登入Amber POVBed rest was torture.Not because I was uncomfortable.The bed was enormous, the pillows were perfect, the room had been adjusted to exactly the temperature I liked, and Mrs. Sun had apparently decided that being placed on bed rest meant I needed to be fed every forty-five minutes.The problem was that everyone had suddenly decided I wasn't allowed to experience stress.Especially Jason."You're frowning."I didn't look away from my laptop."I'm thinking.""You frown when you're stressed.""I also frown when numbers don't make sense.""Which stresses you."I finally looked at him."Are you going to do this all day?""Probably."He was sitting beside me with his own laptop, supposedly helping with the investigation.In reality, he had appointed himself my personal stress monitor.Unfortunately, he was useful, so I couldn't kick him out.Emilia's information had given us somewhere to start.Now Jason and I were following the merchandise.The scheme itself was simple enough.As
Amber POV Unfortunately, Franklin's problems couldn't distract Jason from mine.The moment Mrs. Owen left with her very alive—and probably very grounded—eighteen-year-old son, Jason pointed upstairs."Bed."I glared at him.Mrs. Sun looked at me."Bed."Traitor.So that was how I officially went on bed rest.I hated it.Within an hour, I had transformed our bedroom into an office.Laptop.Tablet.Two phones.Documents.Water.Snacks.And enough pillows surrounding me that Jason couldn't claim I wasn't following the doctor's orders.Then I contacted my team."I'm officially on bed rest."There was a suspiciously long silence.Pamela finally spoke."Actual bed rest?""Doctor ordered."Someone laughed.I narrowed my eyes."Who was that?"Nobody answered."I heard you."Pamela cleared her throat."We'll take care of everything.""I can still work.""Of course."Her tone was far too agreeable."Pamela.""We'll send updates."I ended the call and immediately opened the reports from Asher
Amber POVBy the time we arrived at the castle, I had already decided that bed rest was a ridiculous concept.I wasn't even sick.My blood pressure was high.The babies were fine.I was fine.I just needed to—"Don't."I turned toward Jason."I didn't say anything.""You were thinking about work.""You don't know that.""I've been married to you long enough."He parked and came around to my side before I could open the door myself.I stared at the hand he offered me."I can walk.""The doctor said bed rest.""She didn't say you had to carry me from the car.""I can.""Try it and you'll need another medical examination."Jason grinned.At least he let me walk.We had barely made it through the castle doors when I realized we had a problem.A woman was sitting in the main sitting room with Mrs. Sun.She looked elegant.Composed.Absolutely furious.Franklin was sitting across from her.He looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him.I stopped."Oh."Jason followed my gaze."Oh."Fran
Amber POVFranklin had barely been inside the castle for twenty minutes when Jason finally asked the question that had apparently been bothering him."Why were you at school?"Franklin stopped with a cookie halfway to his mouth."What?"Jason stared at him."You were on an island three days ago.""So were you.""I wasn't at school this morning.""You're also not eighteen."I covered my mouth.Jason narrowed his eyes."That's not the point."Franklin ate the cookie."What is the point?""You participated in an international military exercise that turned into an actual massacre, survived a category-five hurricane, spent three days trapped on an island, and then went back to school?"When he put it that way...Yes.It sounded ridiculous.Iris looked at Franklin."Actually, why did you go?"Franklin shrugged."My mom made me."I blinked."Excuse me?""My mother woke me up this morning and told me I had already missed enough classes."Alice frowned."Doesn't she know you were on the island
Amber POVThe children found us before we could find them.Jason and I were still sitting at the breakfast table, surrounded by coffee, half-eaten toast, and enough international criminal evidence to ruin several governments, when I heard running footsteps upstairs.Then more footsteps.Then—"Mom!"I barely had time to turn.Alice slammed into me.I caught her instinctively, laughing as she wrapped both arms around my neck."Careful, sweetheart."She immediately loosened her grip."The babies!""They're fine."Alex arrived seconds later.Unlike Alice, he didn't throw himself at me.He stopped.Just stood there staring at us.Jason immediately pushed his chair back."Hey, buddy."Alex's lower lip trembled."You came back."That destroyed me.I opened one arm."Of course we came back."He crossed the room so quickly that I barely saw him move.One second he was standing there.The next, his arms were around me too.Jason joined us, wrapping himself around all three of us."We're here,"
Amber POVI didn't even get one full day.That was all I wanted.One day.Twenty-four uninterrupted hours in which nobody was kidnapped, nobody tried to kill us, nobody demanded custody of one of our children, and nobody uncovered another international criminal organization.Apparently, that was too much to ask.I woke up to my phone vibrating against the nightstand.Jason groaned beside me."Ignore it.""I can't.""You absolutely can."I reached for it.He grabbed my wrist without opening his eyes."Amber.""What?""We survived an island, a massacre, and a category-five hurricane. We deserve one morning."The phone stopped.I smiled."See? Problem solved."It immediately started ringing again.Jason opened his eyes."I hate our lives."I checked the screen.Pamela.That meant I couldn't ignore it."Hello?""Turn on the news."Of course.Ten minutes later, Jason and I were downstairs with coffee, watching Alexander Vincent give a press conference."My son is currently being held by th
It did not take long for Victoria to fabricate a lie, but the explosion didn’t come from the board.It came from a live broadcast.Victoria stood behind a polished podium, composed as ever. Cameras flashed. Reporters leaned forward.“I did not intend to involve myself publicly,” she began, voice s
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?”







