Novels by Cardywrites

Dante POV**The alarm triggers at 1:51 AM.I’m awake instantly.Years of survival instinct don’t fade just because you’re dying. They sharpen.My hand reaches for the gun under my pillow before my eyes fully open. The security monitor on my nightstand flashes red perimeter breach, east wing.Elara’s wing.I’m moving before the second alarm sounds.Luca meets me in the hallway, already armed. “Three men. They knew the entry codes.”My blood turns to ice. “Inside job.”“Has to be.”“Where’s Elara?”“Panic room. I got her there the second the alarm went off.” He pauses. “She’s scared but safe.”“Keep her there.” I’m already moving toward the east wing. “No one gets close.”“Boss”“I said no one.”The gunfire starts before we reach the corridor.My men have them pinned in the gallery. Three intruders, professionals by the way they move. Not random thieves. Not amateurs.Volkov’s men.I recognize the tattoos when we corner the one still breathing.He’s bleeding from his shoulder, backed ag

**Alicia POV**I’ve been patient long enough.Three months of watching that girl grow rounder. Three months of watching Dante look at her like she’s something precious instead of what she really is a womb he bought.Three months of being sidelined in my own life.No more.I sit across from Viktor Volkov in a café I would never normally be caught dead in. Cheap coffee. Plastic chairs. The kind of place where people don’t ask questions.Perfect.Viktor smiles at me like a shark that smelled blood. “Miss Chen. I wasn’t sure you’d actually come.”“I’m here.” I keep my voice steady. Professional. “Do we have a deal or not?”He leans back, studying me. “You understand what you’re asking me to do.”“I understand perfectly.” I meet his eyes. “I will give you the security codes. The rotation schedule. Dante’s medical appointments for the next two weeks.” I pause. “You give me what I want.”“The girl.”“Gone,” I correct. “I don’t care how. I don’t care where. Just gone.”Viktor’s smile widens.

Dante POVI noticed the change before anyone said it out loud.The house felt lighter.Not quieter, lighter. Like the air had shifted its weight.By morning, Elara was on her feet.Not just standing. Moving. Slow, careful steps, yes, but steady. Her color had returned. Her eyes were clearer. The fragile edge that had scared the hell out of me for two days was dull now, fading.And for the first time since she fell sick, my chest loosened.“She’s up,” Luca said beside me, watching from the hallway.“I see that,” I replied.Elara stood near the window, sunlight catching in her hair. She wore a simple dress, loose at the waist. Her hand rested unconsciously on her stomach, protective, natural.Something in my gut shifted.“She shouldn’t overdo it,” Luca added.“She won’t,” I said. “Not today.”Luca glanced at me. “You sound sure.”“I am.”A maid approached carefully. “Sir… Miss Elara has eaten. She asked if she could walk outside.”“Good,” I said. “Tell her to meet me in ten minutes.”Lu

Elara POVI woke up to the sound of breathing that wasn’t mine.Deep. Controlled. Close.For a moment, I thought I was dreaming. The room felt soft, wrapped in warmth and quiet. Then I shifted slightly, and pain rippled through my body like a warning bell. My throat burned. My head throbbed. My stomach rolled.I opened my eyes.Dante was sitting beside the bed.Not standing guard. Not looming. Sitting.His jacket was gone. His sleeves were rolled up. One hand rested on the edge of the mattress, close enough that if I moved my fingers just a little, I would touch him.I froze.He noticed instantly.“You’re awake,” he said.His voice was low. Careful. Like he didn’t want to scare me back into unconsciousness.I swallowed. “How long…?”“Long enough,” he replied. “Don’t talk too much.”I nodded faintly. My mouth felt dry.He reached for the glass of water on the table, held it to my lips. I hesitated, then drank. My hands shook, so he steadied the glass without comment.The silence betwee

Dante POVThe house woke before the sun.By the time I opened my eyes, the mansion was already alive. Footsteps echoed along the marble floors. Doors opened and closed. Voices moved through the halls in low, efficient tones. The smell of coffee drifted in from the kitchen. Normal. Busy. Controlled.The way I liked it.I sat up slowly, ignoring the dull pressure in my chest, and reached for the glass of water on my bedside table. Alicia was already awake, seated on the couch near the window, scrolling through her phone.“You’re up early,” she said without looking at me.“So are you,” I replied.She glanced up, eyes scanning my face automatically. “How do you feel?”“Fine.”She didn’t argue. That alone told me she didn’t believe me.I stood, adjusted my shirt, and walked out of the room. The corridor was full of movement. Staff passed me with quick bows. Luca was already speaking to one of the guards near the stairs.Everything was running on schedule.Except one thing.“Elara isn’t dow

Elara POVElara woke before dawn, heart already racing, as if it had been running all night without her permission. The house felt different. Not quieter. Heavier. Like the walls knew something she didn’t and were waiting for her to catch up.She stayed still, one hand resting over her stomach, breathing slow. Two days. Dante had been back for two days, and Alicia had not left his side.Elara slid out of bed and dressed quickly, choosing soft clothes that hid her changing body. She avoided mirrors now. They reminded her of things she wasn’t ready to claim. She moved through the hallway carefully, listening.Voices drifted from the study.Alicia’s voice was low, intimate. Too intimate.“I’ll bring your medication myself,” Alicia said. “You shouldn’t be moving yet.”“I’m fine,” Dante replied. His tone was calm, controlled, but weaker than before. “You don’t need to hover.”Elara stopped. Her chest tightened. She hated herself for listening, but she couldn’t move.“You almost died,” Alic