight of what was happening pressed heavily against my chest, suffocating me with guilt and fear. Mandy and Emily were in danger, and it was because of me. As I moved toward the door, my body tense and ready for whatever was waiting outside, my eyes caught the movement in the distance. The alley—where Mandy and Eth
Mandy’s POVEthan’s grip was unrelenting as he pulled me through the dark corridors of the warehouse. My heart thundered in my chest, and the sound of hurried footsteps echoed off the cold concrete walls. Behind us, the chaos erupted—yelling, shouts of orders, the sound of heavy boots pounding the floor as the police scrambled to respond. I barely registered it all. All I could think about was the fact that Lucas was being arrested. We were running, but for what? "We can’t let them take Lucas."His words hit me like a cold splash of water. He was right. We couldn’t let them take him, but how were we supposed to stop this? I stumbled slightly, still trying to process everything—Sophia’s cruel smile, the video, the betrayal I felt in my bones. Lucas… Lucas had never told me about his past with Sophia. I didn’t know what to believe anymore. Could I trust him? Should I? "What do we do?" I gasped, the words slipping out before I could stop them. My mind was clouded, and fear was s
Lucas’s POVThe moment the police stormed in, their weapons raised, I knew Sophia had been waiting for this. The blue and red flashes of sirens painted the dim warehouse in a kaleidoscope of chaos. The tension in the air thickened like a noose tightening around my throat. "Lucas Vanderbilt, you’re under arrest."The lead officer’s voice rang with authority, cutting through the heavy silence that followed. Beside me, Mandy tensed, her fingers twitching at her sides. I could hear her sharp intake of breath, but my focus stayed on the officers, on Sophia, and on the pieces of this twisted game she was playing. "For what?" I asked, keeping my voice controlled, even though my pulse pounded in my ears. Sophia let out a delighted hum, stepping forward as if she were the one running the show. "Oh, Lucas. You didn’t think I came empty-handed, did you?"My stomach tightened. Of course, she hadn’t. Sophia had never been the type to strike without a plan. She had been pulling the strings
Mandy’s POVI stood there, frozen, the weight of everything pressing down on me. The room felt suffocating as my chest was tight, my pulse racing as I tried to make sense of the video, of what I had just seen. My hands shook, my mind in a whirlwind of disbelief, hurt, and anger. "I trusted you!" I finally shouted, my voice breaking, raw with emotion. The words left my lips before I could stop them, and the pain behind them was suffocating. I had let my guard down. I had believed in Lucas, in us. But now, everything was shattered. The man I thought I knew, the man I had given my heart to, had lied to me—about something so crucial, so fundamental. I couldn’t even look at him. My eyes blurred with unshed tears, but I refused to let them fall. Not now. Not when I was this angry, this betrayed. Lucas’s expression faltered, his usual calm demeanor giving way to something more vulnerable—more desperate. "I didn’t leave her. I thought she was dead, Mandy. I thought I lost her that night
Lucas’s POVI could see Mandy hesitating, her finger hovering over the play button, but her eyes were locked on the screen, as if she were trying to prepare herself for what was coming. I could see the turmoil in her face, the confusion, the disbelief, and it made my stomach churn. What was about to unfold was something I had buried so deep, so far away from her, that I had hoped we would never have to confront it. But Sophia... she had found a way to drag it all back into the light.My heart pounded in my chest as the screen flickered to life. The darkness of the alley filled the frame, shadows stretching long and ominous. I could see myself, younger, desperate, pacing with a sense of urgency that was palpable even through the grainy footage. My voice echoed through the alley as I shouted Sophia’s name. "Sophia!" I could hear myself calling out, panic in my tone. "Sophia!"The air around me felt like it was thick with dread, and I could almost feel the weight of the night again.
Mandy’s POVThe world around me felt like it was slipping away. My body trembled, not from the cold, but from the weight of the words in the air. Each one felt like a stone being dropped into the abyss, echoing through me, making everything I thought I knew shake. I had always believed in Lucas, in the man who stood beside me, and yet now, his past was unfurling before my eyes, and I wasn’t sure if I even knew him at all.Sophia leaned in closer, her breath hot against my ear, and I froze. There was a dangerous calmness in her voice as she whispered the words that made my heart stop."He let me die, Mandy. He chose himself over me."Her words rang in my ears, and for a moment, everything inside me froze. He chose himself over her? The very idea cut through me like a knife. I could barely breathe, let alone process the enormity of what she was implying. Lucas was beside me, his fists clenched at his sides, his jaw tight with barely contained fury. His voice cracked through the silen