เข้าสู่ระบบCarlos'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 POVAnthony's eyes burned with hatred. He kept the gun trained on me as though simply looking at me reminded him of everything he had lost."You murdered him," he said. His voice trembled with rage. "You killed my uncle in cold blood."I stared at him."I didn’t” I said.Anthony's expression hardened."Don't lie to me. You shot him and you expect me to believe you had a reason?"I took a slow breath."I don't expect you to believe anything but I'm going to tell you the truth anyway” I said.Anthony said nothing."Your uncle kidnapped my son. Henry was a child” I continued."That doesn't matter” he said."It matters to me” I replied."You murdered Santiago!""And Santiago threatened to kill Henry!" I yelled back.My voice echoed through the empty section of the parking lot and Anthony flinched.For a second, I saw something uncertain in his expression then the anger returned."My uncle wasn't a monster” he said.I almost laughed."You weren't there” I replied."I know enough.
Michael’s POVFor a full thirty seconds after Theo told me he had cameras, I couldn’t hear anything except the pounding of my own heartbeat but I refused to let him see that.Shock is weakness and Theo thrived on that so I straightened, lifted my chin and lied.“I wasn’t in your house.”Theo’s expr
Michael’s POVI should have known better than to expect a normal night.For once, I had wanted something simple. A quiet evening, a decent conversation, and the fleeting illusion of normalcy. But of course, that wasn’t something I was allowed to have. Not when Fernando was involved.The moment I h
Micheal's POV I slammed my phone down on the nightstand, my fingers gripping the edges of the cheap plastic case so tightly that I thought I might snap it in half. Ethan wasn’t answering my calls. Again.I had tried six times already since this morning, and each time, the call had gone straight t
Michael’s POVThe room felt colder than before.Or maybe it was just the way Fernando was looking at me.I stood in front of him, my body tensed, every nerve on high alert. Something was wrong. I could see it in his eyes—the way they were darker, almost wild, as if something inside him was unravel







