Chapter 33: Fractured TruthsThree days had passed since Mia regained consciousness, and the absence of Dylan was beginning to gnaw at her nerves. The silence he left in his wake was deafening, and every moment without answers weighed heavier on her chest. Mimi, ever the doting presence, remained close, though her constant apologies had started to chip away at Mia’s patience.Mia sat upright in bed, her strength slowly returning, though the dull ache in her body was a constant reminder of her ordeal. Mimi hovered near the bedside table, fiddling with a tray of food she’d brought in earlier.“Are you ever going to stop apologizing?” Mia asked, her voice sharper than she intended.Mimi flinched, her fingers tightening around the edge of the tray. “I just… I feel terrible, Mia. I keep thinking about how this could’ve been avoided if I’d done things differently.”Mia narrowed her eyes, suspicion creeping into her tone. “You’ve been saying that for days now. Did you do something wrong whil
Chapter 34: An Uneasy AllianceMia sat stiffly in the dimly lit meeting hall, her arms crossed and her gaze locked on Dylan as he leaned against the opposite wall, a picture of effortless authority. The weight of the past days—secrets unearthed, betrayals revealed, and a future steeped in uncertainty—pressed down on her like a suffocating shroud.“You’re asking me to trust you,” she said, her tone cutting through the tense silence. “After everything I’ve just learned?”Dylan straightened, his expression unreadable. “I’m not asking for trust. I’m asking for a truce.”Mia narrowed her eyes, suspicion sharpening her features. “A truce? You mean you want something from me.”“Not just from you,” Dylan replied, his voice calm but laced with an undercurrent of urgency. “From both of us. Our clans. Together, we have a chance to stop the Vagaz twins. Alone, we’ll be picked off, one by one.”The mention of the twins sent a shiver down Mia’s spine. The Vagaz siblings—ruthless, cunning, and dange
Chapter 35: AllianceThe murmur of dissent rippled through the crowd, but Dylan silenced it with a sharp glance, his commanding presence suffocating any further arguments. “I know many of you don’t trust me. That’s fair. But trust isn’t what’s going to win this fight. Strategy, strength, and unity will.”From my place near the corner of the hall, I watched as Mia stepped forward, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade. “This alliance isn’t about friendship or forgiveness. It’s about survival. The Vagaz twins have already infiltrated smaller factions, and it’s only a matter of time before they come for us. We either stand together, or we fall alone.”I couldn’t help but admire her composure, even as the weight of her words settled uneasily over the room. The Vagaz twins were no ordinary threat—they were the kind of nightmare that lingered long after you woke up.One of Mia’s older advisors stepped forward, his grizzled face shadowed with doubt. “And what happens when the tw
Chapter 36. Phase 1. Planning.The tension in the room was thick, but my voice cut through it like a blade. “Enough.”Mimi and Liam both turned to look at me, their hostility momentarily redirected. I straightened my posture, meeting their gazes head-on. “This isn’t helping. If we’re going to stand any chance against the Vagaz twins, we need to work together, not tear each other apart.”Mimi huffed, crossing her arms as she leaned back against the table. “Fine. But don’t expect me to keep quiet when he starts spouting nonsense.”Liam rolled his eyes, but he, too, stepped back, muttering under his breath, “Like I care what she thinks.”Mia, still visibly rattled from the confrontation with Dylan, turned to face the group. Her voice was calm, but I could hear the underlying frustration. “Let’s focus. Dylan may be an arrogant bastard, but he’s right about one thing: unity is the only way we’ll survive this. The Vagaz twins won’t hesitate to exploit even the smallest crack in our defenses
Chapter 37. Just business alright.Dylan held up his hands in mock surrender, his grin never faltering. “Alright, alright. I’ll leave you to it, boss. But if you ever decide you need a break from all that thinking, you know where to find me.”I rolled my eyes, already regretting engaging with him. “Somewhere being insufferable, I assume, and shouldn't you be part of this thinking?”“Exactly,” he said, ignoring the other question,, and winked before turning on his heel and strolling toward the door. “Don’t work too hard, Marian. Stress isn’t good for that pretty face of yours.”The door clicked shut behind him, leaving me alone with the maps and my growing irritation. Mimi looked up from her blade, her expression somewhere between amused and disgusted.“How do you even tolerate him?” she asked, shaking her head. “I swear, if he talked to me like that, I’d—”“Kill him?” I interrupted, glancing over at her. “Trust me, the thought crosses my mind at least three times a day.”Mimi smirked,
Chapter 38. Big Bad Wolf.One minute we were having a conversation at the party, and the next, I was dragging Dylan's drunk ass back to my room. I stumbled down the dimly lit hallway, hitting walls and any other unfortunate objects in my path. How did this even happen? Isn't he supposed to be the man feared by everyone, the one who acts like the king of the world? Now here I was, struggling to haul his sorry self back because I couldn’t find his room keys—or even a damn phone on him. The more I thought about it, the more it felt like this was intentional.I adjusted my grip on him, pulling him closer by the waist. Damn, he had a small waist—muscled, but not too much. His body was toned like that of a model: perfect height, perfect build, and, of course, his infuriatingly perfect face. No wonder women constantly surrounded him despite his garbage personality. But it wasn’t just his looks. His ocean-blue eyes, those rare windows to his soul, always seemed emotionless at first glance. Ye
Chapter 39. Big Bad Wolf I sat back down on the edge of my bed, running a hand through my hair. This wasn’t just about me anymore. Whatever secrets Mimi and Dylan were keeping, they were tied to something bigger. Something dangerous.And I’m right in the middle of it.I lay back down, staring at the ceiling again. The cold seeped into my bones, but I didn’t bother grabbing another blanket. My mind churned with questions I didn’t have answers to.For now, I’d let Dylan sleep it off. But when morning came, he was going to explain everything—whether he liked it or not.—The first rays of sunlight seeped through the cracks in the curtains, illuminating the room with a soft golden glow. I stirred awake, the chill of the room biting against my skin. For a brief moment, I forgot about the events of last night, but the sound of movement on the couch brought it all back.I sat up, my eyes locking onto Dylan as he groaned and rubbed his temples. He looked like absolute hell—hair disheveled, s
Chapter 40. Dylan.I sat on the edge of the bed, my elbows resting on my knees as I stared at the floor. The words I needed to say clawed at my throat, but I couldn’t bring myself to speak them. Not yet. The faint hum of the city outside filled the silence, but it did little to calm the storm in my chest.I glanced over at Mia, who was pacing the room, her arms crossed tightly against her chest. She was mad—rightfully so—but it wasn’t her anger that made this hard. It was the way she looked at me, like she was still holding on to the hope that I’d stop keeping things from her. That I’d finally let her in.I ran a hand through my hair, taking a steadying breath. “Mia,” I started, my voice rough.She stopped pacing, turning to face me. Her piercing eyes locked onto mine, and I felt that familiar pang of guilt.“What?” she asked, her tone sharp, though there was a flicker of unease beneath it.I straightened up, forcing myself to meet her gaze. “Liam and I…we’re leaving.”Her expression
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