All Chapters of Desperate Measures: Chapter 1 - Chapter 6

Liya Glensdale stared blankly at her untouched coffee while the rain washed against the windows of the little diner she sat in. She constantly picked at her nails with nerves unsettled as the minutes flew by on the wall clock, drawing the inevitable meeting with the man who could decide her brother's fate, closer. When the bell above the diner rang, Liya’s eyes popped up as she watched a man enter and shake the rain off his trench coat, his presence immediately changing the atmosphere of the entire room. Her heart began racing as she watched Damian Viktor approach her table. He was by far taller than she had thought, with a scrawny face and a smile that made him look more sinister and cruel than kind. Even with his sharp suit that emphasized he was well-off, his appearance screamed that he was a dangerous man, the kind you don't get involved with. He sat down across from her, skin spread like he owned the place. “Liya Glensdale,” he said with a flat yet rough voice. “I’ve been anti

The atmosphere outside the mansion seemed strangely silent compared to the chaos that just happened in the study. The storm had passed leaving the night wet and calm, but Liya’s heart was anything but still. The scene repeatedly played in her mind. Every detail troubled her mind as she followed Aldo and Melinda down the shadowy hallway, her movement quick to keep up with them.Liya’s breath came out in pants, her palms sweaty as she wrapped her arms around herself. She had never felt so uncomfortable, so totally exposed. The beauty of the mansion, with its spotless floors and grand chandelier, felt more like a sugar-coated cage rather than a shelter.Aldo stopped suddenly, turning to her. His fierce gaze on her and for a minute, her breath stopped. “We don't have a lot of time,” he said in a low but firm voice.”Damian won’t stop just after a single attack. This was the first of many, so we need to hurry.”Liya’s stomach knotted. Thoughts of the lifeless human in the study filled her m

The days after the attack went by in a blur for Liya. The broken window had been fixed but flashbacks from that night continued playing in her head like a broken record. She had finally seen the dangerous world he lived in, a world she was no part of. Liya roamed the wide halls of Aldo’s mansion, the fanciness around her a total opposite of the storm inside her. Even with the expensive crystal chandeliers and paintings that decorated the walls, the air was still filled with tension. She felt like a prisoner in a golden cage, her every move watched by Melinda or one of Aldo’s men. Her brain kept returning to Aldo’s words from the night of the attack: you're a party to the game now. She couldn't figure out what he was saying. What role did she play and what game was he talking about?While roaming, she came across a library, the room was filled with books from floor to ceiling, it was every girl's dream. She ran her fingers over them, inhaling the smell of leather and paper which was