LOGINVictor’s POVWhen I regained consciousness, the first thing I heard were voices... low, distant, but unmistakably real.“Is he dead?”“No, boss. I just hit the back of his head. He fell unconscious.”“Good. What about the other mission?”“It is done, boss.”Their voices… they sounded familiar. Too familiar. Yet my mind felt foggy, like something was blocking me from placing them. I tried to open my eyes, only to realize darkness still surrounded me.A blindfold.“What…?” The word came out muffled, barely a sound.Instinctively, I tried to lift my hands to tear it off, but panic surged through me when I realized I couldn’t move. My wrists were bound tightly to a chair. My legs too. Even my mouth is stuffed with cloth and wrapped shut.I struggled, my body jerking against the restraints, but a sharp pain shot through me, forcing a low groan from my throat. My movements were useless. Weak. Trapped.I tried to speak again, but only incoherent sounds came out.“What did you say
Alice’s POVThe message doesn’t make sense to me, not fully. My fingers hover over my phone for a second before I dial the private investigator’s number. It rings… and rings… and rings. No answer.A knot tightens in my chest.I hang up, then immediately call again. Finally, he picks up.“Hello, miss.”His calm voice only makes me more anxious.“The message you sent… is it true?” My voice comes out smaller than I expect, almost fragile.“Yes, miss. One hundred percent true. Victor is not to be trusted.”The words hit me like ice water.For a moment, I can’t breathe. A chill runs down my spine, and I lower myself slowly onto the edge of the bed, afraid my legs might give out.“But…” I swallow hard, my throat suddenly dry. “I called him the moment I noticed my dad was missing. He promised to help me find him. He sounded worried... sad even. He calmed me down. He.....”“Miss,” he cuts in gently, “that is just the way he is. It’s part of his tactics.”Silence falls between u
Victor’s POVAfter reading the message, a surge of rage explodes inside me. I slam my fist against the wall and yell, the sound tearing out of my throat before I can stop it.That psychopath actually took Mr. Smith.A dangerous calm follows the anger, cold and sharp. He just declared war… and war is exactly what he’ll get.My outburst draws attention. I feel eyes on me... patients, visitors, staff. Only then does it hit me... I’m still in the hospital.A nurse rushes over, her face tight with disapproval.“Sir, you can’t shout like that in here!”I don’t respond. I can’t. If I open my mouth, the anger might spill out again. Instead, I storm past her and head straight outside.I reach my car, yank the door open, and drop into the driver’s seat. My hands tremble slightly as I pull out my phone and reread the message.Each word fuels the anger again.My grip tightens on the steering wheel until my knuckles turn white. My jaw clenches. For a moment, I just sit there, breathing h
Alice’s POVAs soon as I realize the call has ended, the silence hits me and I break.Tears spill uncontrollably down my cheeks, my chest tightening with every shaky breath. My hands tremble as I clutch my phone, my mind spiraling with one question: Where is my dad?I don’t waste another second. I scroll frantically and dial Victor’s number. He’s the only person I can think of right now ... the only one who might actually do something.He picks up.My voice cracks as I rush through everything.... the strange call, the fear clawing at my chest, the feeling that something is terribly wrong. I don’t even realize how hard I’m crying until I hear myself gasping between words.Victor’s voice comes steady, calm... like an anchor in the storm. He promises to find my dad. He tells me to calm down.I try. I really do.But the moment the call ends, the silence creeps back in, heavier than before. My heart keeps racing, pounding so loudly it feels like it might burst out of my chest.So
Victor’s POVImmediately Alice makes that statement, I freeze. Completely.I am the last person who saw her dad before I came to the hospital.“Maybe he went somewhere…” I say, but even to my own ears, the reassurance sounds weak.“I’ve called his phone. It keeps going straight to voicemail,” Alice says, her voice trembling. “I even called some of his friends. None of them have heard from him since after the party.”Her words sit heavily in my chest.I swallow, forcing calm into my tone. “He’s probably just resting somewhere, Alice. You know how these things can be.”There’s a pause on the line... thick, uneasy. I can almost hear her breathing.“I’ll call you in the morning,” I add quickly, not giving her the chance to respond.Before she can say anything else, I end the call.For a moment, I just stand there, staring at my phone, my grip tightening around it. Then I remember...Grandpa.I rush into his room. He’s already awake, struggling to sit up the moment he sees me.
Alice’s POVBefore Victor can answer my question, his phone suddenly rings. He glances at the screen, and something shifts in his expression. Without another word, he excuses himself and walks away quickly. There’s urgency in his steps... something isn’t right.A strange feeling settles in my chest.I stand up, intending to follow him, but within seconds, I lose sight of him in the crowd. Guests move around me in clusters, laughter and chatter filling the air, making it almost impossible to track him.I weave through the people, craning my neck, searching.“Victor?” I mutter under my breath, though I know he can’t hear me.Still nothing.Frustrated, I climb onto the stage, hoping the height will give me a better view. I scan the room... left, right, far corners, but he’s nowhere to be found. It’s like he vanished.With a sigh, I step down, my mind racing… and that’s when it happens.A worker carrying a tray of drinks crashes into me.Cold liquid splashes all over my dress.
Victor’s POVAlice’s call caught me off guard.A slow smile spreads across my face as I lower the phone from my ear. I didn’t expect her to reach out first. Not my stubborn little Allie.She used to trail after me like a shadow, always soft, always hopeful.Now she speaks with authority… shar
Victor’s POVAt the bar, Amelia is practically draped over me....her fingers tracing lazy circles on my chest,....but I barely register her presence. All I can think about is Alice. The meeting we had plays over and over in my head like a stubborn echo. She has always been fierce. Stubborn. Un
Alice POVMy meeting with Victor did not go the way I wanted.Not even close.He kept throwing his weight around...his presence, his authority...like I had no choice but to bend. I stood my ground… barely. Every word I said felt like a battle I was struggling to win. And yet, despite everything
Victor’s POV“Boss… the goods you wanted to use to surprise your bride… they’ve been stolen.”For a second, I think I heard wrong.“…What?” My voice drops, low and dangerous. “How?”Pedro shifts uneasily, avoiding my eyes. “I don’t know, boss. No one knows about those goods apart from you, me,







