The air in Lorenzo's office at the warehouse felt thick with tension. Four of us were crammed in here: Lorenzo, Alex, Haze and me. It was almost midnight, we were all here because of Anthony's command to search for his wife, Alma. Haze and I pretended to be helping but we were actually throwing them off Alma's trail without arousing suspicion.Lorenzo sat behind his desk, flipping through files and maps of our known properties and safe houses while Alex paced restlessly by the door, his agitation barely masked. I shot a quick glance at Haze, who was leaning against the wall, quietly observing everything with a look of carefully controlled calm. I could tell he was just as tense as I was.“Lorenzo, this is pointless,” Alex snapped, breaking the silence. He glared at his older brother, his eyes filled with frustration. “We’ve gone over these places a hundred times. She’s not there. And if she’s not in one of our properties, where the hell else could she be?”Lorenzo didn’t even look up.
Lorenzo's POV: I ran a hand down my face, trying to steady myself as I waited outside Jacqueline’s room. My fists were clenched tightly at my sides, as if holding back the anger, the guilt, the fear that had crept up since the moment Alex’s bullet hit her. She was lying in there, still and lifeless, and every second that passed chipped away at whatever control I thought I had left.A middle-aged man in a white coat who apparently is the doctor, finally appeared in front of me. His face was neutral, almost too calm, like he’d given this kind of news too many times. I hated him for it. He hadn’t even spoken, and already I wanted to wring his neck for not feeling the urgency of the situation.“Mr. Hernandez?” His voice was low, cautious, and every syllable he uttered filled me with dread.I nodded sharply. “How is she?”He took a moment, too long, and I felt impatience clawing at me. Finally, he said, “Her injuries are more serious than we initially thought. The bullet caused significan
Lorenzo's POV:The past few days had been a blur, everything eclipsed by Jacqueline’s condition. I’d barely left the hospital, only coming to the warehouse because of Anthony's order… finding my mother, finding the traitor, interrogating and torturing Warren, trying to recover our losses as we're on the edge of bankruptcy… I felt overwhelmed but none of it mattered to me, all I cared about was Jacqueline's recoveryAlex knocked on the door to my office in the warehouse and stepped inside, his face shadowed with guilt and regret. He didn’t look like himself – the arrogance, the anger, all of it was gone. His shoulders were hunched, his eyes flickering between the floor and me as he moved further into the room.“Lorenzo…” His voice was low, unsteady, unlike anything I’d ever heard from him.I watched him carefully, my own feelings walled behind a stony expression. There was so much anger boiling beneath the surface, but it wasn’t just anger, It was hurt. I was tired – tired of his reck
Lorenzo's POV:Seconds had turned into minutes, minutes into hours, hours into days and days into weeks. The soft beeping of the machines was the only sound filling the small hospital room as I sat beside Jacqueline, watching her sleep in silence. It had been three weeks, two days, twenty one hours, three minutes, and thirty seconds since the bullet put her in this state.Three weeks of me coming here, every day, hoping for any sign of her waking up. I tried to convince myself it was out of duty. But I knew, deep down, it was more than that. I needed to see her open her eyes again.Tonight, the room felt heavier than usual, almost stifling. I brushed a thumb over her hand as though she might feel it, as though the connection might somehow reach her. But before I could think any further, a soft knock on the door broke the quiet. I looked up, frowning as I muttered, "Come in."The door opened, and Haze stepped in, his expression unusually soft as his gaze landed on Jacqueline. Seeing hi
Jacqueline's POV:I slowly opened my eyes, wincing at the brightness from the fluorescent bulb as I felt a full ache spreading through my body. My throat felt dry and my limbs heavy as if I'd been trapped for a very long time. As my vision cleared, I saw two figures standing nearby… Lorenzo, his jaw tight and tense and Haze, with a more relaxed but slightly guarded expression. They looked as if they'd been in the middle of something heated, but the moment they saw me awake, everything around them stilled.“Jacqueline?” Lorenzo whispered, bending down.. he had his full attention on me the moment he saw I was awake.“What… what's going on?” I asked, confused.. my gaze drifting from Lorenzo to Haze, I didn't remember why I was in the hospital, it felt like I fell asleep and suddenly I woke up in a different scene with body ache.. and the situation at which I saw Lorenzo and Haze got me worried Lorenzo reached out, his gaze softening as his fingers lingered over mine, his touch unusually
The following morning, I was woken up by the nurse coming in to check my vitals. As she adjusted the tubes and glanced at her clipboard, she smiled at me, looking pleased.“You’re one lucky lady,” she said, her eyes twinkling..“Lucky?” I asked, frowning slightly.“Oh, yes,” she replied with a nod. “Not everyone has someone who’s there for them every single day. Your boyfriend has been here every day, morning, afternoon, and night. Made this hospital his second home, practically.”My brows shot up. “Boyfriend?”She grinned, shaking her head in amusement. “Yes, the handsome guy. Brown hair, piercing gaze, always so serious. The staff here can’t stop talking about how attractive he is. All the nurses have a soft spot for him, but he’s only got eyes for you. He’d sit by your side for hours on end, keeping watch.”I opened my mouth to correct her, to say Lorenzo wasn’t my boyfriend, but before I could get the words out, the door opened again. Lorenzo walked in, carrying a small paper bag
The morning sun filtered gently through the blinds, bathing the hospital room in soft light, and I blinked awake. Just as my eyes adjusted to the light, the door opened quietly, and Haze stepped in, holding a bag that hinted at food. He was calm as ever, his eyes glancing over at me with an expression I couldn’t quite read.“Brought you something to eat,” he said, his tone surprisingly soft. He moved with a quiet sort of care, setting the bag on the tray beside me, unpacking its contents, almost… carefully. It was subtle, but I felt the change in his usual blunt manner… a softness I wasn’t used to seeing in him.I arched an eyebrow, eyeing the food spread out in front of me. He’d brought my favorites… somehow remembered them, even. “What’s this? Planning to feed me now, are you?” I teased, letting a half-smile slip out. I wanted to lighten the moment, but his reaction caught me off guard. He hesitated, his mouth twitching into a faint smirk, but there was something deeper in his eyes…
It had been a week since that fleeting, charged moment with Haze. A week of unanswered questions. A week of silence. Haze has always been the constant… his teasing remarks, his quiet attentiveness, and that frustrating ability to be both protective and distant. And now, his absence was deafening. Alex's visit was pretty emotional, I never expected him to break down in front of me. His apology was sincere, at first I thought it was an act but I know when someone is being genuine and not.I sat up in the hospital bed, staring blankly at the bouquet Haze left on the table during his last visit. It was wilting now, petals curling at the edges. I’d thought of calling him, demanding to know why he’d disappeared, but every time I reached for my phone, I stopped myself. Why did it matter so much? Why did he matter so much?And yet, despite my growing awareness of Haze’s feelings, I couldn’t shake the gnawing ache that tethered me to Lorenzo. Even after everything… his cold demeanor, the engag
Lorenzo's POV I sat in my private study, staring at the glass of whiskey in my hand, Jacqueline’s words replaying in my mind like a broken record. “Your family murdered mine.” It wasn’t true. It couldn’t be. My family’s sins were plenty, but slaughtering the Cattaneo family wasn’t one of them. I knew every dark secret, every body buried in our name. The Cattaneos weren’t part of that bloody ledger. But as much as I tried to dismiss her accusations, her voice, raw and broken, stuck with me. Still, doubt lingered like a shadow I couldn’t shake. Her pain, her anger… It felt too raw to be a lie. And yet... I knew the history of my family. I’d made it my business to know every skeleton in the Hernandezes’ closet, every bloody handprint left behind. I slammed the glass down, the sharp clink breaking the silence. Why was I even giving her words this much weight? Jacqueline was a liar, a manipulator. She’d infiltrated my family under false pretenses, tangled herself in my life with her v
The night air was cold, the kind of chill that seeped into your bones and refused to leave. My breath came out in ragged puffs as I ran deeper into the forest, my bare feet crunching against the damp leaves and twigs below. I couldn’t feel the pain anymore… not in my legs, not in my lungs. Adrenaline was my only companion, driving me forward as I clutched the stolen keys in my trembling hand. I could still hear Lorenzo’s voice echoing in my mind, that smug tone he always used when he thought he had me under control. But I was free now… or so I thought. A crack of a branch snapped behind me, freezing me in place. I whipped around, scanning the shadows. My heart pounded in my chest as fear clawed at the edges of my mind. "Jacqueline." The voice was sharp, cutting through the stillness like a blade. I recognized it instantly, and dread flooded my veins. I spun back and started running again, faster this time, but it was useless. His footsteps were closer now, relentless and unfo
“Enough is enough!!” I muttered to myself as I sat on the bed.. I looked hopeless, and I hated it. I was treated like a slave, If not even worse.. I hadn't taken a good shower in days, I was starving and that's mostly because I refused to eat whatever was served to me… but I can't keep on living like this! I am Jacqueline Cattaneo and I won't sit here and wait for my death like a turkey in its cage waiting for Thanksgiving. I had been trying to think of an escape plan but nothing… The metal door was impenetrable and bolted tightly, there was a camera at the corner, watching me… judging me.. and then the small window which could barely fit me to jump off.While on the bed, my gaze moved from blank space to the CCTV camera… the camera’s red light blinked steadily, I've been watching it for days and I just realized I'd memorized it's angle and timing, the seconds it would pan slightly off the bed, leaving just enough blind spot.“I have to get out of here… I don't care if I die trying”
The following dayThe door creaked opened, I didn't bother to look at who it was, I fixed my gaze outside the window. it was probably Lorenzo or one of his men and I didn't want to deal with them. my mind was racing, I wonder what Alonso was planning, I could think of how panicked Sophie would be since she hadn't heard from me in days and mostly I wondered how Théo was doing."Jacqueline" a familiar voice I hadn't heard in years called out in a soft tone, cutting me from my thoughts.I turned slowly toward the door, and for a moment, I thought I was hallucinating. But there he was, standing at the entrance of the room like a shadow from the past.Haze.The moment I saw him, a whirlwind of emotions hit me all at once: shock, relief, confusion. I hadn’t heard from him since the fallout. No one had. And now, after everything, here he was.“Haze…” My voice faltered, and I swallowed hard. “What are you doing here?”He stood there, his expression unreadable. "I came to finally see you, Jacq
The door creaked open, and I froze. I didn’t need to look up to know who it was. His presence was heavy, oppressive, the air itself growing colder the moment he stepped inside.I kept my gaze fixed on the small window at the far end of the room, the only source of light in this cold, suffocating prison. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing my fear. He walked in slowly, his steps measured, his presence suffocating. Lorenzo didn’t need to shout or threaten—his silence was far worse. I kept my expression blank, my chin high, even though my heart pounded against my ribs.“You’ve been silent for days,” he said, his voice calm but cutting. The sound of the door closing echoed in the room, making my skin crawl.I didn’t respond.“Still loyal to Alonso, I see.” His footsteps were deliberate, measured. I could feel him circling me, a predator toying with its prey. “Even though he hasn’t come for you. Even though he won’t.”My jaw clenched, but I refused to rise to the bait.“You’re
It had been days since Lorenzo dragged me across the ocean and locked me away in this secluded estate deep in the woods. Every hour in this prison felt heavier than the last, the oppressive silence gnawing at my sanity. I could still feel the lingering ache in my arm from his iron grip, a painful reminder of how far he was willing to go to extract the truth from me. Lorenzo’s interrogations had ceased for now, but the tension between us simmered like a storm waiting to erupt. I wasn’t naïve—I knew his silence wasn’t mercy. He was planning something, and whatever it was, I knew it wouldn’t end well for me. The simplicity of the room grated on my nerves, reminding me of how much I had lost. My life back in Australia felt like a distant dream—a life of luxury and freedom. The sprawling estates, exotic cars, multi-million-dollar businesses and the bustling casinos I owned all felt like a distant dream now. Back there, I had built a life of power and wealth—a legitimate empire that thr
The room Lorenzo had shoved me into was plain, almost insultingly so, given the luxurious lifestyle I was used to. Four bare walls, a wooden bed with a thin mattress, and a small window with a view of endless trees. It was a prison dressed as simplicity. Lorenzo had gone out of his way to strip me of any comfort, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me break.I perched on the edge of the bed, my arms crossed tightly over my chest. Outside the small window, the thick woods stretched endlessly, a maze of greenery that seemed to mock any thought of escape.I had spent hours pacing the room, cursing under my breath, replaying every wrong turn that had brought me here. The sound of heavy boots against the wooden floor outside the door pulled me from my thoughts.The door swung open, and there he was—Lorenzo, towering and dangerous, his eyes dark and filled with calculated fury. He didn’t say a word at first, just stood there, holding his phone in one hand and a cold smirk on
I didn’t see it coming.The last time I saw Lorenzo, I was certain he was dead.Revenge drove me then. The fire in my veins wouldn’t let me stop until the Matrix was in ruins, just like they had ruined my family. It didn’t matter who stood in my way. Lorenzo, Anthony, the entire organization—they were all targets. Sydney had been my sanctuary for five years, a quiet haven where I rebuilt my life far from the chaos I once knew. I built walls around myself after it all ended, both literal and figurative with the billions my father left behind—his legacy of wealth and power—I crafted a world of luxury and independence at just the age of twenty-three.The casinos he once owned became a foundation, generating consistent revenue, but I didn’t stop there. I poured my resources into high-end fashion boutiques across Australia and Europe, luxury real estates, and even a thriving art gallery in Sydney. Every venture was legitimate, every dollar clean.My life in Australia was built to forget,
Five Years Later I’d had a strange feeling all day, like a dark cloud hanging over me. My instincts screamed that something bad was coming. It wasn’t a feeling I got often, but tonight, I couldn’t shake it. It was a drizzling night, and under normal circumstances, I would be tucked away in my luxury penthouse, sipping on a glass of wine. Instead I found myself stepping into Elite Emporium, an upscale boutique grocery store known for catering to the city's wealthiest clientele. My heels clicked against the polished marble floor as I approached the counter, my basket laden with the finest wines, imported chocolates and cheese, and delicacies most people couldn't even pronounce. The cashier, a poised young woman in a sleek black uniform, flashed me a practiced, polite smile. "That will be twenty five thousand dollars", she said, her tone smooth and professional. I handed her my sleek black card with a faint smile, though my hands trembled slightly. Something felt off tonight but I p