Nicholas’s POV“He’s innocent, boss.”Clark’s voice is hesitant, but the words hit me like a bullet.For a second, I don’t react. I don’t move. I don’t breathe.Then, rage.A sharp slam echoes through my office as my fist crashes against the desk. The force sends a glass of whiskey toppling over, the amber liquid spilling across the dark wood.Alex was innocent.We killed the wrong man.I push back from my desk, pacing the room, my breaths coming hard and fast. My mind replays every detail of the hit—every calculated move, every drop of blood spilled. And for what?A mistake.Someone had played me, fed me bad information, and now an innocent man was rotting in the ground while the real witness was still out there, breathing. Hiding.I grit my teeth, fists clenching at my sides. “Who the fuck gave us that lead?”Clark swallows hard but holds my gaze. “It came from our usual channels. The intel was solid—at least, it seemed that way.”“Seemed?” I snap, turning on him. “We don’t deal in
The café hums with the usual midday rhythm—coffee machines whirring, quiet chatter filling the space, the occasional clatter of ceramic cups. Chloe keeps her head down, focusing on her tasks, but her hands tremble slightly as she wipes down the counter.Nicholas is coming.She repeats it in her mind like a warning, like a storm she can’t outrun.The bell above the door chimes, and her stomach twists.She forces herself to look up.It’s not him.Just another customer.Chloe exhales, relief and dread tangling in her chest. How long until he arrives? Until she has to face him, knowing what she knows?The hours drag. She busies herself, refilling sugar containers, adjusting pastries in the display case—anything to keep her hands occupied. Her mother comes and goes from the backroom, unaware of the war raging inside her.Then the bell chimes again.This time, it’s him.Nicholas strides in like he owns the place, like he owns the very air in the room. His presence is overwhelming, commandin
Nicholas watches her closely, his gaze unwavering, his lips curling into a smile that’s equal parts wicked and knowing. The flickering candlelight casts shadows over his features, making him look even more dangerous than usual. It’s almost as if he’s savoring the tension that hangs between them.Chloe, on the other hand, tries to steady her breath. The sensation of his eyes on her feels too intimate, too intense. She resists the urge to squirm, lifting her glass of water to her lips to hide the unease building in her chest.“You’re so quiet tonight,” Nicholas observes, his voice smooth, teasing.“I’m just thinking,” she replies, her tone sharp, trying to keep her composure. She doesn’t want him to see how his presence unnerves her, how every part of her wants to flee.“Thinking about what?” he presses, his lips twitching, clearly enjoying her discomfort.She shrugs, trying to play it off. “Does it matter?”His gaze darkens slightly, the smirk slipping just a fraction. “Of course it ma
The night was dark, the streets eerily quiet. Nicholas sat in his office, the usual hum of his world drowned out by the sharp edge of tension in the air. His mind was focused, sharp, but there was something off tonight. Something looming.A knock at the door broke his concentration.“Boss,” Clark’s voice was grim. “There’s been a problem.”Nicholas turned his chair slowly, his eyes narrowing. “What happened?”Clark stepped inside, holding a phone, his expression grim. “One of our men—he’s dead. Shot in the head. Point-blank.”Nicholas felt a cold chill wash over him. He had already guessed who was behind it. “Who did it?”“Alex Grey’s brother,” Clark said quietly. “He’s not going to let this slide.”Nicholas’s jaw tightened, his thoughts racing. Alex’s brother had been silent, biding his time. But the storm was coming, and now it had arrived.“I want him found,” Nicholas said, his voice hard. “Now.”__Meanwhile, Alex’s brother is in the shadows, pulling strings of his own.The man st
Nicholas drove in silence, his jaw tight, mind racing a mile a minute.Clark’s voice soon came through his earpiece, breaking the stillness. “Boss, this guy is smart — real smart. He covered his tracks like a damn ghost. No cameras, no witnesses, nothing. It’s like he vanished into thin air.”Nicholas’s grip on the steering wheel tightened.“People like him don’t vanish,” Nicholas said coldly. “They hide. And every man who hides leaves a trail… no matter how small.”Clark hesitated. “You think he had this planned all along?”Nicholas’s eyes darkened.“He’s been planning this since the day I killed his brother.”And that’s what bothered Nicholas the most — Alex Grey’s brother wasn’t reacting emotionally. No reckless attacks. No stupid mistakes. Everything he did was calculated. Controlled. Patient.That made him dangerous.Nicholas pulled up outside one of his safe houses — an underground base nobody outside his inner circle knew about. If this was going to turn into a long game, he ne
Chloe’s POV — The Next DayThe next day felt unusually long.And despite telling myself that everything was probably fine… seeing Nicholas walk through the café door with his men instantly shattered any false sense of peace I had built overnight.My relief vanished.My heart sank.There he was — effortlessly intimidating, dressed in black, surrounded by his usual gang of dangerous-looking men. But it wasn’t just their presence that unsettled me…it was the way Nicholas’s dark eyes immediately found mine.Locked. Unblinking. Watching.Swallowing down my nerves, I forced myself to walk over to their table. Professional. Calm. Unbothered.Even though every step I took towards them felt like walking into the lion’s den.“What can I get you all?” I managed, my voice steady — barely.They ordered like they always did, casual and relaxed like they didn’t have blood on their hands or danger trailing behind them like shadows. But Nicholas… he didn’t say a word.He just stared.His gaze burned i
Chloe’s POVThe soft chime of the doorbell breaks the quiet atmosphere of the café. I glance up to see a man stepping inside. He’s tall, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, exuding an air of confidence that immediately catches my attention. His eyes scan the room with sharp precision, and when they land on me, it feels like he’s studying me—like he knows something about me that I don’t even know yet.I swallow the sudden lump in my throat. Something about him feels… dangerous.He doesn’t approach the counter, though. Instead, he walks past me, his gaze lingering for a moment longer than necessary, and heads straight to an empty table near the window. There’s no mistaking the calm authority in his movements, the kind that makes you realize he’s used to being in control.I glance over at Nicholas, who’s sitting in his usual spot. His eyes narrow when he notices the man, and the tension between them is palpable. Nicholas doesn’t move, doesn’t say anything, but I can tell he’s aware of
Meanwhile, Isaac drives to meet the private investigator at the warehouse.The engine of Isaac’s car hums steadily as he weaves through the streets, the weight of the information he’s about to receive pressing heavily on his chest. The investigator had contacted him with crucial details—details that could change everything. He doesn’t know exactly what he’s about to hear, but he knows it’s tied to Chloe. The very same woman he knows is involved with Nicholas in a way no one truly understands.As Isaac nears the warehouse, his thoughts are clouded with anticipation and anger. He tightens his grip on the steering wheel, the urgency of the situation gnawing at him. This could be the breakthrough they’ve been waiting for—the key to everything they’ve been chasing.He parks in front of the warehouse, a dilapidated building on the edge of town that always looks deserted. No one notices anyone who comes or goes. Perfect.Isaac steps out of the car and heads toward the entrance, the crunch of
The door chimed as Chloe stepped out of the café into the crisp morning air, Adrian close behind her like a shadow she couldn’t shake. Everything outside looked the same—cars passing, a cyclist ringing his bell, the faint buzz of city life—but to Chloe, everything felt wrong. It was like walking into a dream she couldn’t wake up from.Her legs felt heavy, trembling with each step. Adrian didn’t touch her, but his presence loomed beside her like a loaded gun cocked and ready. He nodded toward a sleek black car parked just a few feet down the street.“Keep walking,” he said, tone light like they were discussing weather.She didn’t want to. Every part of her body screamed to run, to fight, to cry for help. But her mind flashed to the strangers in her café. The couple by the window. The man who smiled as she handed him his croissant. Adrian wasn’t bluffing. He would kill them without hesitation.Her steps carried her to the car, her breath shallow as he reached past her to open the back d
Isaac’s FuneralThe clouds hung low like a mourning veil, thick and unmoving. Rain hadn’t fallen yet, but the air was wet with grief and the promise of a storm. The cemetery was quiet, the usual noise of life muted by the weight of death. Only the wind moved, slipping through the trees, curling around the gravestones, whispering sorrow.Nicholas stood in front of the casket, hands in his pockets, jaw locked so tightly it ached. His black coat fluttered slightly in the wind, but he didn’t move. He hadn’t spoken a word since he arrived.The priest droned on, voice trembling through prayers and hollow reassurances. Nicholas didn’t hear a single word. His eyes were fixed on the polished mahogany casket before him—Isaac’s final bed.His little brother.Gone.He had imagined many things—arguments, bruises, laughter, Isaac storming out and coming back with that smug grin—but never this. Never a grave. Never silence.The priest said, “May he rest in peace,” and stepped back.Nicholas stepped
Chloe’s POVThe quiet hum of her apartment felt suffocating, a stark contrast to the chaos she had just left behind at the coffee shop. Chloe sat on her couch, her legs tucked beneath her, staring at the window as the rain continued its relentless assault on the city. She couldn’t shake the unease that had settled over her, like a dark cloud that refused to dissipate, no matter how hard she tried to shake it off.The news of Isaac’s death weighed heavily on her, pulling her into a spiral of guilt and confusion. She knew Isaac. He had been one of those familiar faces at the coffee shop, always smiling, always ready to crack a joke. He had been nothing but kind to her, even if their interactions were brief and casual. It didn’t make sense. He was a good guy, a guy who didn’t deserve to be taken like that.She rubbed her face with her hands, her thoughts a blur. How could this happen? Why him? And why had Nicholas come to her, looking so lost, so broken? His
Adrian’s POVThe night was thick with the sounds of distant thunder, but Adrian didn’t hear the storm as he sat in his office, watching the city skyline through the floor-to-ceiling windows. His mind was alive with the knowledge that his plan was unfolding perfectly. Nicholas was vulnerable—he had lost Isaac, and with him, a piece of his strength. The game had changed, and now, Adrian had the upper hand.But there was more to it than just revenge. He wasn’t simply trying to destroy Nicholas for the sake of it. There was a deeper motive, one that drove every decision he made, one that fueled his every move. He hadn’t forgotten about his brother Alex, the one Nicholas had killed. Adrian had never let that betrayal go, and the death of Isaac was only part of the payback he had been building towards for years. But he wanted more. He wanted Nicholas to feel the full weight of the loss, to understand what it was like to lose everything—just as he had.The connec
Chloe’s POVThe warm scent of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, the steady hum of the espresso machine a constant comfort in the otherwise quiet Chapters & Coffee. Chloe wiped down the counter for what felt like the hundredth time, her mind wandering as she looked out the window. The rain had started pouring heavily, a dark blanket settling over the city. She liked it when it rained—there was something soothing about it, like the world slowed down just a bit.But today, she couldn’t shake the unease that had been gnawing at her all afternoon. It was as if something, or someone, was watching her. Every time the door opened, her heart would skip a beat, her head snapping toward it, only to find that it was another regular customer or passerby seeking shelter from the downpour. But the feeling lingered, a constant pressure on her chest.She forced herself to focus, arranging the pastries neatly in the display case. The gentle chime of the doorbell interrupted her thoughts, and she gl
The warehouse felt like a maze, each turn offering nothing but shadows and the scent of rust and decay. Nicholas’s heart pounded in his chest, the rhythm of his footsteps echoing in the silence. Every instinct screamed at him to turn back, but he couldn’t. Not without Isaac.He followed the blood trail, each step heavier than the last. The deeper he went into the labyrinthine space, the more unsettling it became. The warehouse seemed endless, as though it had been abandoned for years.Finally, at the farthest point of the building, he found it. A small room, its door hanging off its hinges. Nicholas’s breath hitched as he stepped closer, his hand hovering over the door handle. The blood trail stopped here.He pushed the door open, and the sight that greeted him nearly took the air from his lungs.Isaac’s body lay sprawled on the cold concrete floor, motionless. Blood pooled around him, staining the floor in dark, sinister splotches. Nicholas’s eyes widened, a guttural sound of disbeli
Meanwhile, Isaac drives to meet the private investigator at the warehouse.The engine of Isaac’s car hums steadily as he weaves through the streets, the weight of the information he’s about to receive pressing heavily on his chest. The investigator had contacted him with crucial details—details that could change everything. He doesn’t know exactly what he’s about to hear, but he knows it’s tied to Chloe. The very same woman he knows is involved with Nicholas in a way no one truly understands.As Isaac nears the warehouse, his thoughts are clouded with anticipation and anger. He tightens his grip on the steering wheel, the urgency of the situation gnawing at him. This could be the breakthrough they’ve been waiting for—the key to everything they’ve been chasing.He parks in front of the warehouse, a dilapidated building on the edge of town that always looks deserted. No one notices anyone who comes or goes. Perfect.Isaac steps out of the car and heads toward the entrance, the crunch of
Chloe’s POVThe soft chime of the doorbell breaks the quiet atmosphere of the café. I glance up to see a man stepping inside. He’s tall, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, exuding an air of confidence that immediately catches my attention. His eyes scan the room with sharp precision, and when they land on me, it feels like he’s studying me—like he knows something about me that I don’t even know yet.I swallow the sudden lump in my throat. Something about him feels… dangerous.He doesn’t approach the counter, though. Instead, he walks past me, his gaze lingering for a moment longer than necessary, and heads straight to an empty table near the window. There’s no mistaking the calm authority in his movements, the kind that makes you realize he’s used to being in control.I glance over at Nicholas, who’s sitting in his usual spot. His eyes narrow when he notices the man, and the tension between them is palpable. Nicholas doesn’t move, doesn’t say anything, but I can tell he’s aware of
Chloe’s POV — The Next DayThe next day felt unusually long.And despite telling myself that everything was probably fine… seeing Nicholas walk through the café door with his men instantly shattered any false sense of peace I had built overnight.My relief vanished.My heart sank.There he was — effortlessly intimidating, dressed in black, surrounded by his usual gang of dangerous-looking men. But it wasn’t just their presence that unsettled me…it was the way Nicholas’s dark eyes immediately found mine.Locked. Unblinking. Watching.Swallowing down my nerves, I forced myself to walk over to their table. Professional. Calm. Unbothered.Even though every step I took towards them felt like walking into the lion’s den.“What can I get you all?” I managed, my voice steady — barely.They ordered like they always did, casual and relaxed like they didn’t have blood on their hands or danger trailing behind them like shadows. But Nicholas… he didn’t say a word.He just stared.His gaze burned i