LOGINShare
The Unexpected Rescue
Last Updated:
2024-12-23 09:28:15
Related chapters
Under The Mask Of My Enemy A Line Crossed, A Bond Tested
Chapter 15Garrett's POVThe air was thick in the family manor. Every step I made echoed off the high ceilings and empty walls, the sound a constant reminder of the pressure building inside me. Thorne lay limply in my arms, his body unnervingly still. Blood seeped through the makeshift bandages I had hastily wrapped around him, staining my shirt and hands. His skin was cool to the touch, his breathing shallow, and the longer he lay in a comatose state, the harder my heart crashed in my chest.He looked breakable, fragile-a strong contrast to the sharp man of confidence who had one-upped me at every possible occasion. Seeing him like this did something to me. It stirred deep within me something that wasn't ready to meet head-on. But I wouldn't let him die-not here, not now.I was but a few feet from the main hall when a figure emerged from the side corridor. My chest constricted as Donovan's men materialized, armed and ready to go; their faces cold, impassive. They half-circled, guns m
Last Updated : 2024-12-24Under The Mask Of My Enemy A Fragile Trust
Chapter 16: A Fragile Trust Thorne's POV The sunlight, faint and gentle, filtered through the curtains when my eyes finally fluttered open, casting a soft glow across the room. My body was heavy, my head pounding, but it wasn't that which hit me first. It was Garrett's presence. He stood at the foot of my bed, arms crossed over his chest, keen eyes pinned on me. The look in his eyes carried anger and concern in fairly equal proportions, but one thing for sure, that tensed stance did let me know he was in no mood for small talk. "Garrett," I croaked. I sounded husky from sleep, from exhaustion. "You're awake," he said firmly without much inflection. "Good. I pushed myself up slightly, wincing as the movement sent a dull ache through my side. "I—" "Don't," he interrupted, taking a step closer. "Don't even try to justify what you did." His voice wasn't loud, but it held weight. I swallowed hard and felt the guilt pool heavily in my chest. "I'm sorry," I said low and dropped my gaz
Last Updated : 2024-12-25Under The Mask Of My Enemy A Kiss
Chapter 17Thorne's POVGarrett disappeared not long after agreeing to let me return to the company. At first, I'd thought he might have gone out to cool his head. After all, my insistence on resuming my role as his assistant hadn't exactly thrilled him. But as the hours turned into longer and he did not return, unease set in.Was he mad? Hurt? Or had he just grown weary of me? I shook my head, trying to banish the thoughts. Garrett wasn't the sulky type, nor would he avoid a problem. Whatever his reason for leaving, I couldn't afford the distraction. I had to focus.If I wanted to do this-really step back into the role of his assistant-then I needed to be prepared. The last thing I wanted was to mess up and prove everyone, including myself, wrong.I decided to begin with research. First, I went through Garrett's study, where the walls were lined up and down with books: business strategy, corporate finance, leadership principles-the volume was overwhelming. Filling my arms with a pret
Last Updated : 2024-12-26Under The Mask Of My Enemy A Change In Routine
Chapter 18Garrett's POVThorne's first day of work started in a way I really hadn't anticipated. For the first time since I'd taken over as boss, I made it to the office on time. I wasn't running in late or making up some excuse for why I couldn't be there. Instead, I found myself actually looking forward to the day, and I knew exactly why.Thorne had set up a desk for himself on the left-hand side of my office, a position where I couldn't help but see him without trying. He was already seated as I entered, his eyes fixed intently on the screen. He was plainly keen-sorting through files, typing furiously, and then from time to time, making jottings in a notebook with that eager doggedness that brought me up short.I leaned against the doorframe for a moment, observing him. His sleeves were rolled up; his brow was slightly furrowed as he focused, and every now and then, he'd smile faintly, as if pleased with himself for figuring something out. He looked… good. Too good, if I was being
Last Updated : 2024-12-26Under The Mask Of My Enemy Confusion
Chapter 19: Confusion Thorne's POVA few days into working with Garrett, the façade began to crack. No matter how prepared I had gotten, all the reading, and meticulous notes taken, my gut still told me this wasn't for me. The tasks piled up higher than I could manage to handle, and no matter how hard I tried, it would feel like I was actually faking my way around being Garrett's assistant.I couldn't believe in myself: had I really been an assistant before losing my memories? A part of me knew better. While some things, like note-taking or processing schedules, felt instinctively easy, other tasks-very sensitive ones, at that, like maintaining negotiations or processing financial transactions-puzzled me completely. And this disquiet in the chest grew heavier with each passing day.In the late night, being all alone in the office, I sat looking at Garrett's desk, where usually Garrett worked, neatly kept with files and reports. It frustrated me because I hammered one hand on the desk
Last Updated : 2024-12-27Under The Mask Of My Enemy The Other Side
Chapter 20: The Other SideThorne's POVThe metallic tang of blood and the sharp scent of alcohol filled the dimly lit room. I stood beside Garrett, trying to suppress the unease clawing at my chest. My eyes shifted to the man suspended from a rusted chain in the center of the room, his face pale and streaked with sweat. His shallow breaths betrayed his growing panic, though he tried to appear defiant.This wasn't the Garrett who had smiled at me just that morning, teasing me over my clumsy attempts at office work. This was a man cold, calculated, and terrifyingly efficient."How did the transaction go through today?" Garrett asked calmly, an edge in his voice shivering me to the bones."Everything went fine, Mr. Cullen, no problem," the man replied with stammering voice trembling.Garrett cocked his head to one side, as if weighing the answer, but his eyes gave nothing away. Silent, he jerked his hand at his men. They moved forward, hauling the man higher on the chain, his screams re
Last Updated : 2024-12-30Under The Mask Of My Enemy Breaking Point
Chapter 21: Thorne's POVThe deafening sound of the gunshot reverberated in my skull, a shockwave running across my body. I just kept staring at the body that was lying on the floor-the lifeless body of the man Garrett had just executed. I should be used to this by now. I should understand it and accept it. But there was something about the act of watching that cold and efficient death-it broke something inside of me. A shudder ran down my spine, and all at once, my body felt too heavy to carry.I couldn't breathe. My chest tightened up in pain, and the walls around me seemed to close in, pressing against my lungs, suffocating me. The smell of blood mixed with the sharp tang of alcohol filled the room, yet it did little to dissipate the fog in my mind. My hands shook, my fingers tingling with an insistent need to do something, anything, to staunch this suffocating panic. My vision blurred, and everything around me was out of focus. The figures of Garrett's men moved in and out of a f
Last Updated : 2024-12-30Under The Mask Of My Enemy Hope
Chapter 22: Garrett's POVI heard the clang of the knife as I caught Thorne's collapsing body in my arms. The blade slipped from his grasp, the metallic sound chilling, but it was nothing compared to the sight of blood spilling from the deep gash he'd carved into his own arm. Warm and wet, it coated my hands as I clutched him tightly, as though sheer will alone could undo the damage.His face was pale, slack, his breathing faint—but there. Barely.I laid him on the cold floor, and my heart thundered in my chest with a violence that I had not experienced in years. I couldn't turn the scene off inside my brain: the madness in his eyes, the flash of recognition when he saw me—and then the knife, plunged into his own flesh. That resolve, that desperation. What had he been thinking? Was it an act of defiance, his final way of breaking free from whatever chaos had him in its grip?Or had he done it for me?The thought hit me like a blow to the solar plexus, stopping me dead in my tracks. No
Last Updated : 2024-12-31
Latest chapter
Under The Mask Of My Enemy Memories
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
Under The Mask Of My Enemy Memory
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
Under The Mask Of My Enemy Escaping The Flames
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
Under The Mask Of My Enemy A Desperate Plea
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
Under The Mask Of My Enemy A Turning Point
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
Under The Mask Of My Enemy The Breaking Point
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
Under The Mask Of My Enemy Trapped
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
Under The Mask Of My Enemy A Battle On Two Fronts
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
Under The Mask Of My Enemy Garett’s Mother
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
