A Love Finally at PeaceFor the first time since their marriage began, Sophia and Adrian had found peace.The storm of lies, betrayals, and distrust had finally settled, leaving behind something neither had expected—genuine happiness.Sophia stretched lazily in bed, feeling the warmth of Adrian’s arm draped over her waist. The morning sun peeked through the curtains, casting a golden glow across the room. She turned to face him, tracing the sharp lines of his jaw, the quiet intensity that never seemed to leave his expression—even in sleep."You’re staring again," Adrian murmured, his lips curving into a smirk without opening his eyes.Sophia smiled. "You’re beautiful when you’re not scowling."His deep chuckle sent a shiver down her spine. "I don’t scowl.""You do. A lot."Adrian pulled her closer, pressing a lingering kiss against her forehead. "Then maybe you should keep distracting me so I don’t."Sophia laughed, letting herself sink into the warmth of his embrace.For the first ti
Sophia's heart thundered as she drove away from the warehouse, her vision blurred by tears. Every fiber of her being screamed at her to turn back, to fight, to ignore Simon's threat. But she couldn’t.Adrian’s life was on the line.She could still hear his voice—hoarse, furious, desperate—echoing in her head. SOPHIA!Her grip on the wheel tightened as a sob tore from her throat. She had done the unthinkable. She had walked away.For him.The city lights blurred as she sped through the empty streets. Her world had crumbled in the span of minutes, and there was nothing she could do but run.Simon had given her twenty-four hours to leave Adrian.But she knew—this wasn’t about divorce. This was about breaking Adrian completely.And she had just handed Simon the weapon to do it.---Adrian’s WrathPain pulsed through Adrian’s skull as he struggled to keep his head up. Blood dripped from his temple, his wrists still bound to the chair. But none of it compared to the agony burning through hi
Adrian Blackwood was not a patient man.He stood in the center of his war room—his penthouse transformed into a command center—eyes locked on the digital map spread across the screen. Red dots flickered across the city, his men tracking every possible lead.Sophia was out there. And she was running out of time."Sir," one of his men, Carter, spoke. "We have a location. South Docks. Simon’s men were spotted moving a black SUV into an abandoned shipyard."Adrian’s jaw clenched. His fingers curled into fists, his body rigid with barely restrained fury.Simon had made a fatal mistake. He had taken the one thing Adrian would never let go of.Adrian turned, his voice cold and lethal."Get the cars ready. We move now."His men nodded, swiftly preparing. But Adrian wasn’t waiting.He grabbed his gun, checked the chamber, and stormed out the door.Tonight, Simon Blackwood would pay in blood.---Sophia’s body ached.The ropes binding her wrists cut into her skin, her head still throbbing from
Darkness.Silence.Then—pain.It came in sharp waves, jolting Adrian Blackwood out of the abyss. His head pounded, the metallic taste of blood coating his tongue. Somewhere nearby, a car horn blared, shrill and unrelenting.Smoke curled in the air. Shattered glass dug into his skin. His chest heaved, lungs straining for air as he tried to move."Sophia," he rasped.His heart clenched as he turned his head, searching—And then he saw her.Sophia was slumped in the passenger seat, her body motionless. Blood streaked her forehead, trickling down her cheek. The airbag had deployed, but she wasn’t waking up.A cold, primal fear gripped Adrian’s soul."Sophia," he tried again, reaching for her. His fingers brushed against her skin—too cold, too still. His pulse roared in his ears.No. No, no, no.He struggled against his seatbelt, the strap digging into his bruised chest. Every inch of his body screamed in agony, but none of it mattered. Nothing mattered except getting to her.With a grunt,
The silence after Sophia’s warning was deafening.Adrian felt the weight of her words settle like lead in his chest.They’re coming.His grip on her hand tightened as he turned to Simon, his jaw clenched. "Talk. Now."Simon exhaled, rubbing his temple, eyes flickering toward the wreckage before settling on Adrian. "I don’t know how deep this goes yet, but whoever did this? They don’t just want you dead." He glanced at Sophia, his expression unreadable. "They want to take everything from you first."Adrian’s blood ran cold. "Names. Give me a damn name, Simon."Simon hesitated. It was brief—almost imperceptible—but Adrian caught it."That’s what I’m trying to figure out," Simon muttered. "This wasn’t just some hit job, Blackwood. This was a message."Adrian’s body tensed as he stared at Simon. For days, they had been at odds, always standing on opposite sides of a fight. Now, for the first time, there was something different in Simon’s eyes—reluctance, maybe even the smallest flicker of
Adrian’s pulse thundered in his ears as he clutched Sophia’s limp body against him."No, no, no—stay with me," he rasped, pressing his palm to the wound at her side. Blood seeped through his fingers, warm and unforgiving.Sophia’s lashes fluttered, a faint whimper escaping her lips. Her breathing was shallow—too shallow."Hold on, baby," Adrian whispered. "I need you to hold on."Simon cursed under his breath, stepping into the room, his gun still raised. His gaze locked onto the pool of crimson spreading beneath Sophia."Shit," he muttered. "We need to move. Now."Adrian’s head snapped up, fury burning through the despair clawing at his chest. "Who was that?!" he demanded.Simon didn’t answer immediately. His lips pressed into a grim line as he checked the bodies in the hall. "They were professionals," he said darkly. "Not just hired thugs. Someone sent them knowing exactly what they were doing."Adrian’s jaw clenched. His world was unraveling. His enemies were no longer content with
The room was bathed in shadows, broken only by the dim glow of the bedside lamp where Sophia lay unconscious. The scent of antiseptic mingled with the lingering metallic tang of blood, creating a suffocating weight in the air.Adrian crouched low, his gun steady in his grip, his heart a relentless drum in his chest. His every instinct screamed at him to eliminate the threat, but the voice from the hallway froze him in place."Come out, Blackwood. Let’s finish this."The voice was familiar—too familiar.Adrian’s blood turned to ice. His grip tightened around the gun, his knuckles whitening."No. It can’t be—"Simon moved with the precision of a trained soldier, gun raised as he positioned himself by the shattered window. His jaw was tight, eyes scanning for movement. "Adrian," he murmured, "you need to get Sophia out of here. I’ll handle this."Adrian shook his head. "No," he said, voice low and lethal. "This ends tonight."The tension in the air crackled, an electric charge before a s
Darkness still clung to the edges of the room, the scent of gunpowder lingering in the air like a ghost of the chaos that had unfolded. Sophia’s breath came in shallow gasps, her fingers trembling as she clutched Adrian’s hand.His grip was firm, steady, but his eyes… they held something dangerous. A storm of fury.She swallowed hard, forcing herself to focus. "Adrian… what did you do?"Adrian didn’t answer right away. He brushed his thumb over her knuckles, an unspoken promise in the gesture, but the tension in his shoulders betrayed him.Simon stepped forward, his face grim. "She should rest. We need to get her somewhere safe."Adrian finally exhaled, his voice a low growl. "She’s not staying here."Sophia struggled to sit up, wincing at the sharp pain in her ribs. "Adrian, you can’t keep running from this. You can’t fight every battle alone."His jaw clenched. "This isn’t just about me anymore, Sophia. Mercer sent men to kill you. This war just got personal."A shiver ran down her
Sophia couldn’t move.Her back was against the damp stone wall, Adrian beside her, barely upright, bleeding and pale. But it wasn’t his condition that stole her breath this time—it was the gun pointed straight at them.Lauren stood just feet away, framed by the flickering tunnel light, dressed in her usual tailored black but with an edge to her presence that Sophia had never seen before. Her cool, professional poise was still intact, but her eyes… they were wild. Sharp. Dangerous.Adrian's jaw tightened. “Lauren. You’re working with Mercer.”Lauren smiled, slow and cold. “Well, someone had to clean up after your messes. And Mercer offered a better position.”Sophia’s voice was barely a whisper. “You were his assistant. You said you believed in Adrian. That you chose him.”“I did.” Lauren’s expression faltered—just for a second. “But belief only gets you so far when you're treated like you’re invisible. Disposable. Do you even remember the last time you actually thanked me, Adrian?”Ad
The tunnel stretched on endlessly, winding through the cold earth like a forgotten secret. The only light came from Simon’s flashlight, flickering against the damp stone walls. Sophia kept her hand entwined with Adrian’s, though his grip had loosened—his steps slower, staggered. She could feel it now more than ever: his body was failing him.“Adrian,” she said softly, her voice barely rising above the echo of their footsteps. “You’re bleeding again.”“I’m fine.” His answer was mechanical, like it had been all night.She halted, refusing to move until he turned to face her. “No, you’re not.”He tried to tug her forward, but his strength faltered. The moment his weight shifted, he stumbled against the wall, groaning under his breath.Simon spun around. “That’s it. We’re stopping. He’s losing too much blood.”“I said I’m—” Adrian’s protest faded as his knees buckled.“Adrian!” Sophia caught him, her arms wrapping around his waist as he slumped into her.Simon moved fast, shrugging off hi
The air in the underground tunnel was thick with tension, a suffocating mix of fear, urgency, and uncertainty. The faint echo of footsteps reverberated off the stone walls as Sophia tried to match her pace with Adrian’s, but it was hard to focus on anything other than the weight of his hand wrapped tightly around her wrist. The force with which he held her was almost as if he were trying to pull her into his strength, into his battle, to shield her from everything that was coming.But she knew—she knew—that it wasn’t going to be that simple. Not anymore."Adrian…" Her voice was a whisper, but it seemed to echo in the thick darkness of the tunnel.He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he continued to lead them forward with a steady, determined stride, his jaw clenched and his back rigid. His eyes—those eyes that had always held a storm, even in the calmest of moments—were darker now, filled with something raw and dangerous. She could see it in the set of his shoulders, the tension in
The hallway of Blackwood Manor felt like a labyrinth. The walls, adorned with heavy tapestries and portraits, closed in on her as she paced, unable to shake the sense of impending doom. Sophia’s thoughts were clouded, her heart a chaotic swirl of emotions. The memory of Adrian’s promise to keep her safe lingered in her mind, but she couldn’t push past the fear that clawed at her insides. What had happened to him? she wondered desperately. Where was he? The echoes of gunfire still rang in her ears, and the explosion of chaos that had unfolded downstairs was fresh in her memory. Adrian’s face, that cold determination, still burned in her mind—an image of him fighting with all his strength, all his rage. But what had it cost him? What had it cost them both? She pressed a trembling hand to her chest, trying to steady her breathing. Adrian had always been a man who kept his emotions buried, his plans hidden behind walls of stone. She had learned that much in their time together. But ton
Darkness still clung to the edges of the room, the scent of gunpowder lingering in the air like a ghost of the chaos that had unfolded. Sophia’s breath came in shallow gasps, her fingers trembling as she clutched Adrian’s hand.His grip was firm, steady, but his eyes… they held something dangerous. A storm of fury.She swallowed hard, forcing herself to focus. "Adrian… what did you do?"Adrian didn’t answer right away. He brushed his thumb over her knuckles, an unspoken promise in the gesture, but the tension in his shoulders betrayed him.Simon stepped forward, his face grim. "She should rest. We need to get her somewhere safe."Adrian finally exhaled, his voice a low growl. "She’s not staying here."Sophia struggled to sit up, wincing at the sharp pain in her ribs. "Adrian, you can’t keep running from this. You can’t fight every battle alone."His jaw clenched. "This isn’t just about me anymore, Sophia. Mercer sent men to kill you. This war just got personal."A shiver ran down her
The room was bathed in shadows, broken only by the dim glow of the bedside lamp where Sophia lay unconscious. The scent of antiseptic mingled with the lingering metallic tang of blood, creating a suffocating weight in the air.Adrian crouched low, his gun steady in his grip, his heart a relentless drum in his chest. His every instinct screamed at him to eliminate the threat, but the voice from the hallway froze him in place."Come out, Blackwood. Let’s finish this."The voice was familiar—too familiar.Adrian’s blood turned to ice. His grip tightened around the gun, his knuckles whitening."No. It can’t be—"Simon moved with the precision of a trained soldier, gun raised as he positioned himself by the shattered window. His jaw was tight, eyes scanning for movement. "Adrian," he murmured, "you need to get Sophia out of here. I’ll handle this."Adrian shook his head. "No," he said, voice low and lethal. "This ends tonight."The tension in the air crackled, an electric charge before a s
Adrian’s pulse thundered in his ears as he clutched Sophia’s limp body against him."No, no, no—stay with me," he rasped, pressing his palm to the wound at her side. Blood seeped through his fingers, warm and unforgiving.Sophia’s lashes fluttered, a faint whimper escaping her lips. Her breathing was shallow—too shallow."Hold on, baby," Adrian whispered. "I need you to hold on."Simon cursed under his breath, stepping into the room, his gun still raised. His gaze locked onto the pool of crimson spreading beneath Sophia."Shit," he muttered. "We need to move. Now."Adrian’s head snapped up, fury burning through the despair clawing at his chest. "Who was that?!" he demanded.Simon didn’t answer immediately. His lips pressed into a grim line as he checked the bodies in the hall. "They were professionals," he said darkly. "Not just hired thugs. Someone sent them knowing exactly what they were doing."Adrian’s jaw clenched. His world was unraveling. His enemies were no longer content with
The silence after Sophia’s warning was deafening.Adrian felt the weight of her words settle like lead in his chest.They’re coming.His grip on her hand tightened as he turned to Simon, his jaw clenched. "Talk. Now."Simon exhaled, rubbing his temple, eyes flickering toward the wreckage before settling on Adrian. "I don’t know how deep this goes yet, but whoever did this? They don’t just want you dead." He glanced at Sophia, his expression unreadable. "They want to take everything from you first."Adrian’s blood ran cold. "Names. Give me a damn name, Simon."Simon hesitated. It was brief—almost imperceptible—but Adrian caught it."That’s what I’m trying to figure out," Simon muttered. "This wasn’t just some hit job, Blackwood. This was a message."Adrian’s body tensed as he stared at Simon. For days, they had been at odds, always standing on opposite sides of a fight. Now, for the first time, there was something different in Simon’s eyes—reluctance, maybe even the smallest flicker of
Darkness.Silence.Then—pain.It came in sharp waves, jolting Adrian Blackwood out of the abyss. His head pounded, the metallic taste of blood coating his tongue. Somewhere nearby, a car horn blared, shrill and unrelenting.Smoke curled in the air. Shattered glass dug into his skin. His chest heaved, lungs straining for air as he tried to move."Sophia," he rasped.His heart clenched as he turned his head, searching—And then he saw her.Sophia was slumped in the passenger seat, her body motionless. Blood streaked her forehead, trickling down her cheek. The airbag had deployed, but she wasn’t waking up.A cold, primal fear gripped Adrian’s soul."Sophia," he tried again, reaching for her. His fingers brushed against her skin—too cold, too still. His pulse roared in his ears.No. No, no, no.He struggled against his seatbelt, the strap digging into his bruised chest. Every inch of his body screamed in agony, but none of it mattered. Nothing mattered except getting to her.With a grunt,