But there was no time for anger. The military forces were converging, and their escape route was closing. Bjorn gritted his teeth, rage and frustration boiling inside him. “Fall back, everyone!” he barked. “We’re getting out of here!”With gunfire erupting outside and soldiers flooding the entrance, Bjorn and his men fought their way back, the carefully laid plan falling apart around them.Bjorn and his men moved quickly, the adrenaline coursing through their veins as the villa erupted into chaos. The blaring alarms and flashing red lights cast eerie shadows against the walls, and the once-silent camp was now a war zone. Gunfire echoed through the halls, and the shouts of soldiers closing in grew louder.Bjorn’s eyes blazed with fury as he led his men back down the staircase. Seraphina set me up, he seethed inwardly, but he couldn’t afford to let that rage consume him now. He had to think fast if they were going to escape with their lives.At the bottom of the stairs, Rico and the bod
Bjorn’s eyes burned with fury as he drove, his jaw clenched so tight it felt like it might crack. “Enough of this!” he growled, his voice echoing through the SUV’s interior. “If they want a war, they’ll get one.”Rico glanced at him, a wary look crossing his face. “What’s the next move, boss?”Bjorn’s lips curled into a sneer as he made a sharp turn, tires skidding. “We go straight for Holland Villa. That’s where Maximilian is hiding. We’ll drag him out, and we’ll force him to tell us where they took Andrine.”The air in the SUV grew tense as the gangsters exchanged glances. Rico’s eyes narrowed as he leaned forward, meeting Bjorn’s gaze. “You’re sure about this? The Holland Villa’s fortified, and you know they’ve got plenty of guards.”Bjorn’s expression was ruthless. “I don’t care. We have enough firepower and men. We’ll storm the place, and if anyone gets in our way, we’ll take them down. It’s time the Hollands learned what happens when they cross me.”Rico hesitated for a moment,
Andrine stepped outside, the night air biting against her skin as the tension from the men surrounding the villa crackled in the atmosphere. Her eyes scanned the crowd of armed men, and there he was—Bjorn, standing at the center of the chaos, his eyes ablaze with determination.Her breath caught in her throat. “Bjorn...” she whispered, frozen in shock. But before she could take another step, a roar of an engine filled the air. Her eyes snapped to the side, and she saw it—a truck barreling down the driveway, its headlights glaring like eyes of a predator, aimed directly at him.Time seemed to slow, and Andrine’s heart leapt into her throat. She felt a surge of terror. “Bjorn!” she screamed, her voice raw with urgency as she started running toward him. She could feel the pounding of her feet against the ground, each step filled with desperation. “Watch out!”Bjorn’s head whipped around at the sound of her voice, his eyes widening as he saw her. For a split second, everything else fell a
Andrine climbed into the SUV beside Bjorn, her hand gripping his tightly. “Stay with me, Bjorn,” she whispered, her voice a plea as the vehicles tore through the night toward Holland Hospital. “Armin’s coming. You just have to hold on.”The SUVs tore through the night, their engines roaring as they sped down the winding roads toward Holland Hospital. Andrine sat beside Bjorn, her eyes locked on his face as she held his hand tightly, willing him to stay conscious. The interior lights of the vehicle cast a dim glow, highlighting the streaks of blood on his face and the way his breath came in shallow, uneven gasps. Every bump in the road seemed to jolt through her, the fear in her heart tightening with every second.“Stay with me, Bjorn,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “We’re almost there. Armin’s coming.”Rico, sitting up front, spoke urgently into his phone. “We’ve got Bjorn Rodriguez coming in—condition critical,” he barked. “Prepare emergency trauma care, now!”The driver’s hand
“You were really searching for me?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper, laced with disbelief.Armin nodded, his eyes serious. “Yes. After all, you are married to Bjorn. We’ve been looking for you ever since the arrangement was made.”Andrine stood frozen, the weight of Armin’s words crashing over her like a tidal wave. Married to Bjorn? Her mind reeled, struggling to process what he had just said.The words hit her like a punch to the gut. Her breath caught in her throat, and she took a step back, eyes wide. “What?” she gasped, her heart pounding in her chest. “Married?”Armin’s expression remained steady, as if the news should not have come as a shock. “Yes, your father signed the agreement with the Suegra family. It was all arranged, Andrine. Didn’t they tell you?”For a moment, Andrine couldn’t breathe. Her mind spun, trying to make sense of it all. The truth dawned on her with a sickening clarity. This was Maximilian’s doing. And Neil Holland’s. They had kept her hidden in the
Andrine’s silence and Seraphina’s feigned concern hanging in the air like an unspoken threat. Armin’s eyes remained fixed on Andrine, desperate for answers she was no longer willing to give. The stillness seemed almost suffocating, a moment stretched far too long.But then, a voice, soft and melodic, cut through the heavy silence. “Where is the VIP patient?”Armin turned instinctively, drawn by the sound. When he saw her, he felt his breath catch. Standing there was a woman of breathtaking beauty. Her long orange hair flowed like silk, framing her face and cascading down her shoulders. Her silver-gray eyes shone with a calm, almost ethereal light, and her skin, pale as pearl, seemed to glow under the hospital’s fluorescent lights. She stood tall, with an air of quiet confidence and grace, like an angel who had descended from the heavens.For a moment, everything else faded. Armin felt himself captivated, unable to tear his eyes away. “Who are you?” he asked, his voice tinged with a se
Seraphina’s eyes were sharp as she turned to Andrine, who had remained silent. “You must be overwhelmed, Andrine,” she said, her voice sweet but laced with an edge. “So much happening all at once.” She tilted her head slightly, as if daring Andrine to respond.Andrine met her gaze, the fire still burning in her eyes, but she forced herself to stay quiet. She wouldn’t let Seraphina get the upper hand, not here, not now. “I just want him to be alive,” she said finally, her voice steady.Armin, caught between the tension of the two women and the mystery of the doctor, felt the weight of uncertainty pressing down on him. Alysha Jarl is alive, Andrine had said. His wife. And now, there was this woman—Dr. Arisha Holland—who stirred something deep within him. As he looked toward the closed trauma room doors, he knew he was standing on the edge of a truth that could unravel everything he thought he knew.But for now, all he could do was wait.Suddenly, Seraphina dragged Andrine into a shadow
Alysha Jarl sat waiting in the dimly lit luxury of her five-star hotel room, her heart a relentless, wild rhythm. This was her wedding night, though it felt like something out of a strange dream. The room—lavishly prepared with golden lights casting shadows across plush furniture and a bed adorned in layers of silk—only made her feel more alone, more aware of the fact that she was waiting for a man she had never met.Her new husband, Armin Rodriguez Suegra, was a mystery to her. She hadn’t seen him, not even in photos, yet tonight she was supposed to meet him for the first time. Their marriage was just ink on paper, a contract arranged by the Suegra and Jarl families, sealed with signatures for the sake of power, legacy, and alliance. And here she was, dressed in a gown of white lace, feeling both like a bride and a stranger in her own life.Outside, the sound of footsteps echoed down the marble hallway, growing closer.Just then, the faintest sound—a soft click—echoed through the su