Michael’s POV I was already feeling it—that slow, lazy heaviness creeping into my limbs, the kind that only came from sitting in one spot too long. My fingers lay limp on the steering wheel, the crust of my now-cold pizza sitting in the passenger seat like an afterthought. Today had not gone anyway like how I planned. I wasn’t complaining, I would do this and more if it meant keeping Henry safe, but I hadn't expected to spend the entire day in my car.I sighed, letting my head fall back against the headrest. The late afternoon sun filtered through the windshield, warming the car’s interior just enough to lull me into the edges of a nap.Richmond Elementary stood quiet and still ahead of me, its red-brick structure tinted gold by the sun. Parents were beginning to crowd at the gates, the murmurs of soft conversations and occasional laughter floating through the air. But I couldn’t bring myself to care.I was tired, dead tired.It had been numerous long hours since I parked outside
Marlo’s POV The moment I ended the call with Michael, I slammed the phone down so hard I heard the case crack. “Damn it!” I hissed, pacing the floor like a caged animal. Michael had messed it all up. Everything. All I wanted to do was to take Henry calmly when he was done from school and convince the kid it would be safer for him to be by my side in Fernando’s mansion. Simple. But somehow, Michael had taken it upon himself to act like a damn hero, swooping in to protect Henry like he was some noble father figure. It wasn’t his job. It was mine. Mine. I raked my hands through my hair, teeth clenched, jaw twitching from how hard I was grinding it. The room smelled like steam and roses. Anabelle had just finished ironing. The scent always calmed me before. Now it made me sick. “Marlo,” her voice came gently from the bedroom doorway. She was holding a dark charcoal suit—tailored, sharp-edged, and cold-looking. “You need to get dressed. The meeting is in an hour.” I di
Michael’s POV I sat parked beneath the shadow of a scraggly oak tree across from Richmond Elementary, the engine off, my phone face-down on the passenger seat, and the smell of leather seats slowly turning stale in the summer heat. The AC hadn’t been running for over an hour now, but I didn’t mind. The sweat gathering at the base of my neck, under my shirt reminded me I was alive, alert and waiting. My eyes flicked up to the rearview mirror for the hundredth time. There it was. That black car was still there. The nerve of those morherfuckers to follow me to a school and try to get their hands on a child just because of their own personal gain. I had two suspects on who could have sent those bastsrds to watch Henry’s movement and it could either be Archer or Marlo. It had been parked two cars down and slightly behind me since 7:50 AM—right after I dropped Henry off for school. I didn’t need to see the faces inside to know exactly who they were so I couldn't know for sure whom
Michael’s POV I knew I was fired. Even without a letter, a call, or an official notice, I felt it in my bones. After the mess with Archer, there was no doubt in my mind: I wouldn’t be stepping foot back into Kafé Verse again. I stared blankly at the ceiling above my bed, arms folded under my head, the fan slicing the early Monday morning air with a slow, rhythmic hum. The air was thick with silence, broken only by the distant noise of neighbors and the sound of cartoons playing softly from the living room. I lost a job, I had a child to raise, Fernando was still in the hospital, and a man wants me dead. Hell of a way to start the week. Still, I had no time to sulk or dwell. Today wasn’t about me—it was about Henry. His first day at Richmond Elementary. And he was thrilled. I rolled out of bed, cracked my back with a long stretch, and wandered into the living room, where Henry sat cross-legged on the couch wearing nothing but his boxers and a superhero cape. A spoon dangled
Michael's POV The front door slammed behind me, the echo bounced off the walls of Ashley’s apartment, the sharp crack ringing in my ears. I stood frozen for a second, my palm still on the doorknob, my chest heaving with each breath like I had run a marathon uphill in the rain. The air in the apartment was warm but all I could feel was the frost that clung to my skin from where I had just come. My knuckles were raw. My heartbeat a relentless drumbeat in my ears. I didn’t even hear Ashley approach until she was right in front of me, barefoot in that worn T-shirt she always slept in. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun, a few strands loose around her face. But her eyes were sharp, scanning me like a nurse. “Michael?” she whispered. “Where the hell have you been?” My tongue felt dry as paper. “I wanted to come home early but i didn't know if they'll be following me so i decided to walk around a while.” Her brows furrowed. “Who…?” “Marlo, Mortis and Emilio.” She stared at
Marlo's POV The ride back to Fernando’s estate was slower than usual. Not because the car was slow—it was the silence that dragged time out. Emilio was at the wheel, his knuckles white on the steering. Mortis sat beside me in the backseat, arms crossed, his lips drawn in a tight line. I didn't say anything. None of us did. We were nursing bruised egos. Michael had made a fool of us. I clenched my jaw, staring out the window as the mansion's iron gates slowly opened to welcome us home. It had been a damn long day. After the disaster at Ashley’s apartment earlier today and the hospital—where we were supposed to corner Michael and instead ended up outplayed like schoolboys—we still had enough grit left to go to the morge and check the sniper’s body. The bastard who had taken the shot at Fernando earlier today was much younger than expected but he looked like he had experience. Fernando had given him a shot to the neck, clean and professional. However, the sniper was like