COLLATERAL DESIRE
Lance is just a normal college student or at least he tries to be. He balances being the star player of his university basketball team, keeping up with classes, and spending time with his girlfriend, Ylva, a beautiful girl with secrets he doesn’t fully understand. At the same time, he is weighed down by the debt his late father left behind, struggling every day just to keep his life together.
Everything changes when his little sister, Tamera, is kidnapped by brutal loan sharks. Desperate and terrified, Lance digs deeper and learns the truth: the man behind the kidnapping isn’t just some random gangster. It’s Ragnar, Ylva’s father, a feared mafia boss with a reputation for cruelty.
With no other options left, Lance is forced into a deal he never imagined. To save his sister, he agrees to work directly under Ragnar.
What starts as fear, anger, and survival slowly becomes something more complicated. As Lance is pulled deeper into the criminal world, he begins to see sides of Ragnar he never expected. In the middle of danger and violence, a forbidden connection forms between them, one that threatens everything Lance thought he knew about love, loyalty, and who he really is.
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Chapter: CHAPTER EIGHTY TWORagnar stayed still for a moment after Lance’s words settled into him.“I love you… so fucking much.”The sentence lingered, not loud, not overwhelming, just there, sitting in the space between them like something solid. Something that couldn’t be taken back.He exhaled slowly.Then, carefully, he removed Lance’s arms from around him, not roughly, not rejecting, just enough to turn.To face him.Lance didn’t step back.Didn’t even try to hide the way he was looking at him now, open, bright, completely unguarded in a way he hadn’t been in days.And that alone was… dangerous.Ragnar’s expression settled back into something more controlled, though not as cold as before.“Don’t misunderstand this,” he said.His voice was steady again. Grounded.But not distant.“This does not mean we are in a relationship.”Lance blinked.Once.Then—He smiled.Not small. Not subtle.Wide.Unapologetic.Like he hadn’t even heard the warning part.“…So you like me too,” he said immediately, voice light, al
Last Updated: 2026-04-19
Chapter: CHAPTER EIGHTY ONEThey broke apart slowly.Not abruptly, not awkwardly, just enough for air, for space, for reality to settle back in.But it didn’t feel the same anymore.Nothing about it did.The room felt different now. Not louder, not brighter, just… altered, like something irreversible had clicked into place and neither of them had fully processed it yet.Lance was the first to really look at him properly.Not the cold version of him. Not the boss. Not the wall he usually hid behind.Just Ragnar.And the second he did, something in Lance shifted.A smirk pulled at the corner of his lips. Slow. Knowing.Dangerous in its own way.“…So,” he murmured, voice lower now, lighter, like the tension that had been suffocating him for days had finally snapped, “you do have a heart after all.”Ragnar didn’t answer immediately.And that alone said everything.Because for the first time, He looked… off.Not shaken. Not out of control.But not entirely composed either.His usual stillness was there, but it wasn’
Last Updated: 2026-04-19
Chapter: CHAPTER EIGHTYRagnar didn’t remain seated for long after the call ended.The moment the line went dead, the silence returned to his office but it no longer pressed in on him the way it had before. It wasn’t suffocating, wasn’t chaotic or resisting him.It was clear.Decisive.Zara’s voice lingered in his mind, steady and unyielding, cutting clean through every excuse he had tried to construct.If you don’t say anything, you’ll lose him.Ragnar exhaled slowly and rose from his chair in one controlled motion. Everything about him remained composed, his cuffs aligned, his posture straight, his expression unreadable as ever.But beneath that control, something had already shifted.He didn’t hesitate.“Send Lance to my office.”The instruction left him as calmly as any other order, nothing in his tone betraying the weight behind it. To anyone listening, it was routine. Ordinary.It wasn’t.Lance didn’t rush when the message reached him.He didn’t do that anymore.There had been a time, recent, embarrass
Last Updated: 2026-04-18
Chapter: CHAPTER SEVENTY NINEZara didn’t speak right away after that.Not because she didn’t have anything to say but because she could feel it.The shift.Small, quiet… but real.For the first time in a long time, Ragnar wasn’t shutting the conversation down. He wasn’t dismissing, redirecting, or cutting things off the moment they got too personal.He was still there.Still listening.Still… open.And that alone made something warm settle in her chest.“…You should tell him.”The words came gently, but they didn’t waver.Ragnar’s brows pulled together slightly. “Tell him what?”Zara didn’t entertain that. “How you feel.”The response was immediate.“No.”Flat.Certain.Zara smiled faintly, like she had expected that answer before he even said it. “Ragnar—”“I don’t do that,” he cut in.There it was.That wall again.Solid.Familiar.Zara didn’t push against it harshly. She never had.Instead, her voice softened, steady and patient. “No,” she agreed quietly, “you don’t.”A pause.Then,“But you’ve also never been
Last Updated: 2026-04-18
Chapter: CHAPTER SEVENTY EIGHTThat night, sitting alone in his office long after everyone had left, staring at a file he hadn’t turned a page on in over ten minutes… he picked up his phone.And called her.The line rang once.Twice.Then,“Ragnar?”Zara’s voice was soft, laced with quiet surprise. Not concern, she didn’t panic easily but there was something underneath it. Something warm. Something that didn’t belong anywhere else in his life.He didn’t answer immediately.Because even now, even after pressing the call button, he wasn’t entirely sure why he had.“…Are you busy?” he asked finally.A small pause. Then a faint smile in her voice. “For you? Never.”That made something in his chest tighten slightly, subtle, controlled, but there.He leaned back in his chair, gaze drifting toward the dark window across the room. “I need your opinion on something.”Zara was quiet for a second longer this time. Not because she didn’t have an answer but because she understood what that meant.Ragnar didn’t ask for opinions.
Last Updated: 2026-04-16
Chapter: CHAPTER SEVENTY SEVENThe change didn’t fade after a day.It stayed.Settled deeper.Over the next few days, Lance became… precise about it. Not obvious, not dramatic but intentional in a way that couldn’t be ignored if you were paying attention closely enough.He didn’t skip work. Didn’t miss meetings. Didn’t give Ragnar any actual reason to call him out.But he minimized contact.If something could be sent through someone else, it was. If a report could be dropped off without staying, he dropped it and left. If Ragnar was expected somewhere, Lance made sure he had already done what was needed before Ragnar even got there.Clean. Efficient.Distant.And Ragnar noticed.Of course he did.It wasn’t avoidance in the obvious sense, Lance wasn’t running, wasn’t acting nervous or unsettled. That would’ve been easier to deal with. Easier to control.This was different.This was deliberate.Lance wasn’t avoiding Ragnar because he cared too much.He was avoiding him because he had decided not to care at all.And t
Last Updated: 2026-04-16
Chapter: CHAPTER NINETY NINEAsher's PovMonths had passed since the chaos, the gun fire, the betrayal and the night I almost lost him. The city had moved on but Caden and I hadn't. You don't just don't move on from something like that. You heal in fragments and sometimes, painfully but the one thing that made it easier was knowing we were doing it together. Caden went back to work at Booker Legacy Group, reclaiming his seat as CEO like he'd never left. He still worked ridiculous hours, tapping away in his laptop long after midnight. Most nights, I'd lean in the doorway with a cup of coffee in my hand, watching him. The city lights reflected on his glasses and softened his face. There was something grounding about those moments. It was peaceful.I'd left private security altogether. I told myself I was done protecting people who didn't care whether I lived or died but somehow, I still couldn't stop protecting him so when Caden offered me a position as Director of Corporate Security at BLG, I didn't think twice.
Last Updated: 2025-10-17
Chapter: CHAPTER NINETY EIGHT Caden's PovI'd never seen Asher this angry before. It started the night Lia tried to kill us both. He'd become this different version that harbors a special kind of hatred for her and her only. Now, she was behind bars. He was glad. But then, the police said she wouldn't speak to anyone but Asher. She wouldn't even look at the detectives when they interrogated her or even the psychologist the state hired to drill her with questions. They all got the same silence. She wanted to speak to Asher. I was fed up with the cold shoulder he was giving her.“Asher, she's asking for you.” I said, standing near the hospital window. “It’s just one conversation. Maybe she'll confess to everything she did.”He didn't even glance my way. His jaw flexed and his eyes didn't leave the screen of his laptop. It was as if he was trying to erase her name from existence.“Asher!” I crossed my arms.“She tried to kill you, Caden!” He finally answered me. “She planted that bomb. She pulled the trigger. Why t
Last Updated: 2025-10-16
Chapter: CHAPTER NINETY SEVEN Asher's PovThe room was too damn quiet.Caden had been home for less than an hour but it already felt like the walls were closing in. The smell of disinfectant was staring to mess with my head and the florescent lights made me want to throw something at the fucking walls.Frisbee sat across from me, hunched over his phone like a vulture in a roadkill. Giovanna leaned against the wall, her arms crossed but if I knew her, she was just one bad update away from flipping a table. Then, Frisbee's phone slipped from his hand and hit the floor with a crack loud enough to wake the dead.I arched my brow. “Are you planning on starting a demolition company?”He ignored me and grabbed his laptop. “What happened?” I asked, curiosity creeping into my tone.Frisbee's fingers flew over the keyboard. “Caden just called. The woman in the house is not Lia.”My eyes widened. “Wait. What?” “She's not Lia,” Frisbee repeated. “He says she's a fake.” Giovanna pushed off the walls. “How is that even poss
Last Updated: 2025-10-16
Chapter: CHAPTER NINETY SIXAsher's Pov“They did it. They reconciled!” Caden rushed back to our seat in the lobby, his cheeks bright pink. “I went in to check in on them and they were kissing. Damn, you're a good matchmaker, Asher.” I smiled and drew him close. “Of course. I did help a lot of folks get together back in Mexico.” Caden didn't look like he believed me. He arched his brow and stared at me like I grew a nose on my forehead. “You?”“Yes.” he said as he laughed.I watched him smile and thought to myself that I prefer this version of Asher. The carefree, kind, and funny type.He caught me staring and smiled. “What is it?”“What was that for?” I smiled.He thought hard for a second before realizing I'd been talking about what he did back there with Gastby and Gus. “Clearing the air.” he shrugged and laughed. “Well, I guess you're right. I didn't know those two had something going on,” I sighed. “Gatsby deserves to be happy and if Gus isn't the one, he shouldn't be with her. Right?”Asher didn't res
Last Updated: 2025-10-15
Chapter: CHAPTER NINETY FIVEGatsby's PovI lost my appetite and will to live in the same fucking day. The crazy thing is : it's my fault.“Are you alright, dear? You look a little pale.” Heather, the girl at the counter asked me.I blinked. “Sorry?”“I said you look a little pale.” She repeated as she handed me a bag of wheatgrass powder.“Oh.” I took the bag slowly. “I'm just tired. Nothing new.”“Well, get some sleep.” she smiled weakly. “Sure.” I nodded slowly and turned away from the store. I was not ready for another lecture about my looks or my weight. I've gotten enough sermons from my neighbours.I trudged to my apartment and stumbled inside. I managed to catch myself before I lost my balance. God, not this again.For the past 4 days, I'd been stumbling like a bloody fool. Well, that happens when you don't eat for hours on end. Ever since Gus left, my entire body shut down. I can't even eat. I can't sleep. I can barely get my body to concentrate on anything. I understood my role as the acting CEO but r
Last Updated: 2025-10-15
Chapter: CHAPTER NINETY FOURCaden's PovGatsby's been sleeping a lot lately and I'm getting worried. At first I thought she was pregnant but she wasn't and apparently, there weren't any signs. Then, I thought she was just tired. It didn't seem that way either. I knew a physically-tired person when I saw them. They'd just be fatigued, most of whom will complain about it. Gatsby looked tired but it wasn't the physical type. She lost a lot of weight. There were bags under their eyes and she was even too exhausted to talk to anyone.Asher gave me a light nudge when she visited. “Is she okay?”“No,” I shook my head. “I asked but she wouldn't tell me.”“Should I go talk to her?” He offered.I shook my head again. “I think we should give her time.”“Time?” His eyes wandered to her. “I don't think she… Gatsby!"I turned to see her body wobble before it hit the ground.“Fuck!” I rushed to her side before Asher could hobble to where she was. “Hey,” I cupped the back of her neck and lifted her up. “Gatsby?”She didn't r
Last Updated: 2025-10-14
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