Viewer Discretion: This chapter might contain violent acts that may be sensitive to some readers.Michaelโs POVA dull, throbbing pain vibrated through my skull, dragging me out of my sleep which I could feel was very long. I groaned, shifting slightly, but even that small movement sent a sharp ache slicing through my temples.Thus pain in my head was relentless and almost unbearable but I could live with it. I've been through worse.As my eyes weakly registered my surroundings, a question built up in my mind.What the hell happened?I blinked, forcing my heavy eyelids to stay open, and stared up at the ceiling. The room was dim, the morning light entering through the gaps in the curtains, casting long shadows over the walls. For some reason, my body felt sluggish, like I had been sedated.And then it hit me.Anabelle.That conniving littleโI inhaled sharply, pushing myself up on the bed despite the dizziness that threatened to pull me back down. Memories from last night flooded
Michaelโs POVThe sound of running water filled the room.I stood frozen, gripping Fernandoโs gun so tightly that my knuckles turned white. My heartbeat was loud in my ears, matching the steady sound of the water falling down in the bathroom.He was in there, unaware, unguarded.It would be so easy.My mind replayed what he told me about last nightโthe casual way Fernando had admitted to killing Holloway and his wife, the lack of remorse in his voice, the satisfaction in his smirk. He didnโt care. Two people were dead, and all he had to show for it was an amused look and a lazy stretch.How many more would die?How many more would suffer under his hand?I wasnโt naรฏve. I knew what kind of man he was. I had known from the beginning. But standing here now, holding his gun, I realized something I had been delaying for too long.He would never stop.The only way to end thisโฆ was to stop him myself.I took a slow, deliberate step toward the bathroom door. My fingers went around the hand
Fernandoโs POV The hot water went down my body in soft, rolling waves, washing away the last traces of last nightโs work. My muscles were relaxed, but my mind was still filled with events of last night, reliving the moment when Hollowayโs blood had poured on the walls of his cozy little home. The way his wife's screams had turned into ragged gasps before Marlo finished her off. It had been a masterpiece of destruction.One down. Four to go.I still had a lot of work to do to make those agents suffer.They will all feel my wrath. A slow smirk curled my lips as I shut off the water, the silence of the bathroom suddenly feeling too loud. I reached for the towel and wrapped it loosely around my waist, letting the steam cling to my skin as I stepped toward the door.And then I heard it.Raised voices. Sharp, heated words cutting through the air like knives.I tilted my head, recognizing the two voices immediately. Michael and Anabelle.A spark of amusement built inside me as I pushe
Michaelโs POVI took a deep breath as I stepped out of the bathroom, my skin still wet, my hair dripping onto the towel I had wrapped around my waist. The heat of the bath had eased the knots in my muscles, and for the first time in hours, I felt clean.I sighed, letting the silence settle over me. It was rare to have a moment like this in his houseโa moment where the walls werenโt pressing in, where the air wasnโt suffocating with tension. My feet pressed against the cool floor as I walked toward the wardrobe, dreading the idea of staying here longer than necessary.Then I noticed it.The chair where he had been sitting was empty. The lingering presence of Fernando had vanished.That murderer was gone.I exhaled, releasing a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. My shoulders dropped in relief. It was exhausting being around him, suffocating even, like being trapped in a room with a wild animal, one that could decide at any second whether to let you live or rip out your thro
Fernandoโs POVThe car was silent except for the hum of the engine and the occasional sound of tires rolling smoothly against the pavement. I leaned back against the seat, stretching out my legs with ease, my gaze flickering toward the man beside me.Michael sat stiffly, his arms crossed, his jaw tight. His expression was one of pure frustration, something that only made me more amused.He hadnโt wanted me to come. That much was clear. But I had insistedโno, I had decided. And Michael had no choice but to deal with it.Even if Michael didnโt want it.I could feel the weight of his irritation pressing against me like a suffocating heat. He was waiting, biting his tongue, trying to keep himself from saying something that would make this worse for him.Eventually, he cracked.Michael let out a long sigh, shifting in his seat before turning his body slightly toward me.โAlright,โ he said. โI need to know something.โI smirked. โOnly one thing?โMichael rolled his eyes but didnโt take
Michaelโs POVI hated that Fernando was here.I sighed, gripping the torn half of my shopping list as I walked further into the aisles, away from him. I needed space. Distance. Anything to remind myself that, for at least a little while, I wasnโt under his suffocating gaze.Because right now, I was doing something ridiculous.I was making a ruthless mafia bossโsomeone whose favorite time involved killing people who annoyed himโgo grocery shopping.I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing.If his men found out, theyโd probably never let him live this down.I imagined it now: Fernando, dressed in his perfectly tailored suit, standing in an aisle filled with cereal boxes and snack foods, looking like he belonged in a luxury penthouse instead of a grocery store.If he really stopped to think about what he was doing, would he get offended? Would he be angry enough to kill me for this?Wouldnโt be the first time he got murderous over something stupid.I shook my head. I donโt car
Fernandoโs POVThe second I saw that man put his hands on Michael, my vision turned red.I was standing in the middle of the supermarket aisle, my body still, my hands relaxed at my sides, but inside?I was boiling with complete rage.The man had him pinned against the shelves, gripping his shirt, talking to him in a way that made my blood boil.He had no idea what kind of mistake he just made.I didnโt say anything at first. I just moved.One second, I was watching. The next, my hand wrapped around his wrist, and I squeezed.His entire body jerked. His fingers twitched where they were gripping Michaelโs shirt, and I tightened my hold, feeling his bones shift under my grasp.I could break them.Right now.Easily.I leaned in, my voice cold and controlled.โLet. Him. Go.โThe manโs jaw clenched.For a split second, I thought he might be stupid enough to resist.But then, with clear reluctance, he let Michael go.Michael immediately stepped to the side, rubbing his arm as he exhaled sha
Michaelโs POVFernando stood a few feet ahead of me, rolling his sleeves up with calculated ease. His expression was unreadable, but I knew him well enough to recognize the spark of excitement in his eyes. He wasnโt just angryโhe was looking forward to this.The man who had pinned me against the shelf earlier now stood opposite him, cracking his knuckles with a cocky grin. He had broad shoulders, thick arms, and a chest that was visible against his tight black T-shirt. He looked every bit the professional wrestler he claimed to be. His confidence was that of arrogance, and he was eager to put Fernando in his place.I didnโt want to be here.I shouldnโt be here.This whole situation was ridiculous, and yet, somehow, I was trapped in it.Fernandoโs bodyguard stood beside me, his arms crossed. He looked ready to step in, but before he could say a word, Fernando turned to him and spoke with absolute authority.โDo not interfere.โ His voice was calm but stern.The bodyguard frowned.
Micheal's POV I didnโt think.I just moved.My body, acting on instinct or something far more desperate, had shoved Fernandoโs arm up at the last second.The bullet screamed through the air and struck the ceiling.Everyone in the room froze.For a heartbeat, silence rang louder than the gunshot. I could feel the weight of a dozen eyes pierce into my back, all of them stunnedโand afraid. The smell of burnt gunpowder lingered, mixing with the tense air of the drawing room.Then Santiago roared.โWhat the hell just happened?!โAndrew laughedโa cruel, dry, almost unhinged sound. โLooks like the boyfriend still has a soft spot for the spy.โโShut him up,โ Santiago barked.His men didnโt hesitate. One shoved a gag into Andrewโs mouth, forcing him to the floor. Andrew glared at everyone with that same defiant fire, but it didnโt matter. He couldnโt speak now.Fernando didnโt say a word. His gaze cut through the room like a blade.I swallowed. My throat was dry. My hands had started to t
Fernando's POVThe echo of my boots was the only sound in the hallway as I led Michael back into the drawing room. My hands were in my coat pockets, fingers twitching for the comfort of power. Beside me, Michael was silent. Tense. His brows were furrowed, his thoughts clearly tangled. I didn't speak. Not yet. There would be time for wordsโmy wordsโsoon enough.Discovering that he has been so active during my time in coma only infuriated me more each time I thought about it.It was taking a huge amount of control for me not to beat him to a pulp just staring at him with his emotionless face.He had forgotten he belonged to meโonly meโand he went ahead to fool around with the enemy which ended up bringing FBI agents to our doorsteps. Even thinking of the fact he was once an informant for the FBI brought fire in my mind because it meant he has been lying to me.What else has he been keeping from me?That would be a discussion I couldnโt wait to have.Michael was bad news for me but I
Michael's POVAshley was groaning in pain, her head leaned against the window of the FBI car I had carefully laid her in. It was hard for me to watch her I'm so much pain, especially when all she had done was help us even though it meant going against the FBI. Fernando was a real monster for doing this to her.The backseat was damp with blood, and the stench of metal clung to the air like guilt to my conscience. I glanced around, hoping and praying that Marlo would suddenly appear so that he can take Ashley to the hospital along with Anabelle. I needed someone I could trust to get Ashley out of here, someone who wouldn't let her down. But the world was quiet now, eerily so, and Marlo was nowhere in sight.I looked around, towards the mansion hoping to catch a glimpse of Marlo just as he is leaving but I didnโt see him.The realization of what I feared dawned on me like a cold, hard feeling."He already left, didn't he?" I muttered, my voice low with frustration. My fists clenched
Fernandoโs POV I folded my arms across my chest while i watched in delight as Andrewโs battered body was dragged through the hallway of my old mansion. His punishment was just starting and I could alread visualise numerous way to make him beg for me to just end his suffering. Emilio followed closely behind, gripping Damian by the collar, the man nearly tripping over himself with each step. The floor, aged by time and conflict, creaked under the weight of our footsteps. Blood had been spilled outsideโblood of men who thought they could outsmart me, the FBI agents whose corpses now served as a warning. But inside, it was quieter. The kind of quiet that precedes a storm.Santiago walked beside me. His slightly injured face was grim, jaw clenched so tightly the veins in his neck were visible. His other bodyguard followed us, his weapons drawn and alert. Mortis had joined us near the entrance, nodding silently when I gestured toward the drawing room. That would be the stage.The mo
Andrewโs POV The night had gotten far too quiet for my liking, and in that unnatural silence, every crackle of a branch or brush of the wind made my nerves twitch. I could still remember the wave of shock i had gotten when the sound that sent ice straight down my spine, gunshots, rang in my ears and i couldn't help but think of the worse. My men were capable of handling themselves, they were FBI agents, after all, but there was a dark feeling pooling in.my stomach just thinking what had caused such amount of gun fire to ring in the air.Not one, not two, but a lot of them, echoing violently through the forest like war drums. From the direction of Fernandoโs mansion. I had made sure to tell me men not to attack without receiving orders from me to do so. Which means this could only mean one thingThey were under attack.My stomach dropped.Something had gone wrong.I hadnโt planned for a situation where Michael and his pack of goons would attack when I wasnโt there.I thought they w
Fernandoโs POV I watched them through the small cracks on the front door, barely breathing as I tracked the movement of the agents. The trees concealed them well, but not well enough for someone like me. I knew the woods. I knew the mansion. And most of all, I knew how the minds of men like Andrew worked.Based on Marloโs explanation, he was the leader of those agents of fools and if there was one thing I was good at, that was gaining a upper hand against proud men.Ashley winced as she leaned against a nearby wall. Her side was soaked with blood, and every breath she took looked like it cost her something vital. Still, she didnโt complain. I was impressed. I liked that about her.Michael, on the other hand, was fidgeting."Youโre going to take her out the front," I said, my voice cold and unwavering.Michael blinked. "What? Are you insane? Theyโll spot us the moment we step onto the lawn.""Thatโs the point."He narrowed his eyes. "You want us to be bait?"I tilted my head. "I
Michaelโs POV The sharp scent of gunpowder still lingered in the room, moving in the air like invisible smoke. My hands were filled with bloodโAshleyโs bloodโbut I had managed to stop the bleeding. The bullet had torn through the fleshy part of her upper arm, but thankfully, it hadnโt shattered a bone or struck an artery. I wrapped the last layer of cloth tightly around her wound, silently thanking whatever god might still be watching us that it wasnโt worse.Ashley winced but kept quiet, her face pale but determined. Her eyes held furyโnot just painโand they were fixed on the man who had shot her. Fernando.I looked up at him.He stood a few feet away, as if nothing had happened, casually adjusting the sleeves of his dark shirt. That smug look was still on his face, the one he wore when he believed he was two steps ahead of everyone else in the room. I hated that look.โYouโre a monster,โ I said, the words leaving my mouth with more venom than Iโd expected. โWhile you were bu
Fernandoโs POV I could feel the pulse in my neck as Marlo spoke.The FBI had done this to me. They had destroyed everythingโmy mansion, my empire, my reputation. And now they were closing in, trying to finish me off like some cornered animal. They didnโt know who they were messing with.โSo theyโre right outside?โ I asked, my voice low.Marlo nodded, his face set in a grim line. โYes, theyโve got men. Theyโre here to finish the job.โThe pain from my body, the aftermath of the poison, wasnโt enough to slow me down. Not now.โWeโll give them a job they wonโt expect,โ I said. My voice was steady, unwavering. โWeโll hit them from behind. Take out their agents, steal their vehicles, and leave this fucking place in ruins.โMichael, who had been silent up until then, finally spoke, his voice heavy with concern. โAnd Anabelle? We canโt just leave her here, Fernando. She needs medical attention.โI looked at him, the question hanging in the air. His eyes were wide, hurt even. But I didnโ
Fernando's POVEverything was black.There was no light. No sound. Just the overwhelming sensation of floating in an empty void. I couldnโt move. I couldnโt speak.I forced my eyelids open, but there was nothing to see. Just darkness. "What...?" My voice was a mere whisper in the vast emptiness, and the sound of it startled me. It was raw, weak, as if it hadnโt been used in a long time.The last thing I could remember was sitting at the dining table with Michael.Where was I? What was happening?I tried to move, but my limbs felt heavy, as if they were bound by chains. Panic clawed at the edges of my mind, but I pushed it down. There had to be a reason for this. There had to be an explanation. It wasnโt like me to be trapped like this. It wasnโt like me to be so... powerless.Suddenly, I heard a voice."Fernando..."It was faint, distant, like an echo from another world, but it was enough to snap me back to my senses."Michael?" I called out, my voice strained with effort.The v