Mia's POV. “Are you out of your goddamn mind?” She shouted, rising to her feet so fast the chair nearly tripped backward. “You agreed to his conditions? You walked straight to his trap without a second thought.” I sighed, stepping forward into the room. “Mimi_” “Don't you ‘Mimi me’, Mia.” she snapped, her voice cutting through the room like a blade. It's hard to believe she was kidnapped for days and beaten almost to a pulp, yet she's still able to scream as loud as a chicken.The others stopped what they were doing, their eyes farting between us, but I raised a hand, signaling them to stay out of it. This was between us. “You think I didn't know it was a trap?” I said, my voice firm but calm. “ You think I didn't calculate every angle, every possible outcome? I did what I had to do to get you out of there.” Her hands balled into fists at her side. “ No, you did what he wanted you to do! You played right into his hands. Mia, Dylan's been Inside your head since day one, and you le
Mia's POV.Dylan’s smirk deepened, and his gaze sharpened as he leaned casually against the banister. “Oh, Mia. You misunderstand the nature of this visit. You don’t leave until I say so.”Mimi stiffened beside me, her fists clenching at her sides. “You son of a—”I placed a hand on her arm to stop her from lunging at him. “Enough, Mimi.” My voice was firm, steady, despite the anger boiling beneath my skin. “What’s your game this time, Dylan? You got what you wanted. We’re here. Now let us go.”Dylan descended the last step, his steps slow and deliberate, like a predator circling its prey. “Oh, I think you misunderstand the terms of our... arrangement. This isn’t just about a visit, Mia. This is about trust. And trust, my dear, takes time to build.”“We’re not here to play your sick games,” I said, my voice sharp as a blade. “If you think for a second we’re going to stay here willingly, you’re delusional.”He chuckled, the sound low and dark. “Oh, but you will. Because you don’t have
Dylan's POV. I leaned against the control panel, my gaze fixed on the flickering monitor. The grainy feed didn’t do her justice, but even now, Mia’s presence radiated through the screen. She was pacing again, her movements sharp and deliberate, like a tiger caged by its own instincts.Mia always had this way of holding herself—unyielding, fierce. Even when the odds weren’t in her favor, she refused to bow. It was… admirable. No, it was infuriating.“Stubborn as hell,” I muttered under my breath, though my lips twitched into a faint smirk.Forrest sat across the room, trying his best to blend into the background. His unease was palpable, but I didn’t bother to reassure him. He wasn’t important right now—she was.Mimi’s voice blared through the speakers, cutting through my thoughts. “Can’t you just fucking accept defeat like a normal human being?” she snapped, her words laced with frustration.I chuckled softly, the sound barely audible. Mimi had no idea who she was dealing with. Mia d
Dylan's POV. “Weird.” " What?” Liam asked, with a mouthful of popcorn, turning to look at me.“It's been three days since I took both Mia and Mimi hostage but I haven't heard anything from her clan or her father's, nor has she tried to escape. It's just so fucking weird and suspicious. Don't you think?” “What do you mean? Aren't things going the way you planned it? Both Mia and Mimi are trapped here; her clan got a crippled message that they had some business to handle with us, and Ray got a message that his daughter was with us but is quiet ....” Liam said, realization dawned on him. " Ohh, now I see it too. What should we do?” " Do what I originally planned,” I replied, standing up from the chair; I walked towards the balcony, letting the cool, even air blow on my face as I stared down at the clan I built from scratch. All the ups and downs I faced before finally getting to this level. “Dude, what the fuck do you mean by, ‘what you originally planned?’ if this wasn't the first
Chapter 18. Dylan.Mia's POV. “Dylan, you bastard. I hope you get hit by a truck and die so I don't have to do it myself!" I yelled as I felt another wip on my bare back. “I guess you have some energy left to curse at Dylan.” She said coldly as she whipped me a few more times until her hands felt numb. Dylan? I didn't know his clan members could call him by his name. How fascinating.The red-haired lady, with light brown eyes and a slender body. One could think she was too frugal to be part of the Mafia, but her grip on the wip end was strong, and every stroke she gave me stunned like I was bitten by fifty bees at once. I still couldn't understand why she was glaring at me like I stole her man, her eyes spitting daggers at me wishing they could kill me. Who in their right mind would tie a helpless—both my hands and feet are tied—young lady like myself tied like a circus clown on a fuckin wheel and start sipping them on their bloody back? Oh, wait, I know who—this red-haired bitch o
Mia's POV. Dylan’s words sent a chill down my spine, but I refused to show any reaction. He didn’t deserve the satisfaction. Instead, I kept my gaze locked on him, refusing to blink, refusing to flinch. If he wanted to intimidate me, he’d have to try harder.“You’re all talk, Dylan,” I said, my voice raspy but laced with venom. “If you wanted to break me, you would’ve done it by now.”His smile widened, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Oh, Mia, breaking you isn’t the goal. It’s much more entertaining to watch you fight back, even when you know it’s futile.”I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. “What’s your endgame, huh? Keeping me here forever? Using me as leverage against my father? You think he’ll care? You don’t know him like I do.”Dylan straightened, towering over me again. “Your father is irrelevant,” he said, his tone as cold as his gaze. “This isn’t about him. This is about you.”“Me?” I let out a bitter laugh, though it came out as more of a croak. “You’re obse
Mia's POVThe door slammed shut behind Dylan, leaving me alone with the suffocating weight of silence. My wrists throbbed where the restraints had bitten into my skin, but the ache was nothing compared to the rage boiling inside me.Dylan Griffin. The Devil himself. A man who seemed to thrive on chaos and manipulation. He wanted to break me, to see me kneel before him, stripped of my power and dignity. But he didn’t understand one crucial thing: I wasn’t the girl he kidnapped four years ago.I tugged at the ropes binding my wrists, ignoring the sting as the fibers scraped against raw skin. The sharp pain was grounding, reminding me of the stakes. Dylan had said this wasn’t about my father—but what else could it be? My father was the epicenter of every tragedy in my life, every betrayal, every broken promise.As I worked on loosening the knots, my mind replayed the moment Dylan’s mask had faltered. It was brief, barely noticeable, but I’d seen it. A flicker of something vulnerable. Reg
Mia's POVThe faint sound of footsteps reached my ears long before the door opened. I pressed myself against the wall, my heart pounding as I prepared to confront whoever walked through.When the door creaked open, it wasn’t Dylan or Scarlet. It was a man I didn’t recognize—tall, lean, with sharp features and an air of confidence that set my nerves on edge.“Who the hell are you?” I demanded, my voice steadier than I felt.He stepped into the room, his movements deliberate. His dark eyes swept over me, assessing, calculating.“Name’s Liam,” he said casually, as if we were meeting over coffee instead of in a grim, locked room. “I’m here to help.”I snorted, crossing my arms. “Help? That’s rich. Let me guess—Dylan sent you to play good cop?”Liam chuckled, the sound low and surprisingly genuine. “Dylan doesn’t know I’m here, sweetheart. And trust me, he wouldn’t approve.”“Why should I believe you?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.He shrugged, leaning against the doorframe. “You don’t have
Chapter 91: A Fiery Farewell and Forbidden FlamesMia's POVThe moonlight shimmered on the river like scattered silver, but all I could see was the boat cradling Mimi’s body, gently swaying as if the water itself mourned. Lanterns floated above, their flickering flames casting halos over the gathered clan. The air was thick with a reverence so heavy it made breathing feel like trespassing.I stood at the edge, feet planted in grass damp with dew, fingers clenched around a bottle of aged whiskey. My pulse thudded hard in my throat. This wasn’t how it was supposed to end.I couldn’t look away from Mimi—her dark curls pulled back with the crimson ribbon I had chosen, the familiar leather jacket resting on her shoulders like armor. The black dress hugged her like she still had somewhere to go. And in her hand, a single wildflower I had tucked there myself, picked just before the ceremony began.The silence was broken by Ashton’s voice. Rough. Shaky. Full of a grief I recognized too well.
Chapter 90 – Ghost Signal 2.Mia’s POVThe tires crunched against the gravel, loud in the otherwise deafening silence that filled the car. As the estate’s main entrance loomed before us, glowing faintly under the dim porch lights, the engine gave a soft sputter before Dylan brought the car to a stop.Before it even fully parked, I shoved the door open and stepped out.Cold air slapped my face, rustling strands of hair across my cheeks, but I didn’t react. My boots hit the ground with purpose—measured, unshaken. I didn’t wait for anyone. Not Dylan. Not the others.My hands were still. My breathing was level.And my face—stone.No grief. No rage. No tears.Only silence.Behind me, Dylan opened the back door with the kind of reverence that belongs to sacred things. He moved with slow, calculated care, like each gesture carried a weight he wasn’t allowed to fumble. And then he emerged, holding Mimi in his arms.Her body.Blood had dried on her skin and soaked into her clothes. Her curls,
Chapter 89: Ghost Signal(Mia’s POV)It started with a whisper. A feeling. Like something wasn’t right.The estate was quiet—too quiet. Victor had gone radio silent again, eyes always on the window, as if expecting someone to break through it. Alison kept herself busy, but I could feel her watching me when she thought I wasn’t looking. Everyone had their routines, their coping mechanisms.Except Mimi.She hadn’t shown up for breakfast. Or lunch. I hadn’t seen her since yesterday.I asked around.“Maybe she’s training again,” one of the guards said with a shrug.But someone else—one of the newer recruits—looked nervous. “I saw her,” he said quietly. “This morning. Thought I was imagining it. She was heading toward the north wall… looked like she was in a hurry.”A hurry?No one else saw her. Everyone was equally busy.Panic started to claw at my chest.I ran back to my room and grabbed my phone, praying she'd just gone on a walk and forgotten to text back. But there was nothing. No new
Chapter 87: Fractured LinesThe Betrayal(Mimi’s POV)Days passed in a haze after we returned to the estate.The bruises faded, but the weight didn’t. Victor was quiet—dangerously quiet—and Mia hadn’t left his side, except for the occasional walks to clear her head. Alison stayed alert, tense, as though expecting something to go wrong again. Me? I threw myself into training, cleaning, anything that could distract me from the feeling that we had failed.Then I got the message.MIA: “Need to talk. Alone. Same spot as before—urgent.”I didn’t hesitate.We hadn’t spoken since that night. Not properly. I figured she needed space, but the sudden text felt like a shift—like maybe she was ready. And I was desperate to fix the cracks between us. I didn’t even stop to wonder why she wanted to meet alone, or why she sounded so... unlike herself.I slipped out past midnight, using the gaps in the estate’s new patrol routes. The wind bit at my skin, and the forest whispered warnings I chose to ign
Chapter 87: Fractured Lines### Part I – My Descent (Mia’s POV)I remember the cold bite of the night air as we slipped out from behind the high walls of Dylan’s clan estate. I, Mimi, and Alison had long shared a rebellious streak, but tonight—tonight it felt different. There was an intensity in our hearts, a mix of defiance and dread. We’d disobeyed orders once more, driven by the desperate hope of finding Victor before something irreparable happened to him. I clutched my side, not from pain but because my pulse roared in my ears as we crept through the labyrinth of back alleys.The moon was a thin crescent in the sky, and its pallid light barely touched the ground. “We shouldn’t be this far out,” Alison whispered, her eyes darting around in the darkness as though expecting danger at every turn. I couldn’t help but agree. But every step was driven by the memory of Victor’s last call—a single, cryptic text that hinted something was very, very wrong.Following a series of hastily scraw
Chapter 86: Disappeared I tapped my fingers against the edge of the table, my gaze flicking toward the door for what had to be the tenth time that morning. The estate was unusually quiet—not that it was ever particularly loud—but something felt... off. It had been nagging at me all day, a persistent itch at the back of my mind.Mimi sat across from me, idly spinning a ring around her finger. She hadn’t said much, which was unusual. Normally, she had something to complain about, something to gossip about, or some ridiculous scheme to rope me into. Today, though, she was just as distracted as I was.I finally voiced what had been bothering me. “Hey… have you seen Victor lately?”Mimi stopped playing with her ring and frowned. “Now that you mention it… no. Not in a while.”A small crease formed between my brows. “Yeah. Me neither. I thought maybe I was just missing him, but it’s been—what? A week?”“At least.” Mimi sat up straighter, her gaze sharpening. “Victor doesn’t just disappear.
Chapter 85: The Truth Beneath the SurfaceMimi finally spoke, her voice quiet. “I had no idea.” She met my gaze, something like guilt flickering in her usually confident eyes. “About your father, I mean. My father’s group… they destroyed a lot of lives. But I never knew yours was one of them.”I studied her for a moment, then shrugged. “It’s not like you had anything to do with it, you were just a toddlar like I was.”She didn’t look convinced, but she nodded anyway.Dylan tilted his head slightly. “So? Now that you know, what are you going to do with it?”I thought about that. About Ray, about my mom, about how knowing the truth didn’t change much—but at the same time, it changed everything.Then, I smirked.“Nothing,” I said easily. “Just thought you two should know.”Dylan let out a quiet chuckle. “Typical.”I stretched, letting the weight of the conversation settle. And then, because I couldn’t resist, I added, “Though, there is one thing.”Mimi raised a brow. “What?”I grinned, m
Chapter 84: The Truth Beneath the SurfaceI checked my phone for the third time, pressing the call button and holding it close to my ear. The silence in my room was absolute, the soft hum of the city beyond my window the only background noise. No static, no strange interruptions.No one was listening.I took a deep breath and dialed.The call barely rang twice before my mother picked up."Mia?"Her voice was the same as always—warm, steady, familiar. It made me think of childhood memories filled with home-cooked meals and gentle lullabies. But there was also something else now, an underlying concern."Yeah, Mom. It's me," I said, settling onto my bed, pressing my back against the headboard."Is everything alright?"I hesitated. How was I even supposed to start this conversation? But I needed answers, and she was the only one who could give them to me."Yeah, I just… I wanted to ask you something."A pause. "What is it?"I swallowed, glancing at my locked bedroom door as if expecting s
Chapter 83: The Dawn Before the StormThe morning arrived quietly, as if it were the soft prelude to an overture that had yet to unfold. In the dim light of early day, I found myself awake in a solitude that felt almost sacred —a pause before the crescendo of events that would later alter the course of my night. Every minute of that morning carried a sense of both anticipation and introspection, a tender space where memories of yesterday blended with the elusive promise of what was to come.I lay in bed, cocooned in the faded linens that had borne witness to many restless nights, and listened to the gentle hum of the city beginning to stir. Outside, the first hints of daylight crept over the horizon, casting long, gentle shadows across the worn wooden floorboards. The quiet was profound, filled with the unspoken possibilities that only early morning can hold. It was a time when the world seemed to be holding its breath, awaiting a signal to burst into life.As I slowly sat up, the