Astrella's point of view
The first thing I noticed was the stiffness in my limbs. Everything fvcking hurt. I was awake, but the world around me was still nothing but darkness. The thick bag over my head blocked everything, even my sense of direction. All I could do was listen. The SUV rumbled beneath me, its tires crunching over gravel before coming to a slow stop. A door creaked open, and the heavy thud of boots against the ground followed. The morning air slipped inside, chilling my skin. I shivered. Where the hell am I? A voice, deep and rough, spoke outside. "You got the goods?" I froze. Goods? Like I was some fvcking cargo? I squirmed in my seat, but I stopped when a groan came from the front seat, making my stomach twist. Damn it. Someone was still inside. My hands were bound behind me, the rope digging into my wrists. My shoulders ached from being in the same position for too long, but my only concern was getting this damn bag ofDax Donomie's Point of View The golden heat and wasted sunlight that characterized Bahrain was a blur. When the jet finally touched down, it was barely audible, but the tension that was building up inside was anything but quiet. Astrella hadn’t let go of my hand for most of the descent, even if she pretended it was just for balance. Right. And I was just a regular businessman who was flying with five people who were completely insane. We were given three hours to refuel, stretch, and pretend that we were not flying into a country where our adversaries might be waiting with bullets and betrayal while we were in the air. The first person to vanish was Keyu, who was currently communicating with a foreign contact. Norio followed, and he pulled Yael around to make him appear less suspicious. This meant that he had to get some drinks and check out anyone who breathed in too close. Ciejill... was taking selfies with a falcon she’d
Astrella's point of view “Hello, Astrella. We need to talk.” My eyes squinted as the two figures stepped fully into the light. It was Yael and Norio. What the actual hell? After I had woken up under the influence of drugs and was only partially convinced that I was going to be sold off in some shady black market, I did not anticipate seeing these particular individuals. Despite the fact that my heart was still pounding in my chest, it was now mingling with a mixture of confusion and the perfect amount of rage. To add insult to injury, Ciejill was evidently hiding in the corner. The insane witch who had the audacity to inject me as if we were playing nurse-patient in a deranged asylum when she did it. She waved at me with a smile, as if we were friends getting together for brunch rather than her kidnapping me. “Oh, look, Sleeping Beauty’s up,” she chirped. “How’s the nap, love?” She asked once more, as if she had not asked the question earlier. “You. Traitor. Drugged. Me!” I sp
Dax Donomie’s Point of View"What the hell? So you really had a twist in you, ha?" Yael whistled low, a smug smirk curling on his lips as he leaned back against the table.I didn’t answer. Just kept staring at the screen where the SUV, the decoy, was nearing the airport.Yael nudged Keyu. “He planned all that just to get her out without a scratch. Man's officially whipped.”Keyu burst out laughing. “Bro, you’re not even trying to hide it anymore. You seriously pulled an Italian Job, fake escape edition, just to keep her safe?”“Well, at least he's creative,” Norio chimed in, arms crossed but eyes twinkling with amusement. “We should support him. I mean, he's drowning deep, might as well throw him a lifeboat, yeah?”“Drowning?” Yael scoffed. “He jumped into the ocean with a blindfold and called it love.”They all cracked up, and I rolled my eyes, but a faint smile tugged at the edge of my mouth. Bastards. Loyal ones.
Astrella’s Point of ViewDamn. Dax Donomie is officially the stupidest man I’ve ever met, and trust me, I’ve known a lot of stupid men. I was ready. Ready to stay, ready to fight, ready to risk everything for him. And then this. He does it again. Just like five years ago. He lets me go.What is this, a sequel to my heartbreak?I slammed the car door shut so hard the driver probably flinched. Good. He should feel my wrath too. And there it was, like a final slap in the face, a plane ticket laid out neatly on the backseat, like I was being gifted a vacation instead of being kicked out of someone’s life."'You have no reason to stay here with me'," I mocked bitterly under my breath. "'A tool'? Really, Dax? A fvcking tool? I ought to break that smug jaw of yours with the same wrench you're trying to throw at my heart."The car rolled forward, and I glared at the city through the window like it owed me an explanation. My fists clench
Dax Donomie's point of view Astrella sits across from me, her gaze steady and unyielding, as if she knows I’m about to deliver some unspeakable truth. I can see the tension in her body; the way her shoulders tighten betrays her expectation of danger, of reckless decisions I’m about to unfold. I take a deep breath, the air filling my lungs and weighing me down. My hands ball into fists at my sides. The thoughts swirling in my mind are chaotic, but one sentiment stands out like a lighthouse in a storm: I can’t let her be used as a pawn in this twisted game. Even if it means she might resent me for it. So, I do what I know best—I push her away. "You can go," I say, my voice flat and emotionless, as if it belongs to someone else entirely. "You’re free." This really feels like Deja Vu. This happened five years ago too. Damn. Am I going to repeat my mistakes again? Her eyes widen in disbelief. "What?" I back away, shoving my hands deep into my pockets, forcing myself to maint
Dax Donomie's point of view After wrapping up the meeting with Norio and Yael, everything was settled, smooth, clean, and just the way I wanted it. Keyu had his own mess to deal with, negotiating a truce with his so-called rival, the one breathing down his neck for the number two spot in the mafia. They had their conditions, but that wasn’t my story to tell. What mattered was that with that settled, we could finally focus on taking down Jasper and Astrella’s father. This was years in the making. Five years ago, I should have died. By all logic, I was supposed to be rotting in the dirt, another casualty in Jasper’s bloodstained path. And honestly? For a moment back then, I thought I was. When I saw the figure looming over me after that war, I was convinced it was one of Jasper’s minions, here to finish the job. My body was wrecked, my vision hazy, and I was choking on my own blood. But the hit never came. Instead, it was Keyu. Turned out, he had his own reasons to be watchin