Chapter 50: Garrett's POVGlowing monitors cast an as cold, sterile light across the room; the soft hum of the equipment was the only sound that relieved the silence. My office felt suffocating, the weight of the situation weighing upon me. My mind refused to stay put on the arms theft investigation. It kept going right back to Thorne.He was no longer in the hospital, that much was for sure. I had located him, watched his position veer off from safety and toward part of the city I would never have approved. Even now, when I knew I could pinpoint where he was at any given time, a niggle gnawed at me. My chest felt tight, my instincts screaming that something wasn't right.I told myself to trust him, that Thorne wasn't someone to be careless or naively walk into a trap or put himself in harm's way. But unpredictable, his curiosity often got him into situations he was ill-prepared for.I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my temples as I tried to push away the frustration that had been bu
Chapter 51: Thorne's POVThere was a silence in the villa, an almost palpable stillness due to what wasn't said between Garrett and me. The moment we stepped inside, neither of us said a word. The door shut softly behind us, and it had all the effect of a thunderclap in the oppressive stillness.I didn't know what to say, how to breach the wall that had risen between us. My mind was a jumble of thoughts, emotions swirling in a storm I couldn't name. Garrett's protectiveness felt like a double-edged sword: comforting one moment, suffocating the next. I couldn't tell if his desperate attempts to keep me close came from a place of love or something far darker.Was I the one he was afraid of losing? The idea of me? Was he afraid that if I finally remembered, I would leave him behind and go back to the FBI?The thought stung my chest, the ache one I couldn't quite shake.I turned to him now, his face a mask of conflict, a reflection of my turmoil. His jaw was clenched, his shoulders taut,
Chapter 52: Garrett's POVThe low hum of the motor was the only sound as we ventured into the heart of the city. I shot a sideways glance to Thorne riding beside me in silent introspection, staring out of the window, his gaze unreadable. His hand lay against his thigh; the ring that I had popped onto his finger that night gleamed bright in the reflected light of morning sun.The view before me swelled up a tide of emotion I hadn't known in years, a mix of pride and love, the kind of joy that pained my chest. He had said yes. Thorne was mine in a way no one else could ever be, and I was determined to make our wedding everything he deserved, even if he didn't realize how much it meant to me yet.Are you sure you do not want to chime in on at least the venue?" I tried to lighten the tone with a slight chuckle as I glanced at him. "It is your wedding, after all."He arched an eyebrow before his lips set into a small smile that barely reached his eyes. "I think I can trust you to do the ri
Chapter 53: Garrett's POVThe days leading up to the wedding had been a flurry of activity and happiness. My mind was consumed with planning: confirming the flowers, finalizing the guest list, and making sure that everything was just right for Thorne. For the first time in my life, I allowed myself to dream of a future beyond power and control, of a future with him at its center.Yet in quieter moments-when I found Thorne gazing out a window or fleeing into his thoughts-I sensed there was something hovering just beyond my grasp. His smiles didn't always meet his eyes, and when laughter did come, it sounded hollow. But I overlooked it. He had said yes, hadn't he? That was all that mattered.I buried any doubts beneath the weight of my happiness.I hadn't expected Donovan to show up at my office that afternoon. He came in, his usual placid exterior sharpened, tightened. I put aside the pile of documents I was working my way through and waved him on."What's so urgent it couldn't wait?"
Chapter 54: Thorne's POVIt was less than perfect-the wedding engagement party that Garrett had turned into an over-the-top festivity that would shame royalty, down to every single last obsessive attention to detail: a grand hall chandeliers glimmered; roses, champagne-the lot. The whole evening surrounded me with congratulating people: huge, honest-to-goodness, real, teeth- showing grins on the Cullens.The world seemed to hold its breath as Garrett slipped the diamond onto my finger. Pure happiness danced unguarded in his eyes, as the force of applause burst loudly around us. He hauled me in, his mouth coming down against mine in a sure declaration of love to everyone present.For a moment-a so-tiny fraction of time-I almost managed to get myself to really believe this could be it. I could contemplate really staying in this world he'd carved out for me.But reality was relentless, and so was my mission.As the hours passed, the guests trickled out, their farewells growing softer unt
Chapter 55: Garrett's POVThe night was wearing on, the villa settling into a soft hum of quiet. Most of the guests had left, leaving only family behind. I leaned back in my chair, a glass of whiskey in hand, savoring the faint burn that seemed to dull the high emotions of the evening. The engagement had gone perfectly. Thorne was mine—officially, undeniably.The image of his face when I slipped the ring on his finger filled my mind, and I smiled to myself. I had never seen him look so captivating. For the first time, I allowed myself to believe that happiness was within reach."Garrett," Donovan's voice cut sharply through my thoughts.I turned to see him standing in the doorway, his expression solemn. My older brother had always been good at grounding me, but tonight I really wasn't in the mood for lectures. "What is it, Donovan?" I asked, waving him off with a lazy hand."Come with me," he said, his voice low, almost a command.I frowned, setting down my glass. Something in his ton
Chapter 1: Thorne's POVThe dock reeked of sea salt and decay, a smell that clung in the air like a warning. I hunched behind a rusted container, the earpiece clutched in my hand. "Everybody in place?" My voice was calm, but inside my heart went the rhythm of war drums."Ready, Lisa whispered, our sniper tucked away, somewhere high up above the chaos that would soon erupt."Locked in," Marcos repeated. His deep voice, composed and controlled.Eric followed. "All clear."We were ghosts in the night, invisible, unstoppable - or so I had told myself.I spotted him through my binoculars-Garrett Cullen. He stood below, under the flickering lights, as if he was the king of the world. That arrogant smirk on his face was a brand that had been burned in my memory, mocking me each time I closed my eyes. He was the reason we were here tonight. Months of investigation, sleepless nights, and uncounted sacrifices had brought us to this moment.This was our chance to bring him down, to damage the Cu
Chapter 2: Garrett’s POVSmoke curled around me, the acrid scent of burning wood and chemicals clinging to the night air. The distant roar of flames filled the silence, punctuated only by the crunch of boots over debris and barked orders as my men worked to cover our tracks. The warehouse was all but reduced to ashes, taking with it any evidence of tonight's deal.But I wasn't looking at the fire anymore. My focus was on the figure sprawled in the dirt a few feet away."Boss," one of my men said, stepping cautiously toward me. "That's him. Thorne Langley. FBI. He's the one who's been after us. The guy building a case against the family."Thorne Langley.The name was familiar, whispered in meetings, muttered in warnings over the past few months. The relentless agent who had crippled two of our major operations. The one they said was smart, unshakable, and impossible to bribe.I took a step closer.The man lying before me didn’t look like the invincible force I’d heard about. He was bro
Chapter 55: Garrett's POVThe night was wearing on, the villa settling into a soft hum of quiet. Most of the guests had left, leaving only family behind. I leaned back in my chair, a glass of whiskey in hand, savoring the faint burn that seemed to dull the high emotions of the evening. The engagement had gone perfectly. Thorne was mine—officially, undeniably.The image of his face when I slipped the ring on his finger filled my mind, and I smiled to myself. I had never seen him look so captivating. For the first time, I allowed myself to believe that happiness was within reach."Garrett," Donovan's voice cut sharply through my thoughts.I turned to see him standing in the doorway, his expression solemn. My older brother had always been good at grounding me, but tonight I really wasn't in the mood for lectures. "What is it, Donovan?" I asked, waving him off with a lazy hand."Come with me," he said, his voice low, almost a command.I frowned, setting down my glass. Something in his ton
Chapter 54: Thorne's POVIt was less than perfect-the wedding engagement party that Garrett had turned into an over-the-top festivity that would shame royalty, down to every single last obsessive attention to detail: a grand hall chandeliers glimmered; roses, champagne-the lot. The whole evening surrounded me with congratulating people: huge, honest-to-goodness, real, teeth- showing grins on the Cullens.The world seemed to hold its breath as Garrett slipped the diamond onto my finger. Pure happiness danced unguarded in his eyes, as the force of applause burst loudly around us. He hauled me in, his mouth coming down against mine in a sure declaration of love to everyone present.For a moment-a so-tiny fraction of time-I almost managed to get myself to really believe this could be it. I could contemplate really staying in this world he'd carved out for me.But reality was relentless, and so was my mission.As the hours passed, the guests trickled out, their farewells growing softer unt
Chapter 53: Garrett's POVThe days leading up to the wedding had been a flurry of activity and happiness. My mind was consumed with planning: confirming the flowers, finalizing the guest list, and making sure that everything was just right for Thorne. For the first time in my life, I allowed myself to dream of a future beyond power and control, of a future with him at its center.Yet in quieter moments-when I found Thorne gazing out a window or fleeing into his thoughts-I sensed there was something hovering just beyond my grasp. His smiles didn't always meet his eyes, and when laughter did come, it sounded hollow. But I overlooked it. He had said yes, hadn't he? That was all that mattered.I buried any doubts beneath the weight of my happiness.I hadn't expected Donovan to show up at my office that afternoon. He came in, his usual placid exterior sharpened, tightened. I put aside the pile of documents I was working my way through and waved him on."What's so urgent it couldn't wait?"
Chapter 52: Garrett's POVThe low hum of the motor was the only sound as we ventured into the heart of the city. I shot a sideways glance to Thorne riding beside me in silent introspection, staring out of the window, his gaze unreadable. His hand lay against his thigh; the ring that I had popped onto his finger that night gleamed bright in the reflected light of morning sun.The view before me swelled up a tide of emotion I hadn't known in years, a mix of pride and love, the kind of joy that pained my chest. He had said yes. Thorne was mine in a way no one else could ever be, and I was determined to make our wedding everything he deserved, even if he didn't realize how much it meant to me yet.Are you sure you do not want to chime in on at least the venue?" I tried to lighten the tone with a slight chuckle as I glanced at him. "It is your wedding, after all."He arched an eyebrow before his lips set into a small smile that barely reached his eyes. "I think I can trust you to do the ri
Chapter 51: Thorne's POVThere was a silence in the villa, an almost palpable stillness due to what wasn't said between Garrett and me. The moment we stepped inside, neither of us said a word. The door shut softly behind us, and it had all the effect of a thunderclap in the oppressive stillness.I didn't know what to say, how to breach the wall that had risen between us. My mind was a jumble of thoughts, emotions swirling in a storm I couldn't name. Garrett's protectiveness felt like a double-edged sword: comforting one moment, suffocating the next. I couldn't tell if his desperate attempts to keep me close came from a place of love or something far darker.Was I the one he was afraid of losing? The idea of me? Was he afraid that if I finally remembered, I would leave him behind and go back to the FBI?The thought stung my chest, the ache one I couldn't quite shake.I turned to him now, his face a mask of conflict, a reflection of my turmoil. His jaw was clenched, his shoulders taut,
Chapter 50: Garrett's POVGlowing monitors cast an as cold, sterile light across the room; the soft hum of the equipment was the only sound that relieved the silence. My office felt suffocating, the weight of the situation weighing upon me. My mind refused to stay put on the arms theft investigation. It kept going right back to Thorne.He was no longer in the hospital, that much was for sure. I had located him, watched his position veer off from safety and toward part of the city I would never have approved. Even now, when I knew I could pinpoint where he was at any given time, a niggle gnawed at me. My chest felt tight, my instincts screaming that something wasn't right.I told myself to trust him, that Thorne wasn't someone to be careless or naively walk into a trap or put himself in harm's way. But unpredictable, his curiosity often got him into situations he was ill-prepared for.I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my temples as I tried to push away the frustration that had been bu
Chapter 49Thorne's POVThe knife was suspended above my mark, poised to fall, when I heard that voice."Thorne, it's me."My body froze, blade inches from its mark, as I turned to him. His features were indistinct, shrouded by the darkness, but there was no mistaking the desperation in his eyes. Without saying another word, he released me and gestured for silence.Follow me," he whispered, his voice commanding yet calm.A million thoughts flooded my mind. What was Gavin doing here? Was he working for Donovan? Was this some kind of trap? My instincts yelled at me to keep my guard up, but something in the way he sounded made me pause. I lowered the knife and nodded reluctantly.Gavin led me through the maze of crates and shadows, his movements definite and calculated to avoid the main pathways so that we were out of sight. My heart thudded in my chest as every step shook the faintly echoing voices and footsteps around us-the reminder of our danger.Finally, he stopped before a car tuck
Chapter 48Thorne's POVThe warehouse loomed ahead, a dark monolith cast long and wide by the faint streetlights. The air was thick with the metallic tang of rust, oil, and decay. Every step I took closer seemed amplified out loud in the stillness, the sound of my feet meeting the earth overloaded only by the pounding of my heart.I'd been on a trail, piecing together really the fragments of information I could dig up, and this was going to be-it felt like the turning point. This warehouse was big, something big was going down, and with the right move, it might unravel whatever secret dealings the Cullen family was hiding in the dark.As I came closer, I saw a group of men stood at the entrance, loose in stance, but their alertness was easy to realize. Their gaze cut in neat, exact cuts around them; their hands barely left the daggers each of them held.Among them, my eyes caught a figure that seemed so familiar. There was no mistaking him in the dim light-Dexter Cullen. He was the se
Chapter Forty-Seven: Escaping the CageThorne's POVThe air in the hospital room felt unbearably stifling; the walls just seemed to close in on me with every passing second. Garrett's constant presence was comforting and oppressive all at once. His gaze followed me wherever he was, full of unspoken concern. Still, it wasn't enough to soothe the storm brewing inside me. The fragments of my past haunted me, and the questions that came with them had grown too loud to ignore.I couldn't dwell on anything else. I couldn't fully believe in Garrett, not with parts of my memory missing and this nagging feeling there was more to my past than he was letting on. And I couldn't afford complacency, not now that for the first time, I felt like I was getting closer to the truth. But Garrett's men were always outside my room, guarding and watching me like a hawk. It would virtually be impossible to do anything.Today was different, though.Garrett had left early that morning, muttering something abou