The heavy oak door splintered under River’s boot as he stormed into Alexander’s sprawling mansion. His heart pounded with pure adrenaline, blood roaring in his ears.Following the sound of music and laughter, River burst into the main hall. An extravagant engagement party was in full swing. They all looked so happy. Happiness that River forgot how to feel.Then the screams began.Guests frantically dove for cover as River advanced, his eyes wild with barely contained rage. How dare Alexander celebrate while Ellie lay cold in her grave? The bastard’s time had run out.Scanning the panicked crowd, River caught no sign of his target. Alexander was a coward, no doubt slinking away to safety while his innocent guests took the fall. But there would be no escape this time.“Where is Alexander Torres?” River bellowed, his deep voice cutting through the din. “Show yourself, you spineless piece of sh**!”An older man in a tuxedo stepped forward, hands raised in supplication. “Please, señor, I b
Being kidnapped was not as exciting as the books and movies made it sound.That was what Riley Torres thought when she was thrown into a tiny room after a long drive.Okay, she WAS terrified the first half hour of the kidnapping. But after sitting in the car for who knows how long and then in this room for an even longer period of time, she was starting to feel rather...Bored.Riley looked around the dimly lit room, noting the lack of any remarkable features. The walls were a bland beige, the floor was a cracked concrete, and the only furniture was a rickety old chair in the corner. She sighed and rolled her eyes."Seriously? This is what kidnapping looks like? I was expecting a bit more... flair," she muttered to herself.She glanced at the door, which had been shut with a rather anticlimactic thud. "He didn't even bother with a dramatic slam," she thought, feeling slightly insulted by the lack of enthusiasm from her captor.Apparently, he was some big-shot Mafia boss. Well, so was
River thought about the young woman calmly asking him for snacks as he walked down the hall. Riley Torres, the daughter of his enemy Alexander, seemed completely unfazed by the fact that she had just been kidnapped and her life was in danger. She met his gaze evenly, not a trace of fear in her hazel eyes.River clenched his jaw, both perplexed and irritated by her nonchalant attitude. How could she be so calm in a situation like this? Was she crazy or just naive?Probably just naive. She was ten years younger than him, after all.Shaking off his musings, River reached for his phone. It was time to make the call he'd been waiting for, the one that would finally force Alexander's hand. His fingers punched in the number.The line clicked, and a familiar voice filled his ear. "Torres.""Alexander," River drawled, letting the name drip with disdain. "I believe I have something of yours."A pause, heavy with tension. Then, "If you've touched a single hair on her head, I swear I'll-""Spare
Riley’s mind was blown.She had thought she had struck gold when she stumbled upon a tiny knife while searching the room.With it, she had expertly carved a makeshift stake out of the chair leg, thinking it would be enough to fight her way out of this mess. But as she looked at her bloodied kidnapper, she now saw that it wasn’t enough.Her captor was apparently no ordinary human but some kind of super being who effortlessly pulled the stake from his shoulder as if nothing had happened.Shouldn’t he be writhing in pain and crying like a baby instead of standing there like it was a mere scratch?This was not part of Riley’s escape plan!“Well? What do you have to say for yourself, young lady?” River growled.Riley’s mind raced, and she blurted out the first thing that came to her. “Well, I figured it was either stake you or wait for room service, and honestly, the service here sucks.”River stared at her, momentarily stunned by the absurdity of her response. This wasn’t the first time R
Valerie sat on the edge of her bed, her phone clutched in her hand as she stared at the screen.River's cold reply had caught her off guard. She remembered him as the doting father to Tiffany and Lucas, but this version of River? She didn't recognize it.She sighed, tossing the phone onto the bed beside her. She had tried to understand River's obsession with revenge, but it was becoming harder to ignore how distant he had become.Lucas's birthday was tomorrow, and she wanted River to be there for him. He was his father, for gosh sake!But deep down, she knew it was unlikely. River was too consumed by his own darkness to see what he was missing out on. Valerie felt a pang of disappointment, followed by a wave of sadness. Valerie stood up and walked over to the window, looking out at the backyard where Lucas was playing with Tiffany, who had just arrived from the boarding school.Their laughter didn't improve Valerie's mood. She knew how much the kids missed their father, especially Ti
The shrill ring of his phone pierced the tense silence. River's eyes flashed with a dark intensity as he saw the name on the screen: Alexander Torres.His jaw clenched, a muscle twitching beneath the surface as he answered the call, his voice low and firm, a barely restrained fury simmering just below the surface."Torres." The name was a growl in his throat. "Have you made your decision?""Where is she?" Alexander's voice crackled through the phone, tight with barely concealed desperation. "I want proof that Riley is unharmed before I agree to anything."River's lips twisted into a mirthless smile. Always making demands. Even now, the arrogant bastard thought he had the upper hand."You'll get your proof," River said, his words measured and cold. "But I'm warning you, Torres. Time is running out. For you and for her."There was a pause on the other end of the line. River could practically hear the gears turning in Alexander's head, calculating his next move."I'll be waiting," Alexan
For the first time since being kidnapped, Riley felt fear. Real fear.It wasn't the abstract, distant fear of what might happen, or the fear she'd managed to keep at bay with defiance and bravado. This was a cold, visceral terror that gripped her heart and sent a chill down her spine.Her breath hitched as River leaned down some more. So close she could feel his breath on her cheek, the cruel smile on his face making her pulse quicken. He suddenly seemed much larger than he initially looked, towering over her like that, covering her body. She pressed herself back against the wall, her body tense, as if trying to melt into the plaster and disappear.The room felt smaller, the walls closing in on her as her mind raced. She'd been so sure of herself, so convinced that she could outsmart him, that her father would come through, that somehow she'd escape this unscathed. But now, facing River's cold determination, the reality of her situation crashed over her like a tidal wave."You need
Alexander Torres paced back and forth across the polished hardwood floor of his lavish study, his footsteps echoing in the tense silence. The grandfather clock in the corner ticked away the seconds, each one like a hammer blow against his nerves. His mind raced with dark thoughts, consumed by worry for his daughter Riley's safety.She was out there somewhere, in the clutches of that vengeful madman River Foster. Alexander was no weakling, but he knew that River wasn't someone to be trifled with either. Especially now that he is the brother-in-law of Antonio Costello, Alexander's sworn enemy.Alexander clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. He had to get Riley back, no matter the cost."Giovanni!" Alexander barked, his voice sharp with urgency. "Get in here, now!"The door opened and Giovanni entered with hurried steps, his face etched with concern. "You called for me, boss?""I need an update on Foster. Tell me you've found something, anything, about why he took my daughter."