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
Lucas’s POVThe clock was ticking. Each second that passed felt like a lifetime, the weight of the situation pressing down on me with increasing force. Emily was out there, and I had no idea where. Damian had her, and I couldn’t let him get away with it. Not this time. I stood in the middle of my office, the room filled with the tense energy of the small team I’d assembled. The investigator, whose calm demeanor had been a constant through this ordeal, sat at the desk, his laptop open in front of him. Across from him was the former associate of Damian’s, a man who had his own reasons for wanting to see Damian fall. His eyes were sharp, his face hardened by years of dealing with people like Damian, but there was something else there—something that told me he was just as determined as I was to bring this to an end.“Where do we stand?” I asked, my voice low, my patience wearing thin.The investigator looked up, his face tense. “We’ve got a lead. It’s not much, but it’s something. Damia
Lucas’s POVEmily’s soft sobs tugged at my heart, but I kept her behind me, shielding her small body with my own. The men blocking the doorway were like wolves, circling their prey. I could see it in their eyes—the malice, the hunger for violence. Damian had chosen them well. “You think you can just walk out of here?” one of them taunted, his voice a low growl. I didn’t respond. Words wouldn’t save us. Action would. Emily’s trembling hand clutched at the back of my shirt. “lucas?” she whispered, her voice so faint it nearly broke me. I glanced back at her, her tear-streaked face lit by the faint glow from the hallway. My heart shattered, but I forced myself to focus. “Stay close to me, sweetheart,” I said, my voice steady despite the chaos. “I won’t let anything happen to you.” Her trust in me was absolute, and that trust gave me strength. I turned back to the men, my grip tightening on the gun in my hand. “Step aside,” I said, my voice low and cold. “This is between me an
Mandy’s POVThe front door creaked open, and my heart skipped a beat. I rushed to my feet, my breath catching in my throat as I saw Lucas standing there, Emily in his arms, her small face pale and her eyes wide with fear. My heart ached at the sight of her, but relief flooded me all the same. They were home. They were safe.“Thank God,” I whispered, rushing to meet them. Lucas’s eyes met mine, a silent message passing between us—one of exhaustion, relief, and something else I couldn’t quite place. He gently placed Emily down on the couch, where she curled up, her little body trembling despite the warmth of the house. I knelt beside her, brushing a strand of hair from her face, my fingers trembling as I tried to comfort her. “Hey, baby,” I murmured softly. “You’re safe now. You’re okay.”But Emily didn’t respond. She just clung to me, her small arms wrapped tightly around my waist. I could feel her fear, her confusion, and it broke me inside. I wanted to shield her from all of this,
Lucas’s POVThe weight of the plan settled heavily on my shoulders as I sat in the dimly lit office, the stack of files in front of me a constant reminder of everything that was at stake. Damian had made it clear—he wouldn’t stop until he had everything he wanted. He’d crossed a line, one that could never be uncrossed. And now, it was time to turn the tables.I ran a hand through my hair, my eyes flicking over the information I had painstakingly gathered. Damian’s network was vast, complex, and deadly. Every step I took felt like walking on a razor’s edge, and one wrong move could cost us everything. But it was the only move left.I leaned back in the chair, staring at the map of connections and safe houses spread across the table. The walls felt like they were closing in, but I knew I couldn’t afford to hesitate. Damian was playing a dangerous game, and if I didn’t play it better, I’d lose everything—Mandy, Emily, and even my own life.The plan was simple, in theory. I would feed
Lucas’s POVHowever, the air was thick with tension as I stood in the dimly lit warehouse, the sound of my own breathing the only thing keeping me grounded. My heart pounded in my chest, adrenaline surging through my veins. I had set the trap, and now, the moment of reckoning had arrived.I glanced around, the cold concrete walls of the abandoned building pressing in on me. The place was empty—save for the figure standing at the far end, his silhouette barely visible in the shadows. Damian.He had taken the bait. He had come, just as I knew he would. But I wasn’t sure if I was ready for what this moment would bring. What I had learned about him, about his connections, his twisted motivations—none of it had prepared me for the confrontation that was about to unfold.Damian stepped forward, his face emerging from the shadows, his expression unreadable. There was no warmth in his eyes, just cold, calculating fury. He knew exactly what this was. He knew I had set him up, and he wasn’t
Mandy’s POVSilence settled over the house and it was deafening. It was the kind of silence that came after a storm had passed, leaving nothing but destruction in its wake. I sat in the living room, my gaze fixed on the floor, lost in the whirlwind of emotions that had taken over me.The chaos, the fear, the uncertainty. it all felt like it had happened in a blur, and now, in the aftermath, it was hard to know what to hold on to.Lucas sat across from me, his face etched with exhaustion. His usual confident demeanor had been replaced with a weariness that spoke volumes. We had just survived the worst of it, but the reality of what we had faced, and what was still to come, weighed heavily on both of us.He ran a hand through his hair, his eyes dark with the burden of the choices he had made. “I never thought it would come to this,” he muttered, more to himself than to me. “I never imagined that it would get this far.”I nodded, unable to find the words to comfort him. The truth was,
Mandy’s POVEmily’s question hung in the air like a thundercloud about to burst as my breath was suddenly caught in the middle.She was so young, too young to be burdened with the weight of my choices, but there was no escaping it now. So, I dropped to my knees in front of her, reaching out to take her tiny hands in mine. “Emily. Baby,” I began, my voice trembling, “what you heard… it’s true. Lucas is your daddy.” Her eyes widened, and she pulled her hands away, stepping back slightly. “Why didn’t you tell me?” I swallowed hard, trying to find the right words. “I didn’t tell you because I wanted to protect you. I thought it was the best way to keep you safe.” “From what?” she demanded, her voice rising. “From Lucas?” “No,” I said quickly, shaking my head. “Not from Lucas. Never from Lucas. I just… there were things happening that I didn’t understand, things I was afraid of. I thought keeping it a secret was the right thing to do.” Her lip quivered, and tears welled up in he
Lucas’s POVIvan’s smirk was a razor slicing through my control. He stood there, holding Emily, his grip just tight enough to send my pulse into overdrive. My daughter whimpered, her big, frightened eyes darting between me and Mandy. “Let her go, Ivan,” I said, my voice low, even. Controlled. Because if I let the rage take over now, I’d lose her. Ivan chuckled, shifting Emily slightly in his arms. “You think it’s that easy?” His gaze flicked to Mandy. “You’ve always been so predictable, Lucas. Always acting like you’re the one in control. But look at you now.” He tilted his head. “Powerless.” Mandy stood frozen beside me, her hand gripping my arm like it was the only thing keeping her upright. I could feel her shaking, but she didn’t break. She didn’t scream or lunge at him. She trusted me. And she should. I forced a slow breath. I couldn’t make a mistake. Not with Emily in his hands. “What do you want?” I asked, keeping my voice steady. “Money? Territory?” I knew what his
Lucas’s POVMy hands shook as I put the phone back in my pocket. The words burned in my mind, like an acid that wouldn’t stop eating away at everything I’d fought for.So, I turned to Mandy, her face pale, eyes wide with fear. Her breath was shallow, and for a split second, I saw everything I’d worked to protect hanging by a thread. Emily. Her daughter. My child, too, whether we’d ever said the words out loud or not.“Lucas…” Mandy whispered my name like it was a plea, but I didn’t have an answer. There was nothing to say because I felt it too—everything we’d been through, everything we’d fought for, now felt like it was slipping through my fingers.I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. “We’ll fix this, Mandy. I promise you.” But even as the words left my mouth, I wasn’t sure if I believed them.Her eyes locked onto mine, but her voice cracked as she spoke. “How? How do we fix this when he has Emily?”I didn’t have an answer. Not yet.But I knew one thing for sure: Ivan had c
Lucas’s POVThe moment Viktor’s voice crackled over the radio, my stomach dropped. “Ivan knows we’re coming.” The air in the van grew heavy, like we were all holding our breath at the same time. Mandy’s hand tightened around mine, her nails digging into my skin, but I didn’t care. Her fear was my fear, and it was all too real. “What do you mean he knows?” James’s voice came sharp and fast over the comms. “He’s moved his men,” Viktor replied, his tone clipped. “The hub isn’t empty. It’s crawling with guards. This isn’t going to be the surgical strike we planned.” My jaw clenched, anger bubbling just beneath the surface. “Then we adapt,” I said, my voice steady despite the chaos brewing inside me. “We didn’t come this far to turn back now.” Viktor’s silence was answer enough. He wasn’t going to argue, but he wasn’t happy about it either. “Stay sharp,” he said finally. “And for God’s sake, don’t get yourselves killed.” The radio went dead, leaving us in a suffocating sile
Mandy’s POVThe dust from the van’s tires still hung in the air, gritty and suffocating. My hands were trembling as I clung to Lucas, the warmth of his body grounding me in the chaos around us. But Viktor’s words rang in my ears like a death knell. *This was just the beginning.* “What do you mean?” I asked, my voice shaky. “What beginning?” Viktor crouched beside us, his gaze sharp and unyielding. “Ivan isn’t the kind of man who lets go of his prey. He wanted to make a statement tonight, and he succeeded. But this? This was just his opening move.” I looked down at Lucas, his face battered and bloodied but alive. Relief warred with terror in my chest. “Then we need to stop him. We can’t just wait for him to come after us again.” James appeared at my side, his jaw tight. “She’s right. We can’t keep playing defense. If we don’t take the fight to Ivan, he’ll keep coming until there’s nothing left of us.” Viktor let out a dry laugh. “And what exactly do you propose, James? Marc
Mandy’s POVThe bloodied man collapsed to the floor, his words echoing in the tense silence. Ivan’s men were here. The weight of those words hit me like a punch to the gut. Viktor didn’t flinch. He leaned back in his chair, his sharp gaze flicking to the man crumpled on the floor. “So, it begins,” he said calmly, as though he’d been expecting this all along. James, however, wasn’t so composed. He grabbed my arm, pulling me back toward the door. “We need to leave. Now.” But Viktor’s voice cut through the panic. “Running will only get you killed. Ivan doesn’t leave loose ends.” James turned, his hand already reaching for his weapon. “Then maybe it’s time someone took care of Ivan.” Viktor chuckled, slow and deliberate. “Ah, the bravado of the unprepared. You think you can waltz into Ivan’s world and take him down? He’s been playing this game longer than you’ve been alive.” I stepped forward, my voice shaking but firm. “Then tell us what to do. If you know how to stop him, te
Mandy’s POVJames’s hand hovered near his jacket, ready to draw whatever weapon he had stashed there. But the man standing by the car didn’t even flinch. His calmness was unnerving, like he knew he had all the power in the world. “I said,” the man repeated, his voice sharp, “get in the car if you want to save Lucas. This isn’t a request.” I glanced at James, my heart pounding in my chest. “What do we do?” I whispered. James’s jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing. “We don’t trust him, that’s for damn sure.” The man smirked, as if he could hear us. “You don’t have to trust me. But you don’t have time to argue. Lucas’s life is ticking away with every second you waste.” Something about the way he said it made my stomach twist. He wasn’t bluffing. Whoever this man was, he knew exactly what was happening, and he wasn’t here to play games. “We don’t have a choice,” I said, my voice trembling. “If there’s even a chance he’s telling the truth, we have to take it.” James hesitated, hi
Mandy’s POVThe room erupted into chaos. People screamed, chairs toppled, and glass shattered as the armed men pushed through the crowd. My heart pounded so hard I thought it might burst. Lucas moved instantly, stepping in front of me like a shield. His hand gripped my arm, pulling me closer. “Stay behind me,” he growled, his voice low and commanding. The man who had barked Lucas’s name stepped forward, his gun aimed directly at us. He was tall, broad, and radiated an air of menace. “Mr. Vanderbilt, you’ve been a hard man to find. But you know how this works. You can’t run forever.” Lucas’s jaw tightened, his body coiled like a spring. “I don’t owe you anything.” The man smirked. “Oh, but you do. Ivan doesn’t forget, and he doesn’t forgive. You know that better than anyone.” “Ivan’s beef is with me,” Lucas said, his voice steady despite the tension in the air. “Leave her out of this.” The man’s gaze shifted to me, and I felt ice crawl up my spine. “Her? Oh, Lucas, you don
Mandy’s POVDeliberate. The word echoed in my head like a gunshot, deafening and disorienting. Someone had intentionally hurt Emily. I felt Lucas’s hand tighten around mine, but I couldn’t look at him. My gaze was locked on the doctor, who stood there with an expression that teetered between pity and professional detachment. “What do you mean... deliberate?” My voice sounded foreign to my own ears—shaky, distant. The doctor hesitated, clearly choosing his words carefully. “The type of toxin we suspect—based on her symptoms—isn’t something one would encounter in everyday life. It’s... rare, and it would require deliberate exposure.” “Deliberate exposure?” Lucas’s voice was low, deadly. “Are you saying someone poisoned her?” The doctor nodded slowly. “That’s what we’re investigating. I’ve already informed the authorities. They’ll need to speak with you both as soon as possible.” Authorities. Police. Poison. I couldn’t process it. My daughter—my innocent, bright, beautiful
Mandy’s POVThe room erupted into chaos. Nurses and doctors flooded in, their movements quick and precise, but to me, it felt like slow motion. I couldn’t move, couldn’t think—my feet rooted to the spot as I watched them surround Emily’s bed. “Clear the room!” one of the nurses barked, her voice sharp and commanding. “No!” I screamed, trying to push past Lucas, but his arms locked around me, holding me back. “Mandy, let them work,” he said, his voice firm but trembling. “I can’t leave her!” I cried, clawing at his chest, desperate to break free. “Lucas, let me go! She needs me!” His grip tightened, his face inches from mine. “She needs them to save her. Please, Mandy, don’t make this harder for her—or for yourself.” I sagged against him, my strength gone, and he guided me out of the room. The door shut behind us with a heavy thud, cutting me off from my baby. The hallway was eerily quiet compared to the chaos inside. My knees gave out, and I sank to the floor, my hands t