LOGINAmber POV The driver reacted instantly. There was no hesitation, no attempt to identify the shooter before moving. He pressed the accelerator, and the SUV surged forward, leaving the mall entrance behind as another shot struck the rear window. Cynthia gasped and ducked instinctively. I flinched, but the glass didn't shatter. Instead, a small white mark appeared where the bullet had struck, surrounded by a web of shallow cracks trapped within the reinforced layers. "Stay low," Emory instructed, placing a steadying hand on Cynthia's shoulder. The driver accelerated onto the main road as another round struck the vehicle with a dull metallic thud. The armored body absorbed the impact. No shattered windows. No bullets entering the passenger compartment. Just the unpleasant sound of someone repeatedly attempting to shoot through a vehicle that had been designed specifically to prevent that. "Well," I muttered, staring at the damaged glass, "I'm suddenly very grateful for militar
Amber POV As Emory escorted me toward the secured exit, Cynthia walked beside us, her enormous camera hanging from her shoulder. He had insisted that she accompany us rather than remain in the mall, considering that the men following me might have noticed her involvement. I was relieved by the decision. After everything she had done to help me, the last thing I wanted was to leave her somewhere she might become another target. We had barely stepped out of the food court when a sudden commotion erupted near the corridor ahead. I instinctively stopped. Four military men converged on one of the men who had been following me, catching him completely off guard. Before he could react, they forced him to the ground, securing his arms behind his back. Several meters away, another four soldiers intercepted the second man, pinning him against the floor before he could reach into his jacket. The entire operation took only seconds. Shoppers gasped and hurried away, while a few curious peopl
Amber POV I watched his expression change from professional concern to confusion, then outright disbelief. Cynthia had been reaching for her camera, but the moment she looked up at him, her hand froze. For several seconds, neither spoke. I looked between them. "Do you two know each other?" "Emory?" Cynthia whispered. He stared at her. "Cynthia?" Her eyes widened. "Emory? Emory Ethan?" I slowly turned toward him. Oh. This was interesting. Emory looked as though someone had reached into his past and pulled out a memory he hadn't expected to see again. "Cynthia Shultz?" he asked. She nodded, a disbelieving smile spreading across her face. "Oh, my goodness. It really is you!" Before Emory could react, Cynthia stood and threw her arms around him. He stumbled backward half a step, clearly caught off guard, before wrapping his arms around her. I stared. The soldiers stared. Even Jason, who could apparently hear everything through my earbud, went suspiciously quiet. "I
Amber POVI kept my eyes on the monitor until the man finally shook his head and continued walking. I watched his reflection move past us, followed a few seconds later by the second man. Neither stopped, and neither looked back.Only when they had disappeared into the crowd did Cynthia slowly lower the camera. We both exhaled, almost simultaneously, and I pressed a hand against my chest as I leaned back in my chair."Oh, thank goodness," she whispered, placing the camera on the table. "I was beginning to think that man was going to ask us for identification.""That would have been inconvenient," I admitted."Inconvenient?" She stared at me before laughing nervously. "Mrs. Asher, I think we have very different definitions of that word.""Considering my afternoon, inconvenient is actually a rather generous description."She shook her head, still smiling, although I noticed that her fingers trembled slightly as she adjusted the camera strap."You handled that remarkably well," I told her
Amber POVThe woman who had been looking between me and the television stood up.I noticed her movement immediately, although I pretended to be occupied with my phone. She was probably in her late twenties or early thirties, with shoulder-length brown hair, a large camera hanging around her neck, and a canvas bag filled with what appeared to be notebooks and newspapers.She glanced at the television one more time before approaching my table.I considered getting up, but the man searching for me was still near the food court entrance. Moving suddenly would only draw attention, and I had no way of knowing whether this woman intended to help me or expose my location.To my surprise, she simply pulled out the chair opposite mine and sat down."Mrs. Asher," she whispered, opening a newspaper and holding it between us and the main walkway. "Please don't look surprised. I'm a reporter, and I promise I'm not here to cause trouble."I stared at her."That's a rather unusual introduction.""I k
Amber POVI had certainly been through more dangerous situations.In fact, considering everything that had happened to me over the past few months, being followed through a shopping mall by armed men should have been relatively low on my list of terrifying experiences.Unfortunately, the human mind had a rather inconvenient habit of reaching its limit at the most unexpected moments. It could accept danger repeatedly, rationalize impossible circumstances, and convince itself that everything was manageable, only to suddenly decide that one more incident was simply too much.Apparently, mine had finally reached that point.Being shot at and having death breathing down my neck while kidnapped by amateurs? My brain had decided that was perfectly manageable. Dangerous, certainly, but nothing I couldn't deal with.Taking back my younger cousin after discovering that another family had been keeping her prisoner? Piece of cake. There had been people to confront, evidence to uncover, and a very
I didn’t cry. I didn’t shake. I didn’t look back, or mourned the life and the years i will never get back, lost forever. I just went home, time to pack and say goodbye to my old life. The penthouse doors opened with biometric recognition the moment I stepped inside. Floor-to-ceiling glass. Marb
We moved quickly through the hallway. Adrian walked behind me, gun raised, covering the corridor while I forced Henry Watson forward. The mansion was quieter than expected. Too quiet. Which meant either the guards were regrouping… or Jason was already on his way. I glanced over my shoulder.
Jason POV Marcus nearly slammed the brakes. “She shot the camera!” I leaned back slowly. Marcus looked at me. “What the hell was that?” I ran a hand over my face. “She said hello husband before she shot it.” Marcus stared. “…Okay.” Silence filled the car. “…What does that mean exactly?”
Family drama. Honestly, I was getting tired of it. I shifted slightly in the chair, letting the ropes around my wrists rub just enough to make the guards think I was uncomfortable. In truth, they had tied them loosely—political kidnappers rarely knew how to do proper restraints. Across from me,







