FAZER LOGINI didn't move from the desk for hours. The files on Horton Rowen stayed open on my screen, the bright white light cutting into the dark corners of the room. My mind was still running in that same vicious circle, replaying every look, every soft word, and every touch Arthur had given me. It felt like a disease creeping under my skin. I had built this entire empire on knowing exactly who to trust, and a twenty-year-old dancer had walked right through my defenses without even trying.The lock on the suite door clicked, and the panel turned green. I didn't look up, assuming it was Leon coming back with the final guest counts for the noon meeting.Instead, the door swung open fast, and Bella stepped into the room. Her coat was soaked from the storm outside, her dark hair sticking to her forehead, but her eyes were bright with a fierce, frantic energy. She didn't say a word at first. She walked straight across the rug, reached into her deep jacket
The quietness inside the private suite was absolute, a stark contrast to the chaotic noise still echoing from the main floor downstairs. I stood by the large glass window, staring down at the empty courtyard where the rain was washing over the dark stones. The room felt completely different now, stripped of the life it had just a few hours ago. Every corner reminded me of the boy who had been sitting on the rug, laughing softly while he combed through his hair. It was all a lie. Every single smile, every gentle touch, every tear he had shed in my arms was just a mask to hide the blood of a traitor.I walked over to the desk, my movements slow and stiff. I didn't turn on the main lights, choosing instead to let the dim gray glow from the window illuminate the space. I pulled my laptop toward me, my fingers tapping against the keys with a regular, non-stop rhythm as I bypassed the standard security layers. I went deep into the family archives, entering the six-dig
The Cop’s OfferThe rain kept hitting my face, blurring my vision until the bright neon signs of the club became nothing but streaks of red and yellow in the dark lane. My feet were completely numb, the small cuts on my toes burning from the dirty water running along the curb. I had crawled away from the main gates, hiding myself in a narrow alley between two collapsing brick buildings, my knees pulled tightly against my chest as I shook from the cold. I felt completely empty. The sound of Andreas's voice telling the guards to throw me out was looping in my head like a bad dream that wouldn't stop.A shadow suddenly moved at the mouth of the alley, blocking the faint light from the streetlamp.I pulled myself back further into the dark corner, my heart jumping into my throat. I thought it was one of Dante's runners coming to finish me, or maybe one of Andreas's guards making sure I left the district entirely."Arthur?" a
The rain was coming down in thick, steady sheets, hitting my bare face and chest with a dull, stinging pain. I lay flat on my back in the dark lane just outside the high iron gates, the mud pooling around my shoulders and soaking right through my thin performance clothes. My fingers were dug into the wet gravel, the small rocks cutting into my skin, but I couldn't even feel it. My heart was entirely shattered, torn into pieces so small that I couldn't find my breath. The sound of the gates slamming shut was still echoing in my head, a loud, final click that meant my life was completely over.I rolled onto my side, pulling my knees up toward my chest as a violent sob tore out of my throat. I couldn't stop shaking. The cold water was washing away the dark streaks of my stage paint, mixing with the hot tears that kept running down my nose. I had lost everything in the span of an hour. My real name was out in the open, the whole city knew who my father was, and the
The guards didn't take me down to the lower cells right away. They kept me standing just behind the thick velvet curtains at the edge of the stage, their fingers pinching my shoulders so hard that my skin was already turning purple. I could hear the loud, angry voices of the southern captains echoing from the main floor, demanding answers from Andreas about the security breach. My whole body was shaking, the cold sweat mixing with the wet stage paint on my face, making my eyes sting."What are we doing with him, Val?" one of the guards holding me asked, leaning his head back toward the corridor. "The boss said the cells, but Leon is still down there clearing out Dante’s drivers."Val walked up the short flight of stairs, his face pale but his eyes gleaming with a nasty, satisfied look. He didn't even look me in the eyes; he just stared at my bare, trembling shoulders. "The boss changed his mind. He doesn't want this trash anywhere near the private r
Dante finally let go of my arm, shoving me away like a piece of trash. My knees buckled instantly, and I collapsed flat onto the smooth floorboards of the stage. The skin on my wrist was bright red, burning from his tight grip, but I couldn't care about the physical pain. My mind was completely fracturing. I looked up at the balcony through a thick wall of tears, my chest heaving so fast I could barely get a single gasp of air into my lungs."Andreas!" I screamed, the sound tearing out of my throat, raw and completely broken. I dragged my body forward on my knees, my hands sliding against the floor as I reached up toward the upper level. "Please, you have to listen to me! I didn't have a choice! They have Asher! They have my little brother!"Andreas didn't move for a long, terrible moment. He stood at the high railing, his green eyes dark and completely fixed on me. Then, slowly, he turned around and walked down the side stairs, his steps slow and measure
The air in the lower levels of the club was always cold, but tonight it felt completely freezing. Arthur walked down the concrete hallway, his footsteps making a low, dull sound against the floor. The echo of the bass from the main stage upstairs was just a faint vibration under his
The heavy door to the third-floor master suite closed, shutting out the distant rumble of the club downstairs. Andreas stood by the wide leather couch, unbuttoning his vest with slow, deliberate movements. His mind was a dark place tonight. The stress of Tobi hunting f
The music from the main floor was a low, heavy thud against the walls of the VIP dressing room. The club was packed tonight, the air warm and smelling of expensive perfume and alcohol. I stood in front of the mirror, my hands trembling slightly as I adjusted the collar of my shirt.
Andreas sat in the back of his parked SUV, his large hands resting on his knees. The dark tint on the windows hid him completely from the dirty street outside, but he could see everything perfectly. The morning air in this part of the city was thick with gray smog and the smell of garbage. It was T





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