Mag-log inMichael’s POVI was running, no, not running. I was chasing or maybe being chased.I couldn’t tell anymore.Everything was blurred, faces, voices, places. The world around me shifted too fast, too violently, like something was tearing it apart from the inside.“Henry!”My voice echoed, desperate and raw until I saw him, just ahead, turning back toward me, his eyes wide with fear.“Dad!”I saw far too many hands grabbing him and pulling him away.“No!”I lunged forward, but my body wouldn’t move fast enough. My legs felt heavy, like they were sinking into the ground. I reached out to touch him.I was almost there but then I heard a gunshot and the world shattered.I turned to see Ashley and Nick on the floor, laying in a pool of their blood.Henry’s voice was cut off and then darkness took over.***********I shot upright. A sharp gasp tore from my chest as air rushed into my lungs like I had been drowning.My heart slammed violently against my ribs.“No, no, no—” I muttered, my voice
Anabelle’s POVThe silence in the suite was suffocating.I stood near the floor-to-ceiling window, my arms crossed tightly over my chest as I stared down at the quiet suburban streets below. From up here, everything looked normal, almost laughably so.I exhaled slowly, my jaw tightening.“I shouldn’t even be here…” I muttered under my breath.This town was beneath me, a temporary inconvenience at best and yet here I was, stuck because of a suspicion of a boy that refused to leave my mind.His face, his resemblance was too much to ignore and now Marlo had decided to stay.A knock sounded at the door.“Enter,” I said without turning.The door opened before i could finish talking then closed. I turned slightly and froze when i saw Marlo but not as he had left.His suit was no longer untouched. There were creases that hadn’t been there before, dust clung to the fabric and a faint stain marked the sleeve.His expression was different. It was not calm, not entirely but there was something m
Michael’s POVEverything hurt, not the dull kind of pain you can ignore or the distant ache you can push aside.No, this was sharp.It pulsed through my shoulders with every movement, every breath, every second I remained conscious. It felt like fire had been lodged into both sides of my body, spreading outward, refusing to let me forget what had just happened.“Stay with me, Michael.”I heard Ashley’s voice, close and grounding.“I’m here,” I muttered, though even I wasn’t sure how convincing that sounded.Firm hands were on me, moving fast.Everything around me blurred, the broken industrial site fading into something else as they dragged me toward the vehicle.“Easy—easy!” Nick said. “Watch his shoulder!”“I know what I’m doing!” Ashley snapped back.“Then do it faster—we don’t have time!”Marlo had escaped again and somehow that didn’t even feel like the worst part anymore because Theo had seen me.He had seen my face and that changed everything.“Michael—stay awake,” Ashley said,
Michael’s POVThe world narrowed to the space between us.Marlo Ramirez stood across from me, gun raised, his posture relaxed in a way that only made him more dangerous. Around us, the chaos hadn’t stopped, gunfire still cracked through the air, men shouting, metal clanging, but it all felt distant because right now, it was just him and me.I steadied my grip on my weapon, forcing my breathing into something controlled, something measured. My finger hovered near the trigger, but I didn’t pull it, not yet, not unless I had to.“Drop the weapon,” I said.My voice came out lower than usual but rougher so he won't recognise me.Years of training, instinctively kicking in. I couldn’t let him hear my real voice.Marlo didn’t move. Instead, that faint, almost amused smile touched his lips again.“You first,” he replied calmly.I shook my head slightly.“That’s not how this ends.”“And how does it end?” he tilted his head. “With you in custody.”There was silence between us then Marlo let o
Michael’s POVThe air felt wrong the moment we stepped out of the car, like the ground itself was holding its breath, waiting for something inevitable to happen.I adjusted the sleeves of my jacket slightly as my eyes scanned the area in front of us. The location Hale had given us was just outside the main part of town, an abandoned industrial site that had long been forgotten by anyone who didn’t have a reason to come here.Perfect for something illegal.“You sure this is the place?” Nick muttered beside me, his voice low as he shut the car door quietly.I nodded once.“It matches the coordinates.”Ashley stepped forward slightly, her gaze sharp as she surveyed the surroundings.“No civilians, and no movement either” she said.“Which means they’re not here yet,” Nick added.“Or they’re already hiding” I corrected.That earned a brief glance from both of them. We all knew that was more likely.I reached into my jacket and pulled out the mask, holding it for a second before putting it
Michael’s POVThe office felt smaller than usual, not physically, but mentally, like the walls had closed in just enough to remind me that there was no space left for mistakes.Papers were spread across my desk, files, reports, surveillance notes, fragments of information that barely scratched the surface of what we were dealing with.Even seeing Marlo's name written in black ink across official documents made something tighten in my chest.I leaned forward slightly, my elbows resting on the desk as my eyes scanned through another report.I exhaled slowly, dragging a hand down my face.This wasn’t just a visit, it was an operation and operations like this didn’t end quietly.“Dad…”Henry’s voice cut through my thoughts, soft at first.“Focus on your work" I said but I didn’t look up.“I’ve been focusing" he replied. I flipped a page.“You can focus more.”He let out a sigh, louder this time.“I’ve been doing this for hours nonstop" he said.“Good" I said plainly. “That’s not good, t
Michael’s POV I blinked slowly, light filtering through the curtains. The air smelled like disinfectant mixed with something floral, I think. My body ached, but the sharp, gut‑wrenching agony from the hospital wasn't there anymore.Healing, finally, at least physically.Emotionally? Mentally? Yeah
Fernando’s POV I had no idea where to start.I stood in the middle of the safehouse living room, staring at maps, scribbled notes, and the half-empty cup of whiskey in my hand as if any of them would magically reveal Ashley’s location. “Think, Fernando,” I muttered to myself.I dragged my hands d
Ashley’s POV I still couldn’t believe my ears.For a moment I could only stare at Nick, frozen in the doorway of my bedroom, as if the entire conversation had sucked the air around us. His voice still echoed in my skull, sharp and ugly, replaying like a curse.My heart thundered against my ribs,
Fernando’s POV I shut the study door behind me and let out a slow breath. Santiago’s words had been scratching at my skull since the moment he said them.I lowered myself into the armchair behind the desk and rubbed my temples.“Sir,” one of the maids Anabelle brought said softly from the doorway







