Mag-log inFernando’s POVI couldn't stop smiling. The expressions on their faces were priceless.Some looked terrified, some looked confused. Others looked as though they were desperately trying to convince themselves that the man standing before them couldn't possibly be me.I enjoyed every second of it.After all, how often did a dead man get the opportunity to walk into a room full of people who had already divided his empire among themselves?Never.I slowly looked around the conference hall, taking in every face.A few uncomfortable laughs came from around the table.One of the older dons leaned forward."Fernando, where have you been?" He asked.I looked at him."Somewhere peaceful” I said."How did you survive?" Another man immediately asked.I smiled."That's a long story."I walked toward the table and slowly pulled out one of the chairs."You have all spent years convincing yourselves that I was dead. I don't feel particularly obligated to ruin the mystery for you."I sat down and the
Carlos's POVIt had been weeks since I had walked out of Theo's basement. Weeks since I had been tied to a pillar, wounded, humiliated, and left wondering whether I would ever see the streets of New York again.And yet, somehow, I was back in my penthouse, back in my tailored suits, back behind tinted windows with a driver waiting downstairs.It was almost as if the entire nightmare had never happened.I stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of the large apartment, staring at the Manhattan skyline while swirling a glass of whiskey in my hand.The city looked beautiful from up here.But despite everything returning to normal, something still didn't feel right.I hadn't heard from Fernando. I even tried contacting Michael but nothing came back and that was when I became suspicious."Carlos. I didn't know you were coming."I turned around to see it was Don Felicio, a disgusting man known for trafficking and other disgusting acts.I put up a fake smile to appear calm."I heard th
I couldn't stop staring at Michael after he said those words which kept repeating inside my head, but somehow, they still didn't feel real.Anthony had come after Michael because of me.I lowered my gaze."I don't like that you had to kill him” I said.His expression immediately hardened."Fernando—“"No." I shook my head. "I mean it. I don't like the fact that Anthony came after you because of me.”Michael sighed."He came after me because of his uncle” he corrected.I looked at him."And if I wasn't in your life..." I paused. "You wouldn't have met him."Michael's eyes narrowed."You don't know that.""If I hadn't brought danger into your life—""You need to stop” he said.His voice was firmer this time then I looked at him.Michael leaned forward."You're acting as if I'm some helpless person who got dragged into your world and couldn't defend himself” he said.I opened my mouth, but he continued."I was an FBI agent, Fernando. I've dealt with dangerous people long before you came
Michael’s POVI stared at Fernando and I understood why he was saying all of this. I really did.He wasn't trying to push me away because he didn't love me. He was trying to push me away because he loved me enough to believe that I would be safer without him.I looked at him lying in that hospital bed then swallowed."Fernando..."He waited. I could see the anxiety in his eyes even though he was trying to hide it."I understand what you're trying to do. But...I don't know if I can give you an answer right now” I said. “This isn't something I can decide in five minutes."I glanced toward Henry. He was standing quietly beside me, listening to every word."I have to think about Henry and I have to think about myself” I added.Fernando’s expression softened."I know."I looked down at my hands."Part of me thinks you're right” I admitted.Fernando's eyes flickered."About leaving?""Yes."The words were difficult to say."If we were far away from you, Henry and I would probably be safer."
Fernando’s POVThe first thing I felt when I opened my eyes was pain.I stared at the white ceiling above me for several seconds, trying to remember where I was. The faint beeping of a monitor beside me eventually answered that question.I was in a hospital.Again.I let out a quiet groan and slowly turned my head toward the window.Late morning sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting pale golden lines across the room. For a moment, everything was strangely peaceful then I remembered everything that happened at the airport.My jaw tightened.I looked down at myself and carefully shifted beneath the blanket. Pain immediately shot through my side."Ah” I winced. "Okay. Definitely still alive."I closed my eyes again and sighed. At this point, I was beginning to think hospitals knew me by name.Maybe I should retire.I almost laughed at the thought.Retire from what? Being Fernando?Apparently, even when I tried to protect my family, trouble somehow found me. Maybe I should open a
Michael's POVFor several seconds, I couldn't move. Theo stood a few feet away from me, staring at Anthony's body and then at me.His expression was difficult to read.I slowly bent down and picked up the gun and Theo's eyes followed the movement."I can explain” I said.His gaze returned to mine."It’s fine" he said.I frowned."You don't know what happened.""I know you wouldn't just shoot someone for no reason” he replied.A bitter laugh escaped me."You'd be surprised."Theo's jaw tightened then I looked toward Anthony."He came after me because of Santiago. He introduced himself as Anthony Santiago. Santiago's nephew” I said.I watched Theo's expression change."You knew him?" He asked."No, but he knew me” I answered. "He said he had been looking for me for a long time. He said he wanted revenge for what happened to his uncle."Theo took a slow breath."What happened?" He asked.I stared at him."You already know what happened” I replied.His expression softened."He told me he
Michael’s POV I never thought marble floors could feel like a prison. The walls seemed to lean closer with each passing hour I stayed inside them. My skin itched with the need to leave, to breathe air that wasn’t filtered through Fernando’s world of careful perfection. I felt like a kept anim
Fernando’s POV I stood at the center of the warehouse, hands clasped behind my back, watching my men unload crates from the container truck. The heavy thud of boots echoed on the concrete floor, mingled with the metallic clatter of crowbars prying open lids. The men worked in pairs, their move
Michael’s POV I should have known the smile on my face would not fool him. It fooled Henry, yes, but Fernando saw through the surface. He always did. The moment his chair scraped back against the polished marble floor, I felt the shift in the room, like a storm gathering. His stare cut into me li
Fernando’s POV I had always thought nothing could surprise me anymore.Not betrayal, not death, not the way the world liked to twist the knife when I thought I had already bled enough. But tonight, standing in my own dining hall, with the air still heavy with the scent of roasted lamb and spiced







