ログイン**Chapter 66**
Alyssa stood in Rylan's penthouse, staring at the city below. The same view she'd seen that night. The night everything changed.Victor was in custody. Samantha was safe, staying with Amelia under protective watch. The evidence had been handed over—her mother's coerced suicide note, the confession recording, everything.She should have felt relief.Instead, she felt hollow."You should eat something," Rylan said from behind her. He'd been hovering for days, protective and intense, like he was afraid she'd disappear if he looked away."I'm fine.""You're not."She wasn't. But not for the reasons he thought.That night—three nights ago, before the confrontation with Victor—had been a mistake. A beautiful, desperate, burning mistake. She'd been terrified, and he'd been there, and when his hands found her in the dark, she'd let herself forget.Forget that this couldn't happen.**Chapter 66**Alyssa stood in Rylan's penthouse, staring at the city below. The same view she'd seen that night. The night everything changed.Victor was in custody. Samantha was safe, staying with Amelia under protective watch. The evidence had been handed over—her mother's coerced suicide note, the confession recording, everything.She should have felt relief.Instead, she felt hollow."You should eat something," Rylan said from behind her. He'd been hovering for days, protective and intense, like he was afraid she'd disappear if he looked away."I'm fine.""You're not."She wasn't. But not for the reasons he thought.That night—three nights ago, before the confrontation with Victor—had been a mistake. A beautiful, desperate, burning mistake. She'd been terrified, and he'd been there, and when his hands found her in the dark, she'd let herself forget.Forget that this couldn't happen.
**chapter 65**"Absolutely not."Rylan's voice was flat, final. He closed the laptop and turned to face her fully."It's the only way," Alyssa insisted. "He wants me. He's always wanted me—to control, to punish, to break. If I go to him, offer to come back, to 'make things right'—""He'll kill you.""Not immediately." She was thinking fast now, the plan crystallizing. "He's too smart for that. He'll want to savor it. Make me suffer first. And that gives us time.""Time for what? For him to lock you in a room and throw away the key?" Rylan's jaw was tight. "You saw what he did to Samantha, and she's six years old. What do you think he'll do to you?""I think he'll gloat." Alyssa's voice was steady. "I think he'll drag me into that study, pour himself a drink, and tell me exactly how he's going to destroy me. Because that's who he is. He needs me to know I lost."Rylan stared at her. "And while he's monologuing li
**Chapter 64*"They made it to the car, Samantha clinging to her neck, sobbing. Rylan drove like a demon, blood seeping through his shirt from a graze on his shoulder."You're hurt—""I'm fine." His jaw was tight. "Are you?"Alyssa looked down at Samantha, checking her for injuries. Nothing. Just fear."We're okay," she whispered, kissing her daughter's hair. "We're okay, baby."But Rylan's expression in the rearview mirror said otherwise."He'll come after you again," he said quietly. "You know that.""I know.""And next time, I might not be there."Alyssa met his eyes in the mirror. "Then don't leave."Silence. Heavy. Charged."You don't know what you're asking," Rylan said."Yes, I do." Her voice was steady. "I'm asking you to help me end this. For good."Rylan's hands tightened on the wheel. Then, slowly, he nodded."Alright. But we do this my wa
**Chapter 63**The text came at 9:47 PM.Samantha's gone.Alyssa's phone slipped from her hand, clattering against the marble bar. Around her, the charity gala continued—champagne, laughter, designer gowns—but the noise turned to static."What's wrong?"She looked up. Rylan Cortez stood beside her, dark eyes sharp, already reading her panic. They'd met an hour ago. Spoken twice. He was a donor, wealthy, controlled—the kind of man she'd learned to avoid."My daughter." Her voice cracked. "She's missing."His expression changed instantly. "Where was she?""With a friend. I just—" She fumbled for her phone, redialing Amelia. No answer. "She's six. She was supposed to be safe—"Rylan's hand closed around her wrist, firm but not rough. "Come with me. Now."She should've questioned it. Should've called the police. But something in his voice—command, certainty, danger—made her follow.They we
CHAPTER 62The rain tapped lightly against the hotel window, casting silver streaks across the glass. The suite was larger than Alyssa expected, but the moment her eyes landed on the single king-sized bed, her heart skipped a beat.“You must be joking,” she muttered, dropping her purse on the nearby chair.Rylan walked in behind her, casually removing his blazer. “What?”“There’s only one bed.” she said, spinning toward him with a raised brow.He shrugged. “It’s a five-star hotel, not a dorm. You didn’t expect bunk beds, did you?”“I expected separate rooms.” she hissed.“They overbooked,” he said coolly. “The assistant tried to fix it, but everything’s full for the conference. It’s one night, Alyssa. I don’t bite.”She glared at him, folding her arms. “I’ll take the couch.”“It folds out, but it’s hell on the back. Suit yourself.”He began unbuttoning his cuffs, his movements slow, deliberate.
CHAPTER 61 The sun was beginning to dip low in the sky, casting long golden shadows across the park. Samantha’s laughter rang out, pure and carefree, as she ran after a bright orange butterfly. Her little feet pattered over the soft grass, the pink fabric of her dress fluttering behind her like wings. Her curls bounced with each step, and her wide grey eyes sparkled with delight.Amelia sat on a weathered wooden bench under the old oak tree, her phone in hand but her attention only half on the screen. She glanced up every so often to watch Samantha play, feeling a gentle smile lift her lips. The fresh air was crisp with the scent of blooming flowers and freshly cut grass, and children’s laughter mixed with the distant hum of conversation.Suddenly, Amelia’s smile faltered. She looked up properly—Samantha was nowhere in sight.Her heart stopped for a second, a cold knot twisting in her stomach.“Samantha?” Her voice trembled as she called







