LOGINFort’s POV
We had tracked the GPS signal from the ring straight to the hotel. The blinking dot had settled on the third floor, room 317.
So Dimitri booked 316 under a false name.
The room smelled faintly of leather polish and stale air conditioning. A red carpet, that spread through the entire room, a large queen sized bed. A painting of a mountain range on the wall.
I didn’t even look at most of it.
<FORT’S POVThere was something weighing heavily on my chest—an anger that felt more like a simmering rage than just simple annoyance. I hated being ignored. It wasn’t the kind of cold dislike that stung; it was the complete erasure of my presence that set my teeth on edge. As the clock ticked toward noon, my mood spiraled deeper into a foul state that would have sent warning signals to anyone within arm's reach. But, looking around the conference room, I could tell that not a soul dared to comment on my demeanor, and honestly, they were wise not to. With a tight jaw, I stared down at my phone for what had to be the tenth time in less than twenty minutes. Not a single notification lit up the screen. No messages. No missed calls. Just an empty void where I had expected to see at least some acknowledgment from Elon. Ridiculous, really. Last night, it had felt as if he’d melted into my embrace, a captivating warmth that made sense of everything. But now, the morning had cast a differen
ELON’S POVThe walk back to my room felt unbearably long.By the time I got there, my chest was tight with a mixture of embarrassment, frustration, and something much worse I refused to name.I shut the door behind me harder than necessary and leaned against it, closing my eyes.For a moment, I just stood there.Still.Silent.Trying and failing to calm the storm in my head.“This stays between us.”Fort’s words replayed with irritating clarity.A humorless laugh escaped me.Of course.That was just like him.Last night, he held me like I was something precious. Like I mattered. Like finally, after all this time, he had stopped fighting whatever existed between us.Then morning came, and suddenly I was a secret.A complication.Something to be hidden.I pushed myself off the door and walked toward the mirror.One glance at my reflection made my irritation spike.My hair was a mess. My lips were swollen, and faint marks lingered just beneath my collarbone small reminders of a night I w
FORT’S POVI woke up with warmth pressed against my side, still half-trapped in sleep.For a moment, I didn’t move. I didn’t breathe.Just stared at the ceiling as the events of last night flashed through my mind.I thought of Elon. The confession. The intimacy. Damn it.Beside me, Elon shifted slightly, still half asleep, his arm brushing against mine.The contact should have felt insignificant. But, it didn’t.It felt dangerous. Not because of him.But because of me.I turned my head slightly, studying his sleeping face.He was calm, unaware, and far too comfortable in my bed.Last night I made a mistake.But I don’t regret it.That was the problem.I exhaled sharply and sat up, dragging a hand down my face.This could not become something bigger than it already was.Not now. Not with everything happening in this house, and not with Laila already raising every alarm in my head.Movement beside me pulled me from my thoughts.Elon stirred awake slowly.His eyes met mine, still hea
FORT’S POVThe moment Liala disappeared down the corridor, my expression hardened.Something had shifted.Not just her. In the house, and I hated it.I remained standing there for a few more seconds, staring at the empty hallway as though she might suddenly reappear and confess everything on her own.Ridiculous thought.Laila was many things.Difficult. Sharp and proud.I stepped fully into the room and shut the door behind me.The soft click sounded far louder than it should have.I was already exhausted by my own thoughts.I loosened the first button of my shirt, exhaling sharply.“Rough night?”That voice. It sounded familiar.I looked up.Elon was seated lazily on the edge of the desk at the center of my room, one leg crossed over the other, a glass resting between his elegant fingers.As he watched me closely.“Of course.” I narrowed my eyes. “Do you make it a habit to appear when I’m least interested in company?” I replied. A small smile curved on his lips.“No. I make it a ha
LAILA’S POVThe room felt too small. Not physically, no. The walls were wide enough, the ceiling high, the air conditioned to perfection. But somehow, it still felt suffocating. I stood by the desk, staring at the matte-black device Lina had sent, as if it might suddenly come alive again and give me better answers. But, it didn’t. The screen remained black, lifeless. Just like I was trying so hard to remain calm, my mind replayed everything all over again.“Who does Fort really think he’s?”“I won’t tremble at his command, either will I worship his feet.”My mind drifted from Fort to Lina.Her face on the screen of the black-matte device.Her offer.Her mission.Everything felt like the world was spinning around me.I let out a dry laugh, folding my arms across my chest.How amusing.Somehow, despite trying to walk away from all of this, life had dragged me right back to the center of hell.Then there was the hypocrite Dimitri.His expression when he walked into my room earlier
Laila's POV "Complete this important assignment...and you're finally in."I let out a soft laugh at the expensive joke. How on earth would she expect me to do such a thing. "You think I want back in, right? Why not ask me instead of assuming.""Well, for me, you really never left. Your position is still vacant, awaiting your return."I ignored it like I didn't hear her.""And what about Chen?" I asked randomly."What do you want to know about him?""Us he the one offering this to me?" I asked her, "or do I take it that this is you going rogue all over again?"She smiled, but it wasn't an appealing smile. It was dangerous, and I could see it all over. "I wouldn't go as low as insulting you with something that small."From this, that means that Chen knew about the arrangement. Or if I may put it this way, it was approved by Chen himself. This made me hold told the device more tighter, without even knowing it. "What's this mission that you are talking about?' I finally summon med th
Elon's POV "I've heard through reliable sources that you have informations that I might find valuable in your possession. But if you must know, I don't ask for free...I offer entertainment in exchange for whatever you might be offering..."The moment I said that, Chen's eyes narrowed sharply, this
Elon’s POVThey didn’t take me far.Just down a corridor, through a side passage, and into a room that felt like it had never seen daylight.The moment the door slammed shut behind us, Everything narrowed int
Fort’s POVThe moment the lights went out, something in me shifted.It was the knowledge that something or someone a lot more dangerous than we can assume, wanted that package desperate enough to play dirty.An emo
Fort’s POVThirty minutes, My eyes flicked to my watch again.It had been Thirty Minutes.My jaw clenched slightly as I lowered my wrist, forcing my facial expression to remain neutral as another guest passed by me with a polite smile I didn&







