Alison The first thing I heard was the screams. It was loud, piercing, and frantic. I pulled myself upright, my heart hammering against my ribs as I staggered toward the window. My breath caught in my throat when I saw them—a group of men, dressed in dark clothing, armed with guns, storming into the mansion grounds. I felt scared. A gunshot rang out, and before I could react, a bullet shattered the glass in front of me. I gasped, stumbling backward just as shards of glass rained onto the floor. Oh my god. My pulse pounded in my ears, drowning out everything else. I crouched low, pressing myself against the wall. Another shot tore through the air, this time embedding itself into the wooden floor a few feet away from me. I was trapped. The mansion was under attack. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to suppress the rising terror, my hands trembling against the cold floor. Then, amidst the chaos, I heard a familiar voice. "Alison! Open the door!" Damien. I scramble
Damien The moment I stepped into the mansion, I was shocked when I noticed that everywhere was quiet. I had expected to hear gunfire, shouting, and some sign of life. But instead, the only thing that greeted me was death. Bodies of my men were lined the front of the mansion. My hands tightened around my gun as I stepped past them, my pulse roaring in my ears. Where the hell was Hugh? I moved cautiously through the hallway, my gun raised, and my eyes scanning every shadow."Hugh?" I called out, my voice bouncing off the empty walls. There was no answer. I increased my pace, moving deeper into the mansion. My mind was already thinking about the worst, that something terrible might have happened to Hugh. It was during that moment I heard a sound. It was faint at first but then it became loud, it sounded almost like a groan."Hugh!" I called again, following the noise. This time, I heard him clearly. “Here…” His voice was hoarse, coming from one of the rooms upstairs. I
Alison I pulled my eyes open and I realized I was blindfolded.The black piece of clothing on my face made it difficult for me to see where I was and my wrists bound so tightly behind my back made it hard for me to take off the stupid blindfold.The only sounds I could make out were the low grunts of the men who were moving me around. Where were they taking me? And where was I?Suddenly I was dropped. Pain shot through my body as I hit the hard, cold floor. A groan slipped past my lips, but I barely had time to process the discomfort before the sound of heavy boots retreating filled the air. I swallowed, my throat dry. “Hello?” My voice wavered. “Who’s there?” There was no answer. The silence that followed made me realize I was all alone.I lay still, with my chest rising and falling with panicked breaths. My heart pounded so loudly that it drowned out the quiet. I had no idea where I was. And worse—I had no idea who had me. Regret churned in my stomach. I shouldn’t
AlisonThe car jerked to a sudden halt, jolting me from the haze of exhaustion that had settled over me. My body felt heavy, and sore from hours of being bound and blindfolded. The minute the car opened, I felt the cold air hit my face first, carrying with it the distant sound of passing vehicles. Were we on a main road? A city? Was this where I die, before I could process my thoughts, a firm hand gripped my arm. A second later, I felt the ropes around my wrists being yanked loose. Then the blindfold came off. I blinked rapidly as light flooded my vision. When I finally saw who was standing in front of me, my breath caught in my throat. “Oh my God…”I could barely get the words out. It was Damien. He had saved me.My body moved before I could think—I threw myself at him, my arms wrapping around his torso, holding onto him as if I needed proof that he was real.“Damien!” I finally woke.He let out a small chuckle, as he wrapped his arms around me. “Surprised?” he murmured
Damien The minute I passed the sign that welcomed us to the city. I felt a bit relieved. I drove through the streets, with so much speed I couldn’t wait to get to my destination and relax. I was exhausted. When we finally pulled up to the house, I glanced at Alison. Her head was leaning against the window, her breathing soft and steady. She was barely keeping her eyes open. I reached over, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Come on,” I murmured. “Let’s get you inside.” She stirred slightly but didn’t argue when I helped her out of the car. Her body clung to me like a second skin as I guided her up the stairs. The moment we stepped into the house, she mumbled something incoherent, already half-asleep. I smiled. “Alright, let’s get you to bed.” I led her to the bedroom, pulled back the covers, and eased her onto the mattress. She barely moved as I tucked her in. As I turned to leave, her hand shot out, gripping my wrist weakly. “Please can you stay with me?”
Alison The moment I rolled to the other side of the bed and found out it was empty. I sat up, quickly.“Damien!” I said, after realizing he wasn’t by my side.‘Where did he go?’ I asked myself.He couldn’t be in the shower because I couldn’t hear the water running.I didn’t want to stay alone, so I threw the covers off my body and went to look for him as I made my way toward the door the voices I heard on the other side of the door stopped me in my tracks. It was Damien and Hugh. They happened to be arguing. I pressed my ear against the door, listening, and the more I listened the more I realized they weren’t arguing they were just talking with loud voices. “You have to choose Damien it’s either her or your grandfather’s contact. To me, both are necessary.” I heard Hugh say. “This isn’t the time to focus on emotions Damien. We need her!”There was a beat of silence before Damien spoke, in a tone that was lower and more controlled. “I’m trying to be considerate.” Hugh let ou
Alison Damien and I sat in the living room, the next day. While Hugh stood near a whiteboard, cigarette in hand, with a firm expression on his face. The faint scent of smoke curled around him as he flicked the ash onto the floor. Damien leaned back, eyeing the board. “I really want to know how you got that board.” Hugh exhaled a cloud of smoke. “Can we just focus on the plan?” Damien shrugged. “I’m just saying, it’s a little much.” Hugh rolled his eyes. “Noted but I’m not going to do anything about it.” Damien furrowed his eyebrows but Hugh seemed not to notice. He tapped the cigarette against a nearby ashtray. “Now, let’s get started. First off, thank you for joining in, Alison.” His eyes locked on mine. “I know you’ve been through hell because of Aiden, and I don’t expect you to join but I’m glad you did.” I swallowed hard, my nails digging into my palm. “You don’t need to thank me I’m just doing what’s right.” Hugh nodded. “Good. Anyway, I intend to keep this pl
Alison Later the next day, Hugh brought out a bottle of whiskey and poured drinks for all of us. He lifted his glass with a smirk. “To us,” he said. Damien raised an eyebrow but didn’t pick up his glass. “Let’s not celebrate too soon.” Hugh rolled his eyes. “Come on, Damien. Have a little faith. Things are going to turn out just fine.” Damien scoffed, taking a slow sip from his glass. “That’s what you said last time we went up against Aiden. It didn’t exactly end well.” Hugh chuckled. “Touché.” He leaned back against the couch, stretching his legs out as he swirled the amber liquid in his glass. “You know, Alison, Damien wasn’t always the brooding, overprotective type. Back in the day, he was the one causing all the trouble.” I raised an eyebrow. “Oh really?” Damien let out a groan. “Hugh, don’t.” Hugh grinned, clearly enjoying himself. “Oh, I absolutely will.” He turned to me, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “There was this one time when we were kids—maybe fifteen
Alison Damien didn’t look stunned.Those piercing blue eyes—God, the same ones I had tried so hard to forget—locked onto me, wide with disbelief. Not a single word came out of his mouth at first. He just stood there, staring at me like he didn’t quite believe I was real. And I hated that a part of me wanted to reach out, trace the shape of his lips, and kiss him right there. But I didn’t. The anger buried deep inside me kept my hands still. I had suffered too much to fall for that face again. “You’re lying,” he finally said, in a firm voice.I shook my head slowly, fingers tightening around my car keys. “I’m not. I’m getting married. I don’t want anything to do with you, Damien.” His brows pulled together like the truth tasted bitter. Then he said, “You’re only saying this to push me away.” I didn’t respond. “I had Pronto keep an eye on you these past few months,” he said. “He never said anything about a wedding. No rings. No venues. No guy. So tell me—who is he, Alison?
Damien Hernando’s funeral was a week ago. The cold air around the estate still lingered like a ghost that refused to leave. Everyone was mourning, including me—but I couldn’t let the grief take me down. Not when I had men depending on me. Hernando wouldn’t have wanted me to crumble. He would’ve wanted me to lead. That morning, I stood outside the estate where all the men had gathered. Their eyes were heavy, some red from tears, some tired from the weight of loss. “I know we’re all still hurting,” I began, my voice was firm as I spoke. “Hernando was more than a boss. He was family. He was the kind of man who looked after his people, protected what was his, and kept the streets clean in his way.” They listened, quietly, not a single word spoken. “Before he passed, he made it clear that Raul and I would take over operations. That’s not something I take lightly. I know some of you are scared—scared for your jobs, and your future. But I swear to you… I won’t fail. Not him. Not you.”
Alison The soft beeping of the monitor was the first thing I heard. It echoed in the quiet room, and that sound pulled me back from the darkness. I blinked, my eyes adjusting to the white ceiling above me. I was in a hospital. I tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through my side. My hand reached instinctively to the source and I winced. Then everything came rushing back. The gunshot. Edwardo. The pain. I gasped, my heart racing. Damien. Where was Damien? Was he hurt? Was he alive? The last thing I remembered was Raul’s face before everything went black. My thoughts were spinning when the door opened. A doctor walked in, clipboard in hand, a small, relieved smile on his face. “Mrs. Jones,” he said gently. “You’re awake. That’s good.” I looked at him, my throat dry. “How long… how long have I been here?” “A day,” he replied, walking to the side of my bed. He checked the IV drip, adjusted a few wires, and then looked back at me. “You’re stable now. You’ll be able to go h
Damien The minute the elevator door slid open with a metallic hiss, my eyes locked onto Edwardo. He stood there like a ghost from a nightmare, arms folded, a smug grin tugging at his scarred lips.“Well, well,” he said, with a bitter tone. “Long time no see, Damien.”My brows furrowed in disgust. I took a slow step forward. “Get out of my way, Edwardo. Or else.”He chuckled. “Or else what? You gonna shoot me right here, man?”Without a word, I nodded. His smile faded just a bit, but he held his ground.“You wouldn’t dare,” he said, stepping closer. “You shoot me, and you're finished. You’re gonna regret that.”“I don’t regret anything,” I growled.In one smooth motion, he reached inside his coat and pulled out his gun. I didn’t flinch. I drew mine too, with a steady hand and a raging heart.Edwardo smirked. “When I finally kill you, you’re going to end up with your woman in hell.”My heart slammed against my ribs. “Don’t you dare mention her?”“Why shouldn’t I? Don’t I have the right
Damien I followed Aiden closely, never letting him out of my sight.He was fast, pushing through the deeper part of the building, but I stayed on his heels. My footsteps echoed behind him. My heart pounded with anger which had clearly blinded me.“You’re not getting out of here easily,” I warned, with a growl in my voice. “This is your last day on earth.”Aiden laughed without even turning around. “You think your stupid little plan is going to work?” he shouted back. “I promise you, brother, you and that fucked-up wife of mine just dug your own grave.”I gritted my teeth. “You don’t get to call her that.”He laughed again. “I don’t regret a damn thing.”“You know what amuses me in all this is that I didn’t see through her facade. I should have discovered that there was no way that she could have made you fall in love without you trapping her with your charms. I blame that on myself. If I had known earlier I wouldn’t have welcomed her back to my home I would have killed her on the spo
Alison I took a deep breath and stepped forward.My heels clicked against the floor as I made my way toward the stage. It wasn’t a long walk, but it felt like the longest I’d ever taken. My heart pounded inside my chest. Every step felt heavy like I was walking through water.The crowd’s chatter dimmed as I got closer. When I finally climbed the steps and stepped onto the podium, the bright lights hit my face. I blinked against them but didn’t stop. My eyes found Aiden’s immediately.He was confused. He didn’t know what to do at that point and weirdly so did I.He mouthed something and when I didn’t leave he used my lack of obedience as an opportunity to swoon some of the people who were definitely doubting him after that protest happened.Then Damien’s voice came through the earpiece in my ear. “That’s my girl,” he said. “You’ve got this. Remember act according to the plan.”I swallowed the lump in my throat. My hands were slightly shaking, but I didn’t let it weigh me down. Not n
DamienThe day of Aiden’s downfall had finally arrived.I stared at myself in the mirror, the blood in my veins pumping faster than ever. My heart was racing, adrenaline rushing like a current. A coy smile stretched across my lips as I straightened the collar of my suit, then turned slightly to Alison.“Are you ready?” I asked.She gave a firm nod. “I’ve been ready.”We were both dressed in the disguises Raul had given us. Alison looked unrecognizable in her elegant red gown, with a lace mask hiding half her face. Her hair was styled perfectly, giving her the look of a high-society socialite. I wore a matching tux with a half-mask that gave me the air of someone powerful, someone untouchable.Moments later, Raul entered the room, fully geared and focused. “Let’s go. Time is ticking.”We didn’t hesitate. We followed him down the hallway and out of the safehouse. My steps slowed a little as we reached the staircase—my mind was racing again.The past two days had been torture. Hernando’s
Damien “I need you to choose between me or the gang!” Immediately those words left Alison’s mouth, I felt like a tornado was wrecking through every thought in my mind.I turned slowly, eyes narrowing in disbelief. “What?” I asked, almost not believing what I’d just heard.Alison stood a few feet away from me, arms crossed tightly across her chest. Her eyes were glassy, her lips pressed together, and her jaw trembled like she was holding back everything just to stay upright.“I said…” she swallowed hard, “…I need you to choose. Me, or this life filled with blood and danger.”I stared at her, stunned. “Why are you talking like this?”“Because I’m scared, Damien.” Her voice cracked. “I’m terrified of waking up and finding out you’ve been shot, or ambushed, or… or worse. You think I don’t see what’s happening? Every time you walk out that door, I don’t know if you’re coming back. This is the only way I know how to keep you.”“You’re giving me an ultimatum.” I shook my head. I felt like
Damien I stepped into the camera store with my cap pulled low, huffing my face perfectly. The inside smelled like old wires. A young man stood behind the desk, distractedly scrolling on a tablet. He looked up, mildly alarmed by my sudden presence.“I’m looking for your manager,” I said, voice cold, even.He blinked. “Uh... he’s not around right now.”I glanced through the window, where a black SUV I recognized from surveillance was parked out front. I turned back to him slowly.“Funny,” I said, cocking my head. “His SUV is outside.”“He... he left the car. He’s somewhere—” he stammered, but I cut him off. I pulled out my gun, the cold steel gleaming under the shop’s LED lighting.“I’m not going to ask again. Get your manager. Or I’ll paint this floor with your brains.”The guy went white. He swallowed hard and nodded, lips sealed in fear as he hurried through a side door. I turned and paced the store, scanning shelves lined with digital surveillance gear—HD cams, bugs, motion detect