The roar of the engine was the only sound filling the silence inside the vehicle. Amalia sat in the passenger seat, her hands clenched into fists on her thighs. Maddox was behind the wheel, eyes fixed on the endless stretch of dark road ahead. His intense gray eyes glinted in the glow of the headlights, his jaw tight as if holding back an avalanche of emotions.In the back, Dax and Max spoke in low tones, scanning digital maps and coordinates. Things had gotten complicated; the latest intel revealed that Cillian had made moves none of them had anticipated. The enemy was no longer lurking in the shadows—he was fast, almost as if he could predict their every step."We should change the route," Max finally said. "If we keep going like this, we'll walk right into Cillian’s ambush. We didn’t come this far just to hand him the advantage.""Our intel is limited," Dax added, "but Max is right. If we stay on the highway, we’re easy targets."Amalia turned to Maddox, who hadn’t said a word. His
The early morning loomed heavy over the hideout, that kind of darkness that seemed to swallow reality whole. Outside, the air was freezing; inside, the tension boiled.Maddox studied the blueprints Max had spread across the rickety table. His gray eyes analyzed every route, every possible enemy movement. The dim lamp light accentuated the shadows on his face, hardening his features even more."If we take this road," Max indicated, his voice low but firm, "we’ll avoid the main routes. Less chance of an ambush.""But more open ground," Dax countered, leaning back in his chair, spinning a knife between his fingers. "If they’re tailing us, there won’t be anywhere to hide."Standing beside Maddox, Amalia looked at the map. "What if they want us to think that? Maybe the trap is on the 'safe' road."Maddox nodded, approving the observation. "We can’t afford to underestimate Cillian. He plays the anticipation game."A thick silence settled over them. Every passing second stretched the tension
The silence inside the truck was suffocating. Only the engine's roar and their ragged breaths filled the air. Amalia felt her heartbeat pounding like a relentless drum in her temples, but her gaze stayed locked on Maddox.His jaw remained clenched, knuckles white against the steering wheel. Khalid's voice still echoed, lingering like a shadow none of them could shake."We need to stop," Max said from the back seat. "Switch vehicles. This one's compromised."Maddox nodded, making a sharp turn onto a dirt road. City lights vanished, swallowed by the darkness of open fields.Dax ran a hand through his sweat-damp hair. "Anyone else feel like this is spinning out of control? Honestly, I can't tell if we're hunting or being hunted anymore.""Shut up," Maddox growled."I'm just saying—" Dax persisted, glancing at Amalia, "Khalid's always a step ahead. And that message... You okay?"Amalia forced herself to nod. "I am."She wasn't.Knowing Khalid was targeting her—personally—gnawed at her ches
The silence Khalid left behind was just an illusion. The real storm hit them seconds later.Amalia stared at Maddox, jaw clenched. "What did you give him?"Maddox didn’t answer. He just walked to the SUV, opening the door with a sharp swing. Dax and Max exchanged glances."This isn’t going to sit well with you," Dax murmured."I already hate it," Amalia shot back.She climbed in after Maddox. The air inside the vehicle was thick, suffocating. Max started the engine, the tires crunching over the gravel.Amalia couldn’t take it anymore. "Maddox. What did you give him?"His gray eyes locked onto hers, cold. "What he asked for.""That means nothing!" Her voice rose. Her heart pounded in her chest. She’d nearly lost everything, and now he was treating her like she didn’t deserve answers.Dax exhaled from the front seat. "Khalid asked for information."Amalia blinked. "What kind of information?"Silence.Max muttered, "Locations. Routes. Contacts. Enough for him to gain leverage in the citie
The sound of notifications still echoed in the room as everyone gathered again. The tension was thick, almost palpable, like a storm about to break.Dax was the first to break the silence. "Gian? Seriously? That bastard never misses a chance to stick his nose where it doesn't belong."Max nodded, his jaw tight. "If Gian is siding with Khalid, he won't just be an obstacle. He'll be a damn nightmare."Amalia scanned the message again. "Movement detected. Khalid is not alone. Gian has entered the game." The feeling of being caught in a web intensified. Gian wasn’t just an old enemy; he was an unpredictable strategist.Maddox snapped his phone shut and looked at the others. "We’re leaving. Now.""Where to?" Amalia asked."To end this before it starts," Max replied, his tone relentless.They packed within minutes. The night, once calm, now bristled with danger. Amalia climbed into the car, her heart pounding to the frantic rhythm of the situation. Maddox drove, Max reviewed maps in the pass
The distant roar of engines echoed through the night as the convoy advanced down the deserted highway. The asphalt glistened under the moonlight, reflecting the promise of what was to come: confrontation, crossfire... chaos. Inside the lead vehicle, tension was a third occupant—dense and almost palpable.Maddox sat in the front seat, his gaze fixed on the darkness beyond the windshield. His posture was as always: straight, unyielding, imposing. The dark suit seemed like part of his skin, as if he had been born in it. Only the slight movement of his fingers drumming on his pant leg, in a meticulous rhythm, betrayed the frenetic activity of his mind.In the back seat, Amalia checked her gear for the umpteenth time. Gloves. Loaded gun. Communicator activated. Everything in order. Except for her breathing, which quickened each time her gaze slid toward Maddox. There was something about the way tension clung to his body that wasn’t just about the mission. It was him. It was always him.Dax,
Night fell like a heavy cloak over the city, draping the streets in treacherous shadows. The flickering lights of the buildings stood like silent sentinels, watching from above as the underworld prepared to move.Amalia gazed out the window of the moving car, her thoughts a whirlwind of strategies, fears, and a tension that crawled under her skin. They were on their way to the Council’s meeting location. Every passing second was a reminder of what was at stake.Maddox sat beside her, imposing and serene. His presence filled the vehicle—absolute control, impeccable elegance even under pressure. Black suit, fitted gray shirt, and those intense gray eyes that seemed to see through people. Amalia couldn’t help but glance sideways at him. He had always been that way: a mystery wrapped in power, unbreakable... and now, inexplicably personal.In the front seat, Max reviewed the information on a tablet, his lips pressed into a hard line. Dax, behind the wheel, whistled a barely audible tune—th
The meeting room was thick with tension. Dim lights barely illuminated the faces present, but there was no doubt who dominated the room. Maddox Dangello sat at the head of the table, his posture upright and imposing. The perfectly tailored suit wasn’t just a symbol of power—it was a statement. His intense gray eyes swept over each person, sharp as blades. His mere presence made the air feel heavier.Amalia sat to his left, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the map spread across the table. Her thoughts were a whirlwind, but her stance remained firm. She was used to pressure—or so she liked to believe.Dax and Max occupied the seats to Maddox’s right. Dax, outwardly relaxed, twirled a pen between his fingers, while Max sat rigid, analyzing every word with his usual intensity.“We have two options,” Ivan spoke from the opposite end of the table, his deep voice breaking the silence. “We attack now and catch the Council off guard, or we wait for their next move.”“Waiting isn’t an option,” Max in
The first ray of sunlight slipped through the gap in the curtain, tracing a golden line across the messy bed. The warmth of Maddox’s body still lingered in the sheets, even though he was no longer there.I sat up slowly, still wrapped in the slow rhythm of our night. Every muscle ached in new ways—not from physical exhaustion, but from the emotional intensity still vibrating in my bones.Maddox had been... different.There had been a fierce tenderness in his touch. A restrained need that didn’t come from desire, but from something deeper. More dangerous.An attachment he didn’t want to admit.I wrapped the sheet around me and stepped out of the room. The hallway was quiet, but not empty. I could feel his presence before I saw him.And there he was.Standing by the window in the main room, a cup of coffee in hand, eyes fixed on the horizon. He wore only his suit pants, his shirt unbuttoned, and the sunlight kissed his back as if trying to understand him too.When he heard my steps, he
The contact was barely a touch.But for both of them, it was the end of resistance.Amalia felt the slight tremble in Maddox's fingers when he touched her. It wasn't insecurity—it was the weight of everything he always held back. The words he never said. The emotions he had denied, even when he desired her, even when he protected her like his life depended on it.This time, he didn’t stop.His lips brushed hers with a gentleness that shattered her. As if he didn’t want to break her. As if he knew that if he crossed that line, there would be no going back.She held him by the nape, pulling him closer, and he lost control.He kissed her with a silent desperation. A mix of need, guilt, desire, and redemption. As if she were his only way out. His only peace.Maddox gripped her waist, pulling her toward him. His hard, tense body enveloped hers completely. The brush of his torso against hers made her burn inside. It wasn’t just heat—it was connection. The kind of fire that consumes you slow
The roar of engines echoed through the trees.Amalia adjusted her tactical jacket as she descended the hill alongside Maddox, Dax, and Max. Leaves crunched beneath their boots. In the distance, a cloud of dust rose: Cillian’s men were on the move.“Left flank, Dax. Don’t let anyone come through the stream,” Maddox ordered without turning. His voice was clear, sharp. Undeniably a leader, without hesitation.“Got it,” Dax replied, drawing both his knife and pistol. His smile was tense but electric—like he’d been waiting for this moment for weeks.“Max, with me,” Maddox continued. “We’ll greet them head-on. Amalia…”She looked up.“What?”“You decide,” Maddox said, his gray eyes locked on hers. “Do you lead the second line of defense or come to the front?”Amalia swallowed. It was the first time he openly gave her the choice. He wasn’t sidelining her or treating her like a burden.“The front,” she answered without hesitation.A flicker of approval crossed Maddox’s face. Just for a second
The name hung in the air like an ancient poison.Gian.Amalia hadn’t heard it in years. Not since the first whispers, when everything was still darkness and fragments. Not since Maddox had erased it from every conversation, as if eliminating his existence was the only way to contain what it truly meant."Are you sure?" Amalia asked, her voice barely a thread.Maddox looked at her. His gaze, usually impenetrable, was now an uncontrollable storm. His gray eyes gleamed like blades under the dawn light slipping through the shattered windows."Too sure."June stood in the corner of the room, still processing everything that had just been revealed. But when she heard that name, she took a step back. As if the past had just punched her in the face."He wasn’t dead..." she whispered."He never was," Max said, voice dry.Dax ran a hand through his hair, frustrated."They lied to all of us.""Who is Gian?" Amalia finally asked, her tone as sharp as a promise of breaking.Maddox didn’t answer imm
The dawn arrived uninvited.The sky, stained with a threatening gray, seemed to anticipate the storm.In the base’s operations room, maps were spread out, screens were on, and the air… was heavy.Max was marking positions on the map with absolute focus.Dax was checking intercepted surveillance cameras.Maddox stood, arms crossed, watching everything as if he had already seen it all play out in his mind.And Amalia.Amalia was there.Sitting at the table, among them.One of them.But she was no longer just the woman dragged into this war by mistake.Now… she was part of the strategy."We have three blind spots on the west border," Max said, pointing. "If they’re coming in, it’ll be through there.""And what if that’s not what they want?" Amalia cut in. "What if this is just a distraction?""That’s what I thought too," Dax added. "Look at this."He projected a video.A hooded figure moved through shadows.A familiar silhouette."Is that…?" Amalia whispered."Yeah," Maddox confirmed, his
The return to the safe house was silent. None of them needed to speak. The glances exchanged in the rearview mirror, Maddox's tense grip on the steering wheel, the way Amalia kept her eyes fixed on the road… it was enough to understand that something had changed.The Council wasn’t dead. Only asleep. And now, it had awakened.As soon as they arrived, the protocols were activated. Ivan ordered all access points to be sealed, triple surveillance installed, and the war room prepared. The atmosphere was electric. Every step, every command, every look carried the certainty that the real enemy had finally shown its face.But Maddox said nothing. Not yet.He went straight to his office, with Amalia following silently. When the door closed, the silence grew heavy."You knew," she broke the tension. "Say it, Maddox. Just say it. You knew."He turned slowly. His jacket was open, sleeves rolled up, and his gray eyes darker than ever."I knew there were strange movements," he admitted. "But not th
The early morning was a living, throbbing creature.And Maddox was already awake before the first ray of sunlight pierced through the bulletproof windows of the house. He was dressed in black, as always, immaculate even in chaos. His movements were controlled, as if each one was calculated for combat."We’re ready," Ivan reported as he entered the meeting room.Behind him, Dax and Max came in almost at the same time. Both wore the same serious expression, although Dax still carried the hangover from the night before."What does the satellite report say?" Maddox asked, without lifting his gaze from the digital map in front of him."Movement to the north. Heat points in the area of the old gas factory. They shouldn’t be there," Max replied, crossing his arms."Then they’re testing our surveillance," Maddox murmured.Amalia appeared in the room a few seconds later. She wore a fitted jacket over a black shirt, her hair tied in a braid that gave her a fiercer look. Her eyes met Maddox’s for
The calm before the storm came in the shape of a freezing dawn.Amalia woke to the sound of soft footsteps in the hallway. They weren’t nervous. They were calculated. Measured. Like someone who didn’t need to hide.She grabbed her gun from the nightstand without thinking. She was no longer the same woman who had stumbled into this world by accident. She no longer hesitated.She opened the door silently and saw him.Derek."What are you doing?" she asked, not lowering her weapon.Derek raised his hands slowly."I was heading to the office. Maddox asked for the blueprints of the southern entrances.""Maddox is in the east wing."Derek hesitated for a second. Just one.And for Amalia, it was enough."Stay still," she ordered.At that moment, the silent alarm vibrated on her device. An encrypted message from Ivan."Communication intercepted. One of ours is selling coordinates."Amalia’s blood ran cold.Derek narrowed his eyes, as if he knew the moment for masks had passed."You were always
The night fell violently over the land.It wasn’t just any nightfall. It was a declaration of war.The sky turned dark faster than usual, as if the universe knew something was about to break.Inside the mansion, the atmosphere was different. Dense. Silent. The kind of calm that only comes before disaster.Amalia was in Maddox’s office, alone, with the documents she had stolen. In front of her, a map of the tunnel system that crossed the border. Smuggling routes. Coded names. Black-and-white photographs of faces that shouldn’t exist.The list of the Council’s traitors.And in the center, a single word repeated again and again:ARES.Behind that name was Maddox’s past. The real reason why it all began.And the man who was now about to unleash the final fire."Amalia," said a firm voice from the door.She didn’t flinch. She knew he would come. He always did.Maddox stepped inside. Imposing. Impeccable. Wearing a black suit that contrasted with his gray eyes, now sharper than ever."I knew