LOGINCHAPTER 2
I woke up to the feel of silk against my skin.
My brows furrowed as I sat up slowly, head pounding.
The room around me wasn’t familiar — not even close. It was too polished, too rich, like the kind of place you'd see in a magazine for people who had more money than sense. Dark wood, gold accents, a chandelier glittering overhead. Heavy curtains blocked out any view of the outside world.
"What the hell..." I muttered, swinging my legs off the massive bed. My boots were gone, but I was still fully clothed otherwise.
Before I could even get to my feet, the door clicked open.
A man stepped inside, shutting the door softly behind him.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in black slacks and a white shirt, sleeves rolled up to reveal strong forearms. His hair was dark, swept back neatly, and his jaw was sharp enough to cut glass. His eyes, though—those were the kind of eyes that didn't just look at you. They read you.
I stared at him, silent.
The man tilted his head, smiling faintly. "You're not even going to ask where you are?"
I leaned back on my hands casually, cocking an eyebrow. "Figured if you wanted to kill me, you would've done it already."
A soft laugh escaped him. "Interesting logic." He stepped closer, hands tucked into his pockets. "Are you not scared?"
I chuckled, the sound dry. "Should I be?"
"You’ve been captured," he said smoothly, like he was talking about the weather. "You’re going to be transported to Italy."
Italy.
That got my attention. But I didn’t let it show.
I just blinked at him lazily, as if he'd told me we were going to Disneyland.
No flinching. No questions. No panic.
Something flickered across his face. Maybe approval. Maybe amusement.
"Maybe you're smarter than I thought," he murmured, almost to himself.
Without another word, he turned and walked out, shutting the door behind him with a soft click.
I exhaled slowly.
Okay. So. Kidnapped. Check. Going international. Check. Gorgeous possible-psycho captor. Also check.
I pushed to my feet and crossed the room in three strides, grabbing the doorknob.
Locked. Of course.
"Fucking hell," I muttered under my breath, rattling it just to be sure. It didn't budge.
My stomach growled loudly.
I banged my fist against the door. "Hey! I'm starving in here!" I shouted. "If you're planning to ship me across the world, I’d rather not do it on an empty stomach!"
For a second, there was only silence. Then the lock clicked, and the door opened to reveal a small woman in a black dress and white apron. She carried a silver tray stacked with covered dishes.
"Food, sir," she said quietly, not meeting my eyes.
I stepped aside, watching every movement as she set the tray down on a low table by the window.
Whoever I was dealing with wasn’t just rich. He was dangerous enough that even his maids flinched.
"Thanks," I said casually, sitting cross-legged on the floor and lifting the covers from the dishes.
Steak. Potatoes. Steamed vegetables. A bottle of water.
I caught her sneaking glances at me, like she was trying to memorize my face.
"What's your name?" I asked, flashing a smile.
She stiffened. "I...I cannot say, sir."
"Can't or won't?" I teased, popping a piece of steak into my mouth.
She bowed her head and backed out of the room without answering, shutting the door behind her.
I chewed slowly, eyes scanning everything.
The thick drapes. The massive wardrobe in the corner. The vents near the ceiling. No cameras that I could see, but that didn’t mean there weren’t any.
No visible weapons either. Just plush furniture and expensive decor. A very well-decorated cage.
After I finished eating, I lay back against the bed, staring at the ceiling.
My mind raced even as my body started to sag from exhaustion.
Italy.
Why the fuck Italy?
Who the hell had I pissed off badly enough for this?
There was no point in panicking without more information. I needed to keep my head clear.
I let my eyes drift closed.
Voices.
I couldn't make out what they were saying.
I frowned, shifting slightly.
My body didn’t want to move.
Didn’t want to fight.
So I let it go, slipping into a deep, heavy sleep.
CHAPTER 104ADRIENI stood there like a fool, staring at the space Adrien had just vanished into.My chest felt like someone had carved it open with his knife instead of the man I’d been hunting.Cold. That was the word. He’d looked at me like I was a stranger. Not the boy I’d bled for. Not the boy I’d held at night, swearing I’d never let anyone break him.He looked at me like I was just another enemy to cut down.And maybe I was.“Fuck.” The word tore out of me, low, bitter. I leaned back against the wall, dragging a hand down my face.I knew I’d fucked up. I’d known it the moment I let him walk out of my house nearly a year ago, his eyes wet and his lips trembling, begging me not to believe the lies.And I hadn’t listened.I chose ghosts over him. I chose my sister’s death over the living breathing man who had stood in front of me.Now he was ice. A blade. And I was the one bleeding for it.I replayed his voice in my head. I don’t give a fuck about your sister.He meant it.The boy
CHAPTER 103ADRIEN The job was clean. In and out. One bullet, one knife, silence. Another name off Lucien’s list.I wiped the blade on the man’s jacket before sliding it back into my coat. My pulse was steady, my mind clear. No hesitation, no guilt. Just work.I opened the door, stepping back into the dim hallway.And froze.Someone blocked my path.Tall. Broad shoulders. Sharp suit.I looked up.My heart stopped. Then it slammed back into motion so hard I thought it might tear through my ribs.Luca.He didn’t look surprised. He looked like a man who’d been waiting for this moment.His eyes burned into me, unreadable, sharp enough to cut. And then, in that low voice I used to know too well—“So it is you.”I swallowed. My fingers curled tight around the hilt of my knife.But my face didn’t flinch. My voice came out flat, cold. “Do I know you?”His jaw clenched. “Don’t do that.”“I said move.”He didn’t.“Adrien—”“Don’t say my name.” My knife slid out, gleaming under the hallway ligh
CHAPTER 102LUCAThe next morning smelled of smoke and blood.I stood in the middle of the wreckage, glass crunching under my shoes. The car that had blown only hours ago was still smoldering. One of my men was dead. Another clung to life in a hospital bed.Damon stood beside me, jaw tight. “Russians.”Matteo’s voice was darker. “They’re pushing.”I pulled a cigarette from my pocket, lit it, and took a long drag. My nerves were too sharp to go without. “They’re testing me.”Matteo glanced at me. “What do you want to do?”I exhaled smoke, bitter. “I’m done playing nice.”Back at the house, I gathered my men. The room buzzed with fury, with whispers of war.One of my lieutenants slammed his fist against the table. “Boss, the Russians crossed a line. If we don’t answer, everyone will think we’re weak.”I leaned back in my chair, swirling the glass of whiskey in my hand. My voice cut through the room. “Weak?” I smirked coldly. “Do I look weak to you?”Silence. Heads dropped. No one dared
CHAPTER 101LUCAI hadn’t slept properly in months.Not since Adrien.The whiskey glass in my hand sweated against my palm as I stared at the city lights outside my office window. My house was quiet, too quiet. Matteo and Damon had stopped filling the silence. Alexis lingered still, even though I’d made it clear I didn’t want her. She was noise I didn’t care for.The front doors slammed open. Heavy boots thundered across marble floors.I didn’t move.The voice came next, thick, Russian, like gravel grinding against concrete.“Where is she?”I turned slowly, glass still in hand. The man filled the room like a shadow — tall, scarred, eyes sharp with violence. Four men followed him, armed, faces like stone. His presence stank of blood and power.Alexis froze in the hallway behind me, her face draining of color.“Ah,” he sneered, pointing at her. “There you are, moya zhena.” My wife. His voice cracked like a whip. “You’ve embarrassed me long enough. Pack your things. You’re coming back.”
CHAPTER 100ADRIEN The boardroom smelled like polished wood and coffee. The long glass table reflected the numbers glowing on the giant screen behind me. I sat at the head, black suit crisp, my fingers drumming lightly against the armrest of my chair.“Begin,” I said.Finance stood first. A nervous man in wire glasses adjusted his tie, clearing his throat. “Sir, as of this morning, combined revenue across all departments is nine hundred and sixty million dollars. Pending transactions will push us over a billion within forty-eight hours.”The room rippled with low gasps.I didn’t flinch. I leaned back in my chair, voice even. “Break it down.”Food division’s head — a short, sharp woman named Ms. Carter — stood. “Food and consumer products are leading. The lunchbox campaign alone earned us over two hundred million. We’re now in talks with schools and daycare chains nationwide.”I gave her a single nod. “Noted. Civil engineering?”Mr. Daniels, tall and stiff, spoke next. “Three new gove
CHAPTER 99ADRIANThe apartment was quiet. Too quiet.The city lights stretched out beneath me, but inside, the silence pressed heavy on my chest. Tomorrow was the launch. The press, the cameras, the world watching. Everyone believed in me. They clapped, they laughed, they said they’d follow me anywhere.And yet here I was. Alone.I threw my suit jacket on the couch, pulled at the tie around my neck, and let it fall to the floor. My reflection in the glass wall stared back — sharp, handsome, unrecognizable. A man sculpted into perfection.“Is this what you wanted?” I muttered at the glass. My voice sounded hoarse, almost mocking. “Look at you. Pretty face. Sharp bones. Expensive clothes. They love you now, huh? They scream your name.”My reflection said nothing.I paced the room, restless. My body still ached sometimes — scars healed, bones reshaped, muscles trained until they burned. But the pain inside? That was differe







