"You aren't the first man that tried to stand up for his woman; you wouldn't be the last either, so why bother my peace of mind?" Miguel asked as she walked into his office. "Oh right! Just like I thought you would act." He responded and sat down. "Are you trying to blame me right now? Oh, so you enjoyed the compliment?" She asked him folding her hands this time. "That's not the point. I just wanted to ask for a favor. Could you be the bigger person and just try to give her back the percentage I gave to you this morning?" He asked her and she froze in shock. "What? You said what?" She asked repeatedly as she walked around his office. The moment she placed her hand on the gun on one of his shelves, she pointed it at his arm and pulled the trigger, only for nothing to come out. "I can't believe you tried to shoot me." He said to her and she rolled her eyes "Be thankful there is no bullet in it, I would have wasted your useless ass. Never invite me to your office again," she said t
"I'm doing everything to keep you happy Jace. I don't even keep Alejandro this happy so I think you are treating me unfairly." Valentine said to Jace as she relaxed on the large bed in his room. "But you are still stuck around me. If a man isn't treating you well, you have gotta leave. That's the same thing I would say to my sister anyway." He said to her in response and she looked up at him, her brows furrowed as she wondered why he thought she couldn't leave her. "I didn't commit any crime by falling in love with you Jace. You should be nice to me always." She yelled, already feeling pissed. "I have had enough of your arrogance. By the way, do all you can and get your sister out of there if you don't want me to take out every frustration from you to her." She said and got up and started gathering her phone and laptops but then he grabbed her by her neck and pushed her back to the bed. "Repeat what you just said." He dared her, and she looked into his eyes and scoffed. "Scared fo
What could have happened? He thought and glanced at her face a bit. It was at this moment he realized that she was disturbed. He looked at the bandage again and tried to think of what the problem was but nothing came into his mind until he got out of the room. Could Jace be hurting her? That's not possible. He thought and tried to get it off his head. The next morning, in the dining room, he realized that she had changed the bandage herself and had refused to say a word about the injury to him, which was very unlike her. "Are you okay?" He managed to ask. "Umm, I'm very fine." She replied and kept eating her food. Tired of seeing the injury, he got up and tried to leave the dining room earlier than he should. "Why do you look pissed?" She asked him causing him to stop in his step. Was she kidding him right now? "Why the fuck are you injured?" He questioned her and she froze. "I had an accident." She lied and he rolled his eyes "And this accident can't be discussed? Why are you
"Come in if you are there," Juan said casually from inside and she opened the door and walked in, her feet vibrating a bit due to nervousness. "Good evening sir!" She greeted him and quickly got his food served. Right after dropping it, she turned to leave but then he dragged her back and made her sit on the bed closer to where she got his food served. "Would it be a taboo to eat with me?" He asked her and she froze. "I... I don't think that's appropriate because you are my boss." She said to him. "I'm not the boss. Alejandro is, and I'm just his brother and friend." He replied to her, and the hair around her skin stood. It was as though she got scared of him every single time she talked to him. "Eat with me! There are enough utensils in the tray. The food is enough too." He told her and while she sat on the bed, she wasn't the most comfortable in the universe. He soon left her and got into the shower. After he was done, he stepped out, his abs still dripping water, and that got
Am I dreaming? She asked herself as smiles never got off her face all through that day. She was more transparent and efficient and Aria loved that for her. Later that night, she personally prepared Juan's dinner and took it into his room to serve him. Juan, who was going through some newspaper that evening, was very surprised but didn't say a thing. He was looking to go down to the dining room to eat later, but seeing as she had made efforts to serve him, he didn't think he could refuse such an offer. "Good evening!" He said to her and she was very shocked. He greeted her?She smiled and after placing his food on the table and arranging everything for him to use and eat, she walked to him and bent down to greet him. "Good evening. Your food is ready! Can you come to eat so it won't get cold?" She asked him and he smiled and touched her shoulder. After about two minutes, he got up and walked to her to eat the food. She wanted to leave but he dragged her back. "I would love for you to
"I don't think I want to hurt you. But that doesn't give you the right to stand there and try to talk to me disrespectfully. I'm only sparing you right now because of the love and respect I have for Alejandro." He said to her and walked away. She stared at him as he left and scoffed. She then looked at the ladies who she thought were fooling themselves and rolled her eyes. It's been a week since Jace shot her fingers, and tight after she recovered from the injuries, she made her way to Jace's house again to see him. On getting to his door, she started hearing some strange sounds. "Hit it harder! Don't stop!" A lady who sounded like she was moaning spat from the room. She held her chest, hoping that what she was hearing wasn't true, and quickly brought out her gun. Suddenly, she kicked open the door and pulled her trigger countless times all over the room, and after a while, she stopped only to realize that there was no one in the room. She turned towards the television that was on an
"Good idea!" She whispered and tried to reach out to him. "Jude! Come over here." She shouted and walked into her roomJude, who wasn't used to being called, hurriedly rushed out of his position in search of her, and when he got to the terrace, she was nowhere to be found, so he went in search of her. Along the hallway, he bumped into Maria and paused. "Do you know where Miss Valentine could be right now?" He asked her and she rolled her eyes. "Where else if not her room?" She asked him, and he looked at her and rolled his eyes, too, and left. Maria was a little bit bothered, though, as she wondered why he would want to see her in the first place. She wondered if everything was okay and tried to find out but ended up stopping herself. She didn't think she was ready for any sort of trouble. Jude made his way to Valentine's room and knocked on the door. "Come in!" She said from inside and he rushed in only to see a naked Valentine on the bed. He moved back a bit, stunned by her act
Why the heck was she calling a man? He thought and didn't stop watching it. He had to see what the hell she wanted to do. He then watched as guard Jude walked into the room and walked out while dressing his pants. Alejandro felt his heart broke at that point. He couldn't believe Valentine was so low that she couldn't wait for him to return. He saw her body movement and also found that weird. He messaged Juan and Juan rushed into the room. "Look at this." He said to Juan who then quickly turned it on repeat and started observing. "She looked like she was injected with something. Something just isn't right with her and I think that guard slept with her. Alejandro..." Juan said and turned to make sure his friend was very fine. "Are you okay?" He asked him. "Yes, I am." He said to him. He then got up and walked out of the room. One thing was for sure, there was no way he was going to let the guard go freely. Juan was so pissed too. Valentine was the current miss. Everyone ought to resp
The echoes of gunfire had faded, but the tension in the air remained thick. The boat rocked slightly as Alejandro stood at the helm, his hands gripping the wheel with white-knuckled intensity. The salt-laced wind whipped against his face, but his mind was elsewhereback on the deck, back in the chaos, back in the moment Aria was nearly taken from him.She stood nearby, watching him carefully. Despite the exhaustion weighing down her limbs, she refused to let herself rest. They weren’t safe yet, and even if they were, she knew better than to let her guard down. Not with Santiago lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike.Jace was checking the remaining ammunition, his face tight with concentration. Valentina was bandaging Miguel’s wound, her movements efficient yet gentle. The cartel enforcer was pale but still conscious, his usual smirk dulled by the pain."We need a plan," Aria finally spoke, breaking the heavy silence. Her voice was firm, but there was an underly
The night was suffocatingly quiet after the chaos. The only sounds were the rhythmic lapping of waves against the damaged boat and the occasional groans of pain from the wounded. Alejandro stood at the helm, his grip on the railing so tight his knuckles turned white. The salt air burned his nostrils, but it did nothing to clear the storm in his head.Aria watched him carefully. He hadn't spoken since the last shot was fired, since Santiago's men had finally been silenced. The fight had been brutal, but they had won at least for now. And yet, Alejandro seemed more troubled than relieved.She took a hesitant step toward him. "Alejandro?"His shoulders tensed, but he didn’t turn around. She reached out, her fingers brushing his arm. "Talk to me."He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "It doesn’t feel like a victory. We lost people tonight. Jace is injured. Miguel is barely standing. And Santiago, he's still out there."Aria swallowed, understanding his frustration. "But we're alive. That
The night stretched on, the scent of salt and gunpowder still thick in the air. Alejandro stood at the edge of the safe house’s balcony, his hands gripping the railing as he stared out into the darkness. His body was stiff, muscles still coiled from the fight on the boat. Every breath felt heavier than the last.Aria watched him from the doorway, the soft glow from the room behind her casting a faint halo around her figure. She could see the tension in his stance, the weight of everything pressing down on him. Quietly, she stepped forward.“You haven’t said much since we got here,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.Alejandro didn’t turn immediately. He exhaled through his nose, his grip on the railing tightening before he finally spoke. “There’s too much to think about.”Aria moved closer, her fingers brushing against his forearm. “Then talk to me. Let me share the burden.”He glanced at her then, his dark eyes filled with conflict. For a long moment, he simply looked at
The shipyard was eerily silent now, the scent of gunpowder still lingering in the air. Alejandro stood over Santiago’s lifeless body, his gun still warm in his grip. The night breeze rustled his hair, but he barely noticed it.Aria stood beside him, her breathing steady, but Alejandro could feel the tension radiating from her. She had wanted this war to end as much as he did, but the victory felt… hollow.Jace groaned as he approached, clutching his side where blood seeped through his shirt. “I’m just going to throw this out there we’re really bad at having peaceful business deals.”Valentina smirked, tucking her gun away. “It’s the nature of the business, Jace.”Miguel knelt beside Santiago’s body, checking his pulse despite knowing it was pointless. “It’s over,” he muttered, standing up and wiping his hands. “Finally.”Alejandro turned to his team, his expression unreadable. “We haven't celebrated yet. Santiago had men, and they’ll be looking for vengeance.”Aria nodded. “We have to
The tension inside the safe house was suffocating. The air was thick with frustration, exhaustion, and the lingering scent of gunpowder. Santiago had slipped through their fingers, and everyone in the room knew what that meant.He wouldn’t run. He would retaliate.Alejandro sat at the head of the table, his jaw clenched, his fingers tapping against the wood. His mind was already calculating his next move, but there was one undeniable truth gnawing at him.They had lost an opportunity tonight.Jace was lying on the couch, his side bandaged, his face pale. He was still conscious, but the pain in his expression was clear. Valentina was seated next to him, checking his wound with a critical eye.Miguel leaned against the far wall, arms crossed, eyes sharp. His usual smirk was gone. Even he knew this situation wasn’t a joke.Aria stood across from Alejandro, arms folded, her face unreadable. But he could see the tension in her shoulders, the fire in her eyes.“We had him,” she finally said
The night was thick with tension as Alejandro sat at the wooden table, his fingers drumming against the surface. A single lamp flickered in the corner of the safe house, casting long shadows across the room. The air smelled of gunpowder and sweat, a reminder that they were running out of time.Santiago’s men wouldn’t stop hunting them. The ambush at the last safe house had proven that. They barely escaped with their lives.Now, they needed to strike first.Aria sat across from Alejandro, her laptop open, the glow from the screen highlighting the determined set of her face. She was running a scan, her fingers flying over the keyboard. Every keystroke was precise, calculated just like the woman herself.Jace stood by the window, gun in hand, watching the tree line for movement. “They won’t wait long,” he muttered.“They don’t have to,” Alejandro replied, his voice steady. “Because we’re hitting Santiago first.”Miguel, still looking pale from blood loss, scoffed. “You make it sound so s
The tension in the safe house was suffocating. Salazar sat tied to the chair, his face bloodied, his breaths shallow but steady. Alejandro stood before him, his knuckles stained red, his expression unreadable.Jace leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching with cold detachment. Valentina and Miguel sat nearby, their guns resting on the table, ready for use. Aria paced the room, her eyes flicking between Alejandro and Salazar, her mind racing.Salazar had refused to talk.But Alejandro wasn’t finished yet.He knelt down, gripping Salazar’s jaw, forcing the man to meet his eyes. “I’ll ask one last time,” he said, his voice deceptively calm. “Where is Santiago?”Salazar smirked, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. “Even if I told you, it wouldn’t matter. He’s already coming for you.”Alejandro’s jaw clenched. He had expected as much. Santiago wouldn’t take this attack lightly.Jace exhaled. “We need something useful from him, or we’re wasting time.”Alejandro nodded slowl
The safe house felt smaller than before, the walls closing in as the weight of their next move settled over them. Alejandro stood near the table, the flash drive Aria had retrieved sitting in front of him. His fingers drummed against the wood, his mind working through every possible outcome.They had taken a hit, but now? Now, they were hitting back.Jace leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his sharp eyes scanning the room. Valentina sat on the couch, cleaning her gun, while Miguel stretched out beside her, still nursing his wound.Aria stood near the laptop, fingers hovering over the keys.The air was thick with anticipation.Alejandro finally spoke. “What did you find?”Aria took a deep breath, inserting the flash drive into the laptop. “Shipment locations, transaction records, and one very interesting name Ricardo Salazar.”Jace’s brows lifted. “Salazar? He’s Santiago’s right-hand man.”Aria nodded. “Exactly. But more than that, he’s the one running Santiago’s operations on the
The safe house was silent except for the occasional rustle of the wind against the rotting walls. The air was thick with exhaustion, yet none of them truly rested. The weight of what was coming of what they had to do loomed over them like a storm cloud refusing to break.Alejandro sat on the bed, his arms still wrapped around Aria, his face buried in her neck. He had held onto her for what felt like hours, barely speaking, barely moving. Just breathing. Just feeling.She didn’t pull away.Didn’t tell him he needed to let go.Because she knew he needed this.Needed her.But the moment couldn’t last forever.A soft knock on the door made them both tense. Alejandro didn’t release her immediately, though. He lingered, his fingers tightening slightly on her waist before he finally exhaled and pulled back.“What?” he called out.Jace’s voice came from the other side. “We need to talk.”Alejandro sighed, reluctantly letting Aria go. She stood up first, smoothing down her wrinkled shirt as he