LOGIN"Mr. Blackwell," a young man with dark hair spoke, he had the name badge Dr Rafael Cross attached to his white coat.Malakai turned his head slowly. "Yes?"The doctor glanced up, his expression composed, professional... and careful."We've reviewed your initial results," he said. "Along with your ECG and blood work."Harper didn't move. Malakai's fingers tightened slightly against the thin hospital sheet."And?" he asked.The doctor inhaled."You have signs consistent with cardiomyopathy," he said. "Specifically, a weakening of the heart muscle that's affecting how efficiently your heart pumps blood."The words seemed to land... and then just sit there.Malakai blinked."...No," he said automatically.It wasn't denial. It was confusion. His brain simply refused to process it. The doctor didn't react to the resistance."It explains the chest pain, the shortness of breath, and the episodes you've been experiencing," he continued gently. "Given your history, it's likely been dev
Harper's nails dug deeper into Reyes’ skin, and his lips brushed her temple. She recoiled immediately, goosebumps appearing on her skin from the absurdity of the situation. She hated how helpless she felt in this moment. So much that it brought tears to her eyes."You can't escape me, Harper," he whispered, and nausea rolled through her.He loosened his hand just enough for her to breathe properly. She gasped for air, her lungs greedily drawing in air."You came into my house," he continued softly. "You sat at my table. You challenged me."His fingers slid down, resting lightly at her throat.Her voice was hoarse when she spoke."...If you touch them—""I won't," he said. "I don't need to."His gaze darted towards the door. "Your ex-husband..." he said. "is very exposed right now."Harper's blood ran cold, her heart thumping faster. Cold fear slid in, crippling her."What did you do?" She croaked.Reyes smiled faintly."Nothing," he said. "Yet."Her stomach dropped."He's hooke
The living room glowed with the soft light from the TV as Summer's favourite cartoon played on the screen. Theo sat in Harper's lap on the couch, his little hands patting the air in time with the music while he babbled syllables that sounded suspiciously like he was trying to sing along.Malakai sat at the opposite end, Harper's bare feet resting across his thighs. His hands moved with delicate care, his thumbs circling deep into the arch of one foot, then sliding up to knead the tight muscle of her calf. Every press drew a tiny, involuntary sigh from her lips, her toes curling just slightly against his sweatpants.She watched him through half-lowered lashes, the faintest smile playing at the corners of her mouth."You're awfully good at this," she whispered softly.Malakai's lips curved."I've been practicing," he said, his knuckles rolling along the inside of her ankle. "Plus, I've got motivation."Harper hummed, letting her head tip back against the cushion. The movement lift
The Saturday afternoon sun poured over the park, warming up the air. An ice-cream truck sat in its usual spot by the duck pond, soft music tinkling lazily. A short line of families waited, kids bouncing on their toes and parents juggling strollers.Malakai rolled up the gentle path in his wheelchair, with Theo securely strapped into the front-facing carrier against his chest. The baby's fists waved at every passing pigeon. Summer skipped ahead, holding Harper's hand, already reciting her order like a pro."Chocolate with rainbow sprinkles and a cherry on top, Daddy! And Theo gets vanilla because he's a baby, and babies can't have chocolate yet."Malakai chuckled, the sound rumbling through his chest. Theo giggled as if infected by his father's happiness."Vanilla it is," Malakai agreed. "Though I'm pretty sure he'd try to steal yours if we let him."Harper leaned down to kiss Theo's soft curls as they joined the queue.Theo babbled something that sounded suspiciously as though
Eric Snow stood alone in the dim study on the top floor of his estate, the city skyline a glittering smear beyond the floor-to-ceiling glass. The phone was still lying in his grip even after the line went dead.Reyes' voice lingered in his mind like poison."Blackwell prevented the transport last night. The entire shipment of three trucks worth sixty million in product never reached the buyer. He's got it locked down somewhere. He's dismantling us piece by piece, Eric. Starting with you."Snow had ended the call without a goodbye. His thumb stayed pressed to the screen, his pulse racing.Then he exhaled and slipped the phone into the pocket of his pants.The anger arrived slowly, worsening by the minute.He turned and headed out of his study, his hands curled into fists.The hallway to Maddison's room was lit only by wall lights. He walked along the passageway without hurry, his cane tapping once every third stride.When he reached her door, he didn't knock. He simply turned the
The silence was louder than ever after Harper walked out. The door hadn't even fully closed before the air tightened again. Reyes didn't move immediately. Neither did L.For a long moment, they simply stayed there, sizing each other up. Reyes was the first to speak."You ruined my evening,” he uttered calmly.L tilted his head slightly, as if he was truly considering the other man’s words out of respect."Did I?" he intoned.Reyes' jaw flexed. "You interfered," he said.L smiled faintly. “I prevented you from making a mistake."Reyes' eyes sharpened. “A mistake?" he repeated.L took a slow step forward, unhurried."Yes," he said softly. "You were about to escalate too soon."Reyes let out a breath through his nose, amused. If he thought Malakai was interesting before, now he was more than just invested. He hadn’t met such a worthy opponent in a long time. It was exciting."You think you understand my plans?"L didn't answer immediately. He circled slightly instead, his gaze







