Novels by Maduka Chidera

Luciano slammed his fist on the counter again. “How the hell did they get access to a live feed?”I stared at the blank laptop screen, my skin crawling. “They were watching us the whole time we were talking. Right now. Get the power off or something!”Gunshots erupted outside before he could answer. Glass shattered again. Luciano grabbed me and pulled me down behind the kitchen island.“Stay here!” he ordered, already moving toward the window with his gun raised.“Like hell I will.” I snatched my gun from the table and followed him, heart hammering. “They’re not taking us without a fight.”Bullets tore through the front of the safehouse. Luciano fired back, the sound exploding in my ears. I peeked around the corner and squeezed the trigger twice. One of the attackers cried out and dropped.“Nice shot,” Luciano grunted, reloading fast.“Don’t sound so surprised,” I said, breathing hard. Adrenaline pumped through me so strong my hands barely shook anymore.Three more men burst through t

“Get down!” Luciano shouted again, diving toward me.I dropped to the floor as glass exploded across the room. Another shot rang out, then two more. Bullets slammed into the wall above my head, sending plaster raining down.“Stay low!” he barked, crawling closer while firing back through the broken window. His gunshots were deafening in the closed space.I grabbed the lamp from the side table and smashed it, killing the lights. “How did they find us so fast?”“Well, how do you expect me to know,” he growled, reloading with quick, practiced movements. “Move toward the hallway. Now!”I crawled fast on my elbows, heart slamming against the cold marble. Luciano stayed right behind me, his body shielding mine as we made it into the darker corridor. More gunfire tore through the living room. A bullet whistled past my ear so close I felt the heat.“Who the hell is this Swan?” I whispered harshly, pressing my back against the wall. “They knew exactly where we were.”Luciano checked his phone,

The private jet engines roared as we took off from the London airstrip. I sat across from Luciano, still in my torn red gown, arms crossed tight over my chest.“You can’t just kidnap me, and then take me to Milan,” I said, glaring at him. “My family will be looking for me. They know you took me hostage.”Luciano leaned back in the leather seat, loosening his tie with one hand. “Good. Let them think whatever they want. Right now your family and mine are probably pointing guns at each other because of what you did on stage.”“I did what needed to be done.” I leaned forward. “Your people killed my mother. Don’t sit there acting like you’re the victim.”He stared at me for a long moment, eyes hard. “You keep saying that. Who told you? Your father? Did he show you proof or just feed you the same old story we’ve heard since we were kids?”“Don’t talk about my father.” My voice rose. “He buried her. He had to look at her body after your family’s bullets tore through her.”Luciano rubbed his

The car jolted again as bullets slammed into the armored side. I gripped the seat so hard my nails dug into the leather.“Drive faster, damn it!” Luciano barked at the driver, his voice cutting through the chaos.I turned around to look out the back window. Two black SUVs were gaining on us, flashes of gunfire lighting up the rainy London streets. “They’re still coming! Who the hell are these people?”Luciano grabbed my shoulder and yanked me down. “Keep your head down, Seraphina. You’ve done enough talking for one night.”“Enough talking?” I shoved his hand off me, heart pounding. “I exposed you because your family killed my mother. Don’t you dare act like I’m the problem here.”He leaned in close, eyes blazing in the dark car. Rain hammered the roof. “You really believe that story your father fed you? Open your eyes. Someone just turned your little revenge show into a massacre. People are dead because of your so-called peace event tonight.”I stared at him, breathing fast. The car s

Watch this,” I said, my voice steady as I stepped onto the stage in that blood-red gown. The spotlight hit me hard. Two hundred of the most influential people in the room turned my way.I tapped the tablet once.The giant screens behind me exploded. Bank records. Contracts. Photos of dead bodies. Every dirty secret stamped with the Volkov name.Gasps ripped through the ballroom. Someone dropped a champagne glass. It shattered loud against the marble floor.“Ladies and gentlemen,” I spoke into the mic, letting the words cut sharp, “tonight we stop pretending. Luciano Volkov isn’t some respected businessman. He’s a killer, and his family has spilled enough innocent blood.”My eyes found him immediately.Luciano Volkov stood dead center in the crowd, tall and still in his black tuxedo. Those cold eyes locked on mine. No panic. No shouting. Just that slow, dangerous tilt of his head like he was already planning how to make me pay.“You’ve got some nerve, Seraphina,” a voice boomed from th