LOGINLESLIE'S POV I sat comfortably in the plush leather seat, resting my head against Max’s broad shoulder. His strong arm was wrapped securely around my waist, pulling me so close that I could feel the steady, reassuring beat of his heart.Just a few hours ago, we had watched Victor Vance lose everything he had ever stolen. The man who had terrorized Max's family for decades was finally locked behind cold iron bars, unable to hurt us ever again. The war was over. The nightmares were gone. Now, there was nothing left between us except peace, love, and our bright future together.Max turned his head and pressed a tender, lingering kiss to the top of my head. His fingers gently traced circles on my bare arm, sending a warm, pleasant shiver straight down my spine. I closed my eyes and smiled, breathing in the rich, clean scent of his expensive cologne mixed with his warm skin."Are you still thinking about what happened at the harbor?" Max asked softly, his deep voice rich with gentle affec
LESLIE’S POV"He’s not going to make it off that yacht, Max," I said as our sleek black sports car roared along the winding coastal road leading down toward the Monaco marina.The sun was high in the sky now, lighting up the deep turquoise waters of the Mediterranean Sea and reflecting off hundreds of multi-million-dollar superyachts lined up along the docks. The luxury of the city stood in sharp contrast to the cold-blooded hunt we were conducting.Max held the steering wheel with one hand, his posture relaxed yet completely dangerous. "Victor has nowhere left to sail, Leslie. The maritime police have already been tipped off about his illegal mercenary activities, and his bank accounts are frozen solid. He is a cornered rat.""A cornered rat is always the most dangerous," I reminded him, gripping the dashboard as Max rounded a sharp turn with incredible speed."Not when I own the cage," Max replied smoothly, turning his head to give me a quick, confident wink that made my heart flutt
LESLIE"If we get caught in this bank, Max, there won't be a legal team in the world that can get us out," I said, leaning closer to him as our black tinted sedan glided through the gleaming, sunlit streets of Monaco.Max didn't even blink. He adjusted the cuff of his sharp, custom-tailored navy suit, his fingers moving with calm, absolute precision. "We won't get caught, Leslie. The Banque de la Côte d’Azur doesn't answer to the police. It answers to money, power, and fingerprints. And today, I have all three."I glanced down at my own reflection in the side window. I was wearing an elegant cream silk dress with high-end designer sunglasses, looking every bit like the wife of a powerful billionaire worth tens of billions. But underneath the expensive silk, my heart was hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. Baby Daisy was safely hidden away in our private, heavy-armored safehouse villa just outside the city line, guarded by twenty of Max’s top security men. But here, right in
LESLIE’S POV"You cannot go in there alone, Max," I said firmly, throwing the heavy iron latch on the safehouse door to lock us inside.We had landed at a secure, private harbor three miles down the coast from the villa. The safehouse was small, hidden inside an abandoned lighthouse perched high on a dark, desolate cliff. The wind howled furiously against the reinforced glass windows, echoing the storm brewing inside my own chest.Daisy was finally resting quietly on a soft leather couch in the center of the room, tucked under a thick wool blanket, exhausted from the horrific night.Max stood by a wooden table, loading fresh ammunition into a heavy black pistol with cold, methodical precision. The sharp click of the bullets slipping into the magazine sounded like a death sentence filling the room. He didn't look up at me right away."Victor ran back to his primary residence in Monaco," Max said, his voice terrifyingly calm. "His private security network is fractured after the cave fig
"Shoot him and you’ll never see a single cent of the money," I screamed, stepping out from behind Max’s back before he could stop me.The cold sea breeze lashed against my face, stinging my cheeks as I held Daisy close to my chest. Every muscle in my body was trembling, but my voice remained steady, loud enough to cut through the heavy roar of the ocean waves crashing against the rocks inside the dark cavern.Victor Vance froze. The silencer on his gun was still aimed straight at Max’s chest, but his cold, pale eyes slowly shifted to lock onto me. A cruel, mocking smirk tugged at the corner of his lips."Step back, Leslie," Max growled beside me, his deep voice vibrating with absolute fury. His arm immediately reached back to shove me behind his broad frame, but I held my ground, keeping my eyes fixed directly on Victor."You think you’re so smart, Victor," I said, taking a tiny, deliberate step forward, ignoring the four heavily armed mercenaries who instantly tightened their fingers
A convoy of three matte-black armored SUVs was already waiting on the tarmac, their engines idling in low, synchronized purrs. A burly, middle-aged security operative in a tailored suit stepped forward as the jet’s rolling staircase lowered, snapping a crisp salute as Max descended first, holding me securely against his side while a trusted nanny carried baby Daisy behind us."Welcome back to Villa Sainte-Claire, Mr. Crane," the operative said in a crisp British accent. "The perimeter is completely secure, and the underground communication relay is fully operational. We’re ready when you are."Max nodded curtly, his eyes scanning the sprawling, stone-fortified estate perched dramatically on the cliffside overlooking the crashing waves of the Mediterranean Sea. "Status on Victor’s financial movements?" Max demanded as we walked toward the lead vehicle."His primary shell corporation in Liechtenstein just transferred forty million euros into an unverified Swiss holding account twenty min







