Chapter 33: Garrett's POVThe moment that tracker lit up with Thorne's whereabouts, a churn of unease stirred in my gut. He was out—again. I leaned back in my chair, my fingers tapping on the desk as I weighed my options. Confrontation could wait until I had all the details. For now, I'd start with the obvious.I called for Oliver. He entered the room with his usual stoicism, but his neutral expression didn't reassure me in the least."Where's Thorne?" I asked without preamble.Oliver didn't bat an eyelid under my scrutiny. "He's back at the villa," he replied evenly. "I took him out for a short time. He wanted to see the outskirts. I didn't see any harm in it.I stared at him for a moment, weighing the veracity of his words. Oliver had been loyal for years—one of the few people I trusted with Thorne. But something about the situation felt off."Did he meet anyone?" I asked sharply.Oliver hesitated for the briefest of moments, a crack in his otherwise perfect composure. "No one suspi
Chapter 34: "A Silent Answer"(Thorne's POV)The villa's walls seemed closer than ever, suffocating me with their quiet elegance. Over time, Garrett's control had grown more suffocating with every glance, every unspoken rule tightening the invisible leash he kept around me. Yet, I couldn't blame him altogether. Garrett had his reasons, which came in layers of pain and fear buried beneath his overbearing need to keep me safe. But understanding didn't make it any easier to breathe.It was Oliver who saved me from utter isolation, his silent companionship soothing to my wandering spirit. It was through him that I still held any link to the world beyond, a link delicately guarded, yet rare and one that ultimately managed to help keep my sanity. Of all people, Gavin had evolved into an unexpected ally. Resources, connections, quick thinking-he had everything and was an asset to me, though his motivations could be trusted only half of the time.My heart had skipped a beat, in a way it hadn'
Chapter 35: "A Fragment of the Past"Thorne's POVThe following morning, very little hope was left when I came to the hotel restaurant, but the stubborn part of me was ready to wait until literally the last moment. Gavin had already gone off for the day, so I was left to my thoughts once more. I sat by the window again, this time watching the city awake with its morning rush. Every clink of dishes, every murmur of conversation, felt so distant, like background noise in some dream.I told myself, with great respect and truth, that I'd done everything in my power. Now it was a decision, which, if she decided not to come-well, so be it. But a part of me just clung onto the very tiny glimmer of hope that Garrett's mother would somehow magically materialize through that doorway.It was well into noon when a movement at the doorway drew my attention. I turned, expecting yet another stranger, but froze as a woman stepped inside. She was older than what I had placed her for, her hair streaked
Chapter 36: Garrett’s POVI paced the marble floor of my suite in the villa, my fists clenched and jaw tight. My phone buzzed again, another update from the men I’d sent to follow Thorne.He was in Italy.He had left New York without even a word, disappeared from the villa as stealthily as a shadow. It was worse than that. Oliver had aided him in his disappearance. I wanted to break something; anything to clear the pent-up frustration churning in my gut. But I could not. Not yet. Clarity was something I needed."Oliver," I grunted into the phone, speaking in a very low voice that bordered on menacing.There was a silence before Oliver's response came over. "Yes, sir."Care to explain why Thorne left New York under your watch? And why you disobeyed my orders?"Oliver sighed. I could hear the weariness in his tone, but it did nothing to soothe my anger. "I didn't disobey you, Garrett. I trusted Thorne's intentions.""That wasn't your decision to make!" My voice rose, sharp and cutting.
Chapter 37: Garrett's POVThe private jet touched down onto the tarmac with ease, but my mind was elsewhere, far away from the business deals I had just closed. As the wheels touched down in New York, I leaned back in my seat, blowing a sharp breath out. One person consumed my thoughts, and that was Thorne.I'd confirmed Thorne was back in the city hours ago through my men, but the usual pull to rush back to the villa and see him was noticeably absent. Or perhaps I was deliberately fighting it. My emotions had become this volatile storm of anger and longing and something treacherously close to hurt.Instead of going back home, I instructed my driver to take me to the bar I frequented. It was among the very few places I would successfully drown the noise in my head, however temporal the distraction was.The bar was dark, except for the hum of music or the murmur of strangers. The minute I stepped inside, eyes turned my way, faces tinted with interest. Some of them were bold enough to m
Chapter 38: A Surprise for GarrettThorne's POVMorning light filtered through the wide windows of Garrett's family villa in New York and spread a warm glow over the richly decorated room. It was eerily serene compared to the tension that had plagued me for days. I stood by the kitchen counter, my sleeves rolled up, chopping vegetables under the watchful eye of Garrett's mother. Her elegance was understated yet commanding, much like her son."You're holding the knife wrong, dear," she said softly, easing in to fix my grip."Ah, sorry," I mumbled under my breath, coloring slightly. The thing was, cooking wasn't really my thing, but for tonight, I wanted to be spotless-perfect. Tonight wasn't any meal; this was Garrett's birthday meal.She smiled warmly. “It’s fine. You’ll get the hang of it. Garrett always used to hold the knife wrong too. Once, he insisted he’d make breakfast for me when he was six, and he ended up nearly burning down the kitchen.”I chuckled, imagining a mischievous,
Chapter 39: Garrett's POVThe voices around me at the party faded into a constant hum of background noise, grating on my nerves. I held my phone in the palm of my hand, staring at the now blank screen; Thorne had already hung up. In my head, I could still hear the warmth of his tone-a stark juxtaposition to the inane conversations buzzing around me. People came forward to congratulate me or worm their way into my good books with empty pleasantry. None of it mattered.The party, the lavish arrangements Donovan had prepared, the endless chatter of influential figures—I wanted none of it. My only thought was to leave, to see Thorne.His knife-sharp eyes followed me until I set my glass down on the nearest table and beyond. Not a word fell from his lips, but the weight of his gaze could speak volumes. I strode by him, purpose in my stride. I was prepared for him to stop me, perhaps chide me for disrespecting an effort he went out of his way to create. Instead, he was mute, only watching m
Chapter 40: Thorne's POVThe silence in the room was deafening as Garrett stood frozen, his eyes glued to the woman before him. His face was unreadable-a mask of shock and vulnerability that had my chest constricting. He wasn't saying a word, but I did notice how his eyes didn't leave hers. It was as if he wanted to absorb every detail of her face, like he needed reassurance this wasn't some cruel joke.I did not know what to do, so I sat with him and allowed him to process. It wasn't until his mother, in her soft, quivering voice, called his name that brought a flash of recognition to his eyes. It wasn't instantaneous; as the minutes ticked by, I could see him start piecing things together.I also was quick with feelings of relief and my heart ached as he stepped forward and into the waiting arms finally. It had been a very telling moment for Garrett-it was a juncture that he needed, hoped for, and prayed would go at least this good.I stood to the side, silent, as his mother held hi
Chapter 77: Thorne's POVThe car sped down the dark, empty road, but I barely noticed. My eyes were open, staring at the blurred landscape beyond the window, but I wasn't seeing the present. I was trapped in the past, reliving the memory that had resurfaced with brutal clarity.Garrett.The name echoed in my mind like a curse.The man I had trusted. The man I had chosen.And he was the one who had destroyed everything.I dug my nails into my palms, my fists clenched. My breathing was shallow, irregular, as flashes from the past kept hitting me with the force of sledgehammers. I saw my team-Lisa, Marcos, Eric. I heard their last breaths, their last screams. I saw the dock, the smoke curling in the sky, the glint of gunmetal reflecting the dying light. And then, I saw him.Garrett, standing amidst carnage, so calm, untouched, unbothered."You thought you could win?"The words still played in my head, replaying in the same way that they had on that night. I remembered a gun barrel presse
Chapter 76: Remembrance of Past ExperiencesThorne’s PovI sat in the car and watched the villa behind us get engulfed by the fire, which seemed to burn everything that lay in its path. My eyes felt glued to the action, my body shivering down my spine at the scene and the events just experienced.I continued to stare at the fire engulfs until I saw a figure running toward us. Garrett. Anger and desperation had contorted his features, his eyes fixed on me with an unnerving intensity. A surge of fear ran through me as I watched him, my heart pounding in anticipation.But as I looked at Garrett, something weird happened. A memory flickered to life in my mind, a memory that I had thought was long gone. I saw myself, trapped in a burning building, flames licking at my skin. And I saw a figure, standing in the doorway, watching me burn.It was Garrett.It hit me like a ton of bricks, and my head simply reeled from the shock and horror of it all. Garrett, the man who had kept me captive, the
Chapter 75: Escaping the FlamesThorne’s PovIn an instant, my world turned to chaos. One minute I was caught in some sort of silent game of wills between Garrett and the FBI; the next, flames lanced up the walls, ravenous beasts eating upwards with terrifying speed. The air thickened in an instant, filling with smoke, heat, and the acrid smell of burning wood.I couldn't move.It was as if my body refused to process what was happening. My eyes darted from one side of the villa to the other, taking in the horror unfolding before me. The elegant furniture was being reduced to cinders in mere seconds, the luxurious curtains curling into blackened husks as fire licked at them mercilessly. Even the very floor beneath my feet felt as though it was beginning to burn.It was a fire that spread unnaturally fast, gobbling the villa down at a rate at which no escape could be entertained if we didn't act straight away.A deafening crack split the air, and a part of the ceiling collapsed, sending
Chapter 74: A Desperate PleaThorne's POVThe air hung heavy with foreboding as the distinct sounds of guns being cocked sliced through the area, like the ominous drumbeats of fate. My breathing hitched at the view which was shoved down my throat: Garrett in the middle of the room, his face in the stark illumination of flashlights, hands halfway up in surrender. Fully armed FBI agents surrounded him, their weapons still trained on him, fingers resting precariously close to the triggers. The sight made my stomach churn.It all had happened in such a rush: one minute, we were at that stalemate of wills, my knife pressed to him, my anger aboil; the next, the door burst open and the agents swarmed in, suffocating. The world had tilted on its axis, and suddenly Garrett wasn't my captor anymore; he was a man cornered, his life hanging in the balance.I didn't know what to do. My muscles tensed, my mind racing to process this. I had wanted freedom. I had wanted escape. But I had never wanted
Chapter 73: A Turning PointThorne’s PovI stood my ground, my eyes locked on Garrett's. He had just told me that we needed to leave, that it wasn't safe to stay here. But I knew that I couldn't keep running, couldn't keep living in fear. I had to make a stand, had to take control of my own life."I'm not going anywhere with you," I said, my voice firm. "I'd rather die at Dexter's hands than be imprisoned by you like this."Garrett's face changed; his eyes clouded with hurt. But I couldn't let that sway me. I had to think about my survival, my freedom."I won't go with you again," I repeated. "I won't be your prisoner anymore."Garrett took one step closer, hands outstretched toward me. But I was ready for him. I pulled out the knife that had been tucked away, just waiting for the perfect moment to bring it out."Don't come closer," I warned, the knife shaking slightly in my hand. "Don't try to stop me and Gavin from leaving because we are not going to leave with you "Garrett's eyes
Chapter 73: The Breaking PointThorne's POVThe villa felt cold, colder than usual, as I was led down the stairs by Gavin. My legs were still weak, trembling slightly beneath me with every step. It had been days—maybe even weeks—since I'd been allowed to leave the small room where they'd confined me, and though the shackles were gone, I felt them still. The cold, oppressive feeling of being trapped. Memories of Garrett binding me in that room, with the injections of those accursed muscle relaxants, came surging back upon me like an oncoming tide to drown me. There is no amount of time that could ever erase it.Gavin's grip upon my arm was firm, as though he might imagine me to fall or lose my balance, but it was more than that-a physical restraint. He watched me-eyes darting from one corner of the hall to the other, his whole posture tense. I didn't blame him; it wasn't just the house that felt unsafe-it was everything. The thick air, laden with tension, seemed to close in on me as we
Chapter 71: TrappedThorne's PovAs soon as Garrett was gone, I lay down on the bed and stared out the window. The darkness outside pressed in on me, making me feel trapped and smothered. I have no idea how many days I had been confined to this room. Days all started to run together and time lost all meaning.I was stuck in this room day in and day out, with no means of getting out or reprieve. Not that it mattered, even on the days when Garrett would take me out for some downtime. He would handcuff me, put me in a wheelchair, and wheel me out. It was a cruel mockery of freedom, a reminder that I was still a prisoner, still under Garrett's control.The insomnia worsened and, every night, I was awake for hours staring at the ceiling and brainstorming ways of escape. From picking the lock on the door to trying to sneak past Garrett when he came to visit me, I did everything I could think of. Every attempt up until now, however, seemed to have met with failure, and I'd begun to feel quit
Chapter 71: A Battle On Two FrontsGarrett's POVThe hum of the engine was the only sound to cut through the silence as I tightened my grip on the steering wheel. The more he spoke, the more everything clicked into place, and I felt my blood run cold with the realization.Everything was too coincidental.Dextor's call, the sudden transfer of a host of personnel, my mother's kidnapping-none of it was an accident. It wasn't just bad timing or some freakish twist of fate. No, this was calculated. Someone was pulling the strings-someone who knew me too well.And I had this sinking feeling I knew exactly who it was.My cell phone buzzed on the dash, breaking through the thick, heavier-than-air tension that seemed to have settled over me. I snatched it up, pressing the answer button before the screen could flash a second time."Talk," I ordered, my voice sharper than I meant it to be.A deep voice crackled through the speaker. One of my men, stationed at a monitoring point. "Boss, we just g
Chapter 69: Garrett’s POVThe dim light from my desk lamp cast long shadows across the room as I sorted through paperwork, my mind half-occupied with thoughts of the current deal I was negotiating. Business was always a constant, a never-ending ebb and flow of power plays, acquisitions, and strategy. I was used to dealing with pressure, but nothing in my life had prepared me for the moment when my phone buzzed on the desk—interrupting the steady rhythm of my evening.I glanced down at the screen, expecting a call or perhaps a message from one of my associates, but what I saw made my heart freeze.The text was short, curt, and anonymous.“You must come to this address with enough money within twelve hours. Do not tell anyone. If you do, your mother will be killed.”My breath caught in my throat, and for a split second, the room seemed to close in around me. Panic surged, but I fought to control it. I stared at the message, my mind struggling to make sense of it. My eyes moved over the