I was sitting on the sofa in my father's study, watching him pour himself a glass of whiskey. His hand was shaking, but he willed it steady as he lifted the glass to his mouth and drank more than half of it in large gulps. Then he blew out an uneven breath and sat in front of me in the armchair.I couldn't miss the tension in his voice when he asked, “What do you want to know?”I drew a slow breath and locked my eyes on his. “Did you plan Ellard Knight's plane's explosion?”He worked his jaw. “I cannot answer that question.”My frustration exploded. I slammed the table with my hand. “What do you mean you can't answer that question?! The answer should be simple! Either you did it or not!”He frowned. “I can't answer because I don't know!”I leaned back in my seat, dumbstruck. I studied him for a few heartbeats before muttering, “What do you mean you don't know?”He lowered his head. “Back then… I had strange lapses of memory.” He looked at me as his lips twitched into a wry grimace. “I
I analyzed my father's words over and over again, and there was a small part of me that understood why he was afraid to tell me the truth. Certainly, the rest of me was still furious that he kept it a secret. Was there still a chance that my father was a killer? Yes. But even if he had done it, it wouldn't have been his conscious choice. And there was the most logical argument... He couldn't have planned it and executed this assassination overnight.“My father is innocent,” I murmured before placing my head on the pillow. “Someone else must have done it.” It seemed like the only rational explanation. “Someone wanted to frame my father for it…” The real question was: who?My entire team decided to “lay low” for a few days before our departure for Hokkaido. Unsurprisingly, they all decided that my apartment would be a perfect hideout. Luckily, they behaved… mostly, and they didn't break anything.We left only to arrange our new laboratory, and Sakura and I went a few times to the clinic
Perhaps I truly needed girl talk since something made me accept Amelia's offer. She followed me to the organizers' office so I could complete the paperwork, and then we went out to eat and drink.“So, how do you know Callan Holloway?” I asked in between sipping wine.Amelia smirked and elegantly pulled a strand of her long black hair behind her ear. “I know most of the men in the pharmaceutical business, especially those who tried to make their appearance on the French and European markets.”A nervous smile tugged at my lips. “Forgive me if I'm being rude, but you made it sound as if it was more than just a business acquaintance.”She laughed. “I met him on one too many occasions, and... he dated my friend once. Let's just say that their breakup was pretty nasty. I guess I hated that guy ever since.”“I… have been on a few dates with Callan,” I confessed. “I even thought that he was sweet at first.” I took another sip from my wine glass.A wry smile twisted her full lips. “He makes a
DARRENA nightmare. I entered a fucking nightmare. Lilly got up from her seat, her face bleaching, her expression twisting in pain. I wiped my lips from Amelia's kiss and pushed her hand away. She clicked her tongue before turning to Lilly.“Oh, that's right! I forgot that you know each other!” A cold laugh tore through her throat. “I guess he didn't tell you, did he? I'm sorry to crash your romantic visions, honey…” She stepped toward her, extending her hand.“Don't touch her,” I hissed, grabbing Amelia's wrist.An angry smile tugged at her lips. “So protective of this one, I see... Shall I get rid of her like I did with the last one?”My blood began to boil. I could see my hands curling around Amelia's neck, my thumbs pressing against her windpipe and crushing it. I wanted to do it. I was prepared to do it here and now.“Darren.” Lilly's soft voice shattered my bloodlust. My eyes drifted to her, and I saw her close to tears. “Is this true…? Is she your fiancée?”I worked my jaw. I d
LILLYAmelia's fiancé. Darren was engaged. The news was hard for me to process, even hours after I heard it. I couldn't go back to the hotel. The last thing I wanted was to meet Amelia, Darren, or Callan, who was enjoying my miserable state. I began to walk around the town, mindlessly taking turn after turn until the streets became completely unfamiliar. I told myself that I needed this to clear my head, but the truth was that I wanted to run away. I wanted to get away from the heartache, problems, and anxieties. Perhaps I was choosing the coward's way again, but I needed a break. I couldn't breathe.As the streets around me became darker, the final spark of rationality forced me to turn around. After a while, I found myself in front of the hotel. My running away was over. It was time to face at least some of the much-hated reality.I passed the large hall, fixing my eyes on the corridor with elevators at the other end of it. I ignored the people who passed me by. Unfortunately, not e
I looked around the street and sidewalk. The entire area was completely empty. There was no one around aside from me and the two masked men, ready to attack me. I exhaled slowly and evaluated my situation. I was wearing flats and jeans, which might have given me better chances than if I had worn a dress and high heels, but I doubted that my short training was enough to win against the two strong-built men with knives. This wasn't a good moment to run away either… Shit. I sucked in a shaky breath and slowly raised my hands in surrender.“Smart choice.” The man standing in front of me chuckled and opened the van. “Get inside.”A moment later, I was sitting in the back seat with one of the masked men next to me and the other behind the wheel. They didn't tie me or cover my eyes, but I was yet to establish whether it was a good thing or a bad thing. Perhaps they underestimated me, thinking that I was weak and too terrified to escape. This could work to my advantage… Then again, would I be
DARRENI was sitting in my hotel suite with Lucien, who arrived in the morning. Fortunately, Mia stayed in New York. I didn't think I could have handled her and Amelia in the same hotel. I had my reasons to kill Amelia, but Mia had her own, and since Mia had always shown less restraint, the bloodshed would have been unavoidable…“Have you checked on Lilly today?” Lucien glanced at me, shifting his attention from the pile of documents.I shook my head. “I told her that I'd give her time, and that's what I'm doing.”His brows rose. “Do you think that it's wise given that Amelia is in the same building?”“She might be vicious, but she is not stupid. She would never attack her in a public place,” I said, reaching for my cup of coffee.Lucien scratched his chin. “Well, I'm not so sure about that. I've done some digging after you told me she's here. Let's just say that she might be a little less predictable than usual right now.”I frowned. “What do you mean?”“Cantrelle Publishing is on th
Callan, Lucien, and I were walking through the woods in Hangetsukohan Park for almost an hour. Most of the heavy rain was stopped by the densely growing trees, but it took us less than ten minutes of walking to become completely soaked. Certainly, umbrellas were not an option, and the raincoats would only restrain our movements. That was something we couldn't risk, knowing there could still be armed men lurking around. Lucien groaned, leaning his back against the tree. “Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think we've checked the area Fen marked twice already. She's not here.” He wasn't wrong. We separated at first, each one securing a certain part of the terrain, but we found them completely empty. If there were any signs of anyone's footsteps, they had been washed by the rain a while ago. When I didn't answer, Lucien continued. “What if they found her and we are wasting time and freezing our butts off just to find out she is in danger elsewhere?” I tried not to think of that possibilit
LILLY Four Months Later “One more signature at the bottom, Ms. Hayes.” The smiling lawyer pointed at the empty dotted line on the last page. “Of course.” I drew a deep breath and signed my name where he wanted me to. Then I rose to my feet, and so did the man sitting in front of me—Doctor John Pearson. “Congratulations,” he said, not without a hint of sadness in his voice, before extending his hand toward me. “The clinic is officially yours.” “Thank you, Doctor Pearson. I promise I will take good care of this facility,” I told him. A soft smile appeared on his lips. “I do not doubt that you will.” I still couldn't believe it happened. John Pearson Clinic—soon Lillian Hayes Clinic—finally belonged to me. Of course, it was going to take a while before I would implement my plan and make the necessary changes, but I was already madly excited… and so was Raven. “I've never been friends with my boss before.” She chuckled, catching me as soon as I walked out of the meeting room where
DARRENI didn't want to believe what that son of a bitch had told me. I had to trust that Lilly was alive. Nonetheless, after Almarri's confession, I told Chris to leave the room. I gave Almarri a moment to recollect himself until I beat the shit out of him, breaking at least five of six of his bones in the process. He was still breathing until I left the room. Chris had friends in the CIA, and we promised to try delivering Almarri to them in exchange for covering whatever was going to happen at his casino. It took most of my willpower to stop myself before I delivered the final blow. It had nothing to do with being merciful; Chris assured me that the CIA had no intention of granting him anything but torment.Once I wiped Almarri's blood off my knuckles, I stormed through the long corridors. I swore that I would find Lilly, and only seeing her lifeless body would have stopped me from burning everything in my way to get to her.Chris caught me at the end of one of the corridors. “We ch
LILLYI couldn't move. My body's exhaustion turned opening my eyes into an almost unbearable struggle. It took me a while before I lifted my eyelids and instantly winced at the light filling the room. I blinked several times before I established what I was looking at… Ceiling. A bright, well-lit ceiling.I needed an additional minute or two to acknowledge that this wasn't a dream. I was lying on a bed with an IV drip connected to my arm. The bed had multiple pillows and fluffy sheets, as if someone cruelly decided to give me a moment of questionable luxury before turning me into a slave.Another white cotton dress replaced the old, stained one. My body had been cleaned from all the sweat and dirt. I didn't have the strength to wonder who bathed me and dressed me. I felt violated enough without acknowledging how many hands touched my body.I could have died. Perhaps it would have been a blessing if that had happened. Now I was lying numbly on a bed, waiting for more torment to come. Sl
DARREN I paced around the hotel room in Doha, waiting for Naila to arrive and deliver what she promised. The adrenaline kept pumping in my veins, increasing the restlessness that kept me awake the entire night. Unlike me, Lucien was napping on the sofa whenever he found a moment of silence. I couldn't even close my eyes without seeing Lilly locked up somewhere, tormented, scared… “God…” I dragged my hands down my face before glancing at the time. It was seven in the morning, which meant that we had fourteen hours before the auction started. I kept telling myself that they needed her alive and unharmed to sell her, but what if I was wrong? Those what-ifs were driving me insane, and I couldn't shake off the feeling that, even at that moment, she was greatly suffering. The soft knocking on the door snapped my head toward it. Lucien's opened his eyes and instantly leaped to his feet. He nodded my way and cautiously opened the door. Naila silently sneaked inside, and he closed it behind
I lost count of how many times I had been stabbed with a needle, and I wasn't sure my veins could withstand another injection. I quickly realized how pathetic my relief was after Callan told me I wouldn't be beaten, cut, or burned. The torture he had designed for me went far beyond the physical pain…Every inch of my body burned from within. My blood turned into a living flame, scorching my veins. My skin covered with an itching rash I couldn't scratch. It lasted for hours. I didn't want to give Callan satisfaction, so I remained silent, biting my lips until they bled. But the third or fourth dose of the drug broke the final restraint… A scream tore through my throat, and I kept screaming until my vocal cords gave up. I quietly begged Callan to stop. I thought he would if I told him I was ready to give him what he wanted. I thought that if I pretended I wanted to cooperate, he would give my tormented body a break… He didn't. He just walked closer and served me another drug dose.I los
LILLY“Wake up, sleepyhead.” The voice I heard filled me with nausea, and the soft laughter that followed sent chills down my spine.Slowly, I opened my eyes, blinking until the sight adjusted to the dim light. Every inch of my body felt sore, and I quickly realized why. I was sitting on a chair with my legs tied with a rope to its wooden ones and my hands restrained at the back. Another rope was tied around my waist, keeping me in a still position most likely through the long hours I had been unconscious.I was cold. The freezing concrete hurt my bare feet with the slightest touch and the simple cotton dress resembling a cheap nightgown formed no barrier against the low temperature and humidity of the room I was in. I didn't even want to think who dressed me and if I was naked underneath…Drawing a shaky breath, I looked to the sides. This place must have been some kind of a basement. The room seemed to be nearly empty, or at least I couldn't see any furniture from my limited perspec
DARRENMy lungs filled with a greedy push of air. My eyes opened wide and roamed around, hectically trying to process my situation. The car, I was inside the car… My car was upside down, and I…Everything hurt, including my weak attempts to breathe, but I knew I had to ignore the pain. I had to live. I had to get out of there.My consciousness gathered the pieces of memory together. Someone had rammed me, pushing me off the road while I had been driving to the residence. The fuckers had chosen a part of a perfectly secluded road to do it. Perhaps it was fortunate that they hadn't been as thorough as to check whether I had been dead or not.My limbs weren't broken, although at least one of my ribs was. I clenched my teeth and crawled out through the broken side window. My car lay in a ditch on the side of the road, with not a single building around.How long had I been out cold? The returning memories painted an ominous picture that slowly filled me with dread. Lilly had been waiting f
LILLYIt had been three days since Uncle Norton's funeral and the fight with my father. My heart still ached whenever I thought about it, but I finally felt that my chest had loosened, allowing me to breathe.Darren's presence had become my remedy. His touch and warmth soothed me, healed me, and filled the hollowness that appeared after Uncle Norton's death. I didn't even want to think about what I would have become without having him close.Since the danger had become more palpable than ever, each member of my team was assigned their own security team. Of course, Darren organized two new bodyguards for me as well. I hadn't protested, even if I hated buying groceries accompanied by two men in black suits.My mood significantly improved after Kenneth's and Doctor Rogers's trials finally ended. Kenneth had been sentenced to fifteen years in prison for assault and attempting murder, and another five years for terminating the pregnancy against my will. For all his deeds, Rogers received t
DARRENI found Lilly sitting in the precinct's corridor, staring down at her hands that limply rested on her lap. Dried blood covered the sides of her palms and fingertips. My chest tightened as I saw her in her numb state. I rushed forward, pushing through the policemen standing in the way, until I pulled her up from her seat and wrapped her in my arms. Only then did she start crying, and her tears kept falling long after I brought her back to the penthouse.Rage filled every inch of me. I wanted to kill everyone responsible for Lilly's state. If only I could get to New York sooner. If only I could somehow prevent this, protect her better, spare her from the pain and anguish...I left Lucien in Qatar to deal with our end of the bargain with Naila. He wasn't happy about it, but I gathered enough people and resources for him to plan a flawless rescue mission. Getting Naila's brother out of Almarri's residence wasn't going to be easy, but I knew that Lucien would figure out how to do it