جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 760

I pulled Nina into my arms, holding her tight as I scanned the men standing before me.They didn't attack, just stood there watching. Then I heard hurried footsteps, followed by a panicked voice. "Nina, don't be scared—Mommy's here!"Cue Sasha's dramatic entrance.She burst in, ripped Nina from my arms, and shoved me aside like I was the villain in her soap opera.Theatrics? Ten out of ten. Sasha deserved an Oscar.Clutching Nina close, she covered her with kisses and soothing words before whipping around to glare at me. "Keira, I trusted you! I even let Nina be your friend, and this is what you do? You used our trust to hurt us!""I don't think Keira hurt me," Nina piped up, defending me before I could get a word in.Sasha's face stiffened for a split second, but she quickly recovered, squeezing Nina tighter and bursting into tears.The men in black didn't touch me, of course. Why would they? Sasha had hired them for her little performance. Her goal was simple: get Nina back.

"Wayne, I know what you want, but don't waste your breath. My answer's still no," I said, cutting straight to the point."You can't take on the Drago family," he replied, half warning, half trying to intimidate me.I smiled faintly. After everything I'd been through, his words barely scratched the surface. "Maybe. But I'll still try. Who knows? I might pull it off.""Like a mouse going up against a lion," he scoffed, his tone laced with mockery. "You know how pointless that is, don't you?"I pressed my lips together for a second, then said, "Do you know what sets humans apart from animals? Courage. The courage to resist, to fight, and to push boundaries."Wayne didn't answer right away. My resolve caught him off guard. Finally, he sighed. "If you want Hayden safe, hand over what you're hiding. Then you two can take the money and live however you want. Wouldn't that be better?"It wasn't like him to say something so... reasonable. Maybe he was finally letting go of his obsession w

In the middle of the night, I started coughing—a deep, rough sound that wouldn't let up. Probably just a cold.My respiratory system has always been weak, and whenever I catch something, it usually triggers coughing fits. Between the long day and the chilly mountain air, it was no surprise."Cough, cough..." I clutched my throat, the irritation making it feel like something was stuck there.Even after drinking water, the coughing didn't stop. That's when I heard a knock at the door.A knock in the dead of night can be unsettling, but being at the monastery, I felt oddly calm.Before I could ask who it was, a woman's voice called softly from the other side. "I'm from next door."It had to be Mrs. Drago. She had a reputation for being deeply spiritual, and now she was standing outside my door.I got up and opened it. "Good evening.""I heard you coughing and thought you could use this," she said, holding out a small bottle of honey and herbal syrup. Her tone was gentle, her hair

In the distance, a figure was retreating into the shadows.Under the moonlight, that silhouette stood out—familiar, clear, yet so far away."Jace, thank you," I murmured softly, my words carried only by the wind. Without his help, getting close to Mrs. Drago wouldn't have been so easy. Maybe part of the reason she had agreed so readily was because of him.Even when he wasn't visible, even when I had no idea what he was doing, he was always helping me in silence.Maybe this was his way of loving me.I tilted my head up to the glowing moon, and in that moment, I felt something I hadn't expected: release.Release from the ten years of my life tied to Jace.People always say breaking up with an ex feels like losing your youth. But for me, it wasn't.Back in my room, I didn't go to sleep right away. Instead, I snapped a picture of the moon outside my window and posted it to social media with a single word: [Released.]Lena liked it almost instantly and messaged me: [Released what?]

He spun her around, their laughter cutting through the chaos of the airport like a rom-com on full blast. The crowd? Totally eating it up. A few claps, some knowing smiles—yeah, they were that couple.Lena clung to Nate, grinning like she'd just won the lottery.Nothing else mattered. Not even Retta, who strutted out of arrivals with her patented death glare. Lena clocked her but brushed it off. Retta could sulk all she wanted; Lena was too wrapped up in her "main character moment.""Dr. Lane, your boyfriend's so handsome!" a voice called.Turning, Lena spotted a woman juggling a baby. Oh, right—one of her patients. Flashing a smug smile, she leaned into Nate. "Of course he is. He's mine.""Congrats! And I hope you two have an adorable baby soon—just like mine!" the woman added, grinning."Noted!" Lena shot back with a playful thumbs-up.Unbothered by the interruption, they walked out hand in hand."You're still mad at me, huh?" Nate asked, his voice cautious. He wasn't clueles