ログインAmber POVEventually, the nurse appeared and took one look at the number of people surrounding her patient. "Out."Mrs. Sun immediately turned toward her. "My grandson—""Has a concussion.""I am his grandmother.""And I am his nurse."I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. Jason looked between the two women before apparently deciding which one represented the greater immediate threat."Grandma, I think she can have this one."Mrs. Sun looked genuinely betrayed, but the children laughed, and just like that, the argument was over. Grandpa began gathering everyone while Mrs. Sun extracted a promise from the nurse that she would be contacted if anything changed. Alice demanded one last hug, Alex sternly instructed Jason to sleep, and Rose waved from the doorway. Iris lingered for a few seconds longer, watching Jason as though she needed one final confirmation that he was really there, before following the others.When the door closed behind them, silence returned so abruptly
Amber POVNews that Jason was awake traveled through the family faster than anything I could have organized myself.I called Grandpa first."He's awake."There was silence on the other end before I heard him exhale."He's awake?""Yes. He's disoriented, and his memory is coming back in pieces, but he knows who he is. He knows me. He remembers the children.""And the babies?"I smiled. "His first observation was that I'm very pregnant."Grandpa laughed, the sound rough with relief. "That sounds like Jason."I heard movement in the background and lowered my voice. "Are the children awake?""All of them.""How much do they know?""Only that we found him and he's in the hospital."I looked toward Jason. He was resting with his eyes closed, although I was beginning to suspect he wasn't actually asleep."Would you bring them? Warn Alice and Alex that they cannot jump on him."Without opening his eyes, Jason murmured, "Especially Alice.""You're eavesdropping.""Hospital room. Not much else
Amber POVI leaned closer. "What do you mean you tagged him?"Jason seemed to search through the fog in his head."A tag.""I gathered that.""Alex's watch."That got my full attention."What about Alex's watch?""New tags."His words were becoming slightly clearer the longer he was awake, but he still had to pause between thoughts."I made one that morning.""The morning you were taken?"He nodded carefully."Why?""Wanted to test it."I stared at him.Jason continued, apparently unaware that my blood pressure was beginning to rise.Alex's watches had been designed with small tracking tags that could be attached to objects. Jason had been working on improvements to them, but as far as I knew, nothing new had been deployed.Apparently that was because my husband had neglected to tell anyone he'd made another one."You had an active tracker on you the entire time?""No."I exhaled.Then he ruined it."Had a tag."My eyes narrowed."Explain the difference before I murder a hospitalized
Amber POVI woke because someone was touching my stomach.Not enough to frighten me. Just the faintest movement against the curve of my belly, so light that for a few seconds I thought one of the twins had kicked beneath Jason's hand and pulled me out of sleep.My head was resting beside his arm. At some point during the night, Pamela had covered me with a blanket, and I'd fallen asleep in the chair with one hand still wrapped around Jason's.Then his fingers moved again.I froze.Not a twitch this time.His fingertips dragged weakly across the fabric of my shirt.My head snapped up.Jason's eyes were open.For one second, I couldn't move.His gaze wasn't focused. He stared toward the ceiling with a faint crease between his brows, blinking slowly as though the light itself didn't make sense. His lips parted, but no sound came out."Jason?"His eyes shifted.Slowly.They found me.I stood so quickly the blanket slid to the floor."Jason."His brows pulled together.I reached for the ca
Amber POV"I suppose that explains how they operated beneath Sum for so long without constantly relocating," I said."Partially," the president replied. "Unfortunately, we're beginning to see how extensive the support system was.""What has the technician told you?""Names."The secretary of defense explained that investigators were tracing payments involving drivers, private security contractors, property managers, medical personnel, communications specialists and employees connected to transportation companies. Some appeared to have performed isolated jobs without understanding the entire operation. Others had been involved for too long to credibly claim ignorance.The Becker and Vinny operations had already been dismantled, their assets and records seized, but the new investigation was exposing the support structure around them. Taking down the families themselves hadn't automatically eliminated every person who had helped them operate.Some had simply stopped moving and hoped the
Amber POVJason still hadn't opened his eyes when the president of Sum arrived at the hospital.By then, I had stopped looking at the clock. Time had become something measured by the rise and fall of Jason's chest, the quiet beeping of the monitors, the nurses coming in to check his pupils and blood pressure, and the doctors watching the swelling from the blow to his head. Every time the door opened, I looked up expecting another medical update, and every time someone said my name, some part of me braced for news I wasn't ready to hear.So when Pamela stepped into the room and told me the president was here, it took several seconds for the words to register."The president?"She nodded. "With the secretary of defense."I looked toward Jason. "Why?""Officially, to check on his condition." Pamela paused before adding, "Unofficially, they found something."Of course they had. There was always something else waiting beneath the last horrible thing we uncovered.I looked down at Jason's h
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,







