MasukTheo’s POVMy hand had never shaken like this before, but now, standing in the middle of that filthy warehouse with a gun pointed at Michael while Henry cried beside me, I felt completely broken.The weight of the weapon in my hand suddenly felt unbearable.Michael stood a few feet away from me with his eyes closed, like he had already accepted death.There was pain written all over him, hidden beneath the stillness qnd somehow, despite everything he had done, I couldn’t hate him anymore.My grip tightened painfully around the gun.“Do it,” Marlo said casually.I snapped my head toward him instantly and the bastard looked completely relaxed, like this was entertainment.Henry glared at him with so much hatred it almost startled me.“Shut up,” Henry hissed.Marlo smirked faintly.“You really are Fernando’s son.”Henry looked ready to attack him physically despite the guns aimed around us.Michael must’ve sensed it too because even with his eyes closed, he spoke quietly.“Henry.”Immedi
Michael’s POVTheo looked shattered. His arm was extended toward me, but not steadily. The gun wavered slightly, his breathing uneven, his jaw tight and his eyes looked haunted.I knew that expression. I had worn it before, years ago on the night Fernando died.My chest tightened painfully at the memory.Henry moved closer to Theo immediately, panic written all over his face.“No, no, no—” he said sharply, shaking his head. “Henry,” I murmured quietly.“No! This is insane!" He said.His voice cracked this time. He looked between Theo and me like he could somehow stop all of this if he just spoke loudly enough.Marlo looked mildly irritated now.“I’m beginning to lose patience with the dramatics.”“Shut up!” Henry snapped.Every gun in the room shifted toward him instantly and my heart nearly stopped.“Henry,” I warned immediately.But he didn’t care anymore. His eyes were wet with emotion as he glared at Marlo.“You said you wanted me, right? Then take me!” he said angrily.“Henry—”
Theo’s POVEverything inside me went cold the moment I heard Kim’s voice through that phone, the kind of terror only a parent could understand.The warehouse suddenly felt suffocating.The broken lights overhead blurred faintly as rage crashed through my chest so violently that for a second I genuinely couldn’t think straight.Kim was terrified and Marlo was smiling.That was the part that shattered whatever control I had left.I moved before I could stop myself.I grabbed the front of Marlo’s expensive coat violently and slammed him backward hard enough to make the chair behind him scrape loudly across the concrete.“You touch my daughter and I swear to God I will kill you" I said, my voice rough. The entire warehouse erupted into movement instantly.Mortis stepped forward sharply, several men raised their guns but Marlo laughed.The sound echoed through the warehouse and made my skin crawl. His hands remained calm at his sides while I held him by the collar.“No, you won’t" he said
Michael’s POVFor one terrifying second after I stepped out of the shadows, all I could focus on was Henry.The sight of him standing there sent such overwhelming relief crashing through me that my knees almost weakened.I tightened my grip slightly around the gun in my hand and forced myself to stay sharp.Marlo stood several feet away from us, staring at Theo with an expression so full of betrayal and rage that the entire warehouse seemed colder because of it.Anabelle looked equally furious. Her perfect composure had finally cracked completely.“This is your fault,” she hissed at Theo.Theo ignored her while Mortis remained eerily calm.Marlo finally laughed softly. The sound echoed unpleasantly through the warehouse.“You fooled me.”Theo’s jaw tightened.“That must be unfamiliar for you.”Marlo’s eyes darkened instantly. I stepped slightly closer while keeping the gun pointed steadily on him.“Enough games” I said and every pair of eyes shifted toward me immediately.“Tell your m
Theo’s POVMarlo stood near the center of the warehouse looking entirely too relaxed for a man about to kidnap a child.Anabelle remained beside him, elegant even in tension, though the irritation on her face was impossible to miss.Mortis was the real problem. The man stood silently near Marlo with his hands behind his back, watching everything with those cold, unreadable eyes.Nothing about him felt careless or easy to fool, which meant if this plan failed, we were dead.Henry stood several feet away from them with his wrists restrained, trying hard to look braver than he probably felt but I noticed the slight trembling in his shoulders.The kid had just watched Ashley and Nick die and somehow, that guilt kept digging deeper into my chest.Marlo looked pleased with himself.“Well, I must admit, Theo, I underestimated you” he said smoothly while adjusting the sleeve of his expensive coat, I forced myself to give a small shrug.“You’re not the only one.”Anabelle scoffed immediately.
Michael’s POVThe warehouse remained cold and dim around us, the weak overhead light flickering every few seconds.Theo crouched in front of me, his face tense, his jaw tight, his eyes fixed on mine with an intensity that made my chest feel strange.“I’m serious,” he said quietly.I stared at him bitterly.“You expect me to believe you after all this?” I asked.His expression hardened slightly.“You don’t have a choice.”That only made me angrier and I jerked against the ropes around my wrists.“Don't you dare sound arrogant!”“I know,I'm sorry” he said, quieter this time.Something about how broken his voice sounded almost annoyed me more because it didn’t change anything.Nothing would bring Ashley and Nick back.I swallowed hard as their faces flashed through my mind again.Theo noticed the look on my face and lowered his eyes briefly.“I never wanted any of this to happen" he said and I laughed coldly.Theo slowly stood to his feet and dragged a hand through his hair.“You think I
Michael’s POV I didn’t think I could ever get used to this kind of extravagance. The moment we approached the front desk, my palms started sweating, and not because I was nervous about fashion. It was because I already had a sinking feeling about what the bill was going to look like. Ashley w
Fernando’s POV The call had ended with a bang. Not a click, not static, not even the tired drone of a battery running out. No—what I heard was the kind of bang that echoed down to your bones, the kind that ripped the air apart and filled it with the smell of iron and dread. Michael. My mind scr
Michael’s POV The morning light spilled faintly through the curtains and I sat cross-legged on the bed, staring at the open suitcase in front of me. My clothes were folded neatly inside, yet the weight of each shirt and pair of jeans pressed heavier on my chest than stone. Today was the day I
Michael’s POV I had lost count of how long I had been pacing the cold hospital corridor. Every time a door creaked open, every time a nurse walked by with a clipboard or cart, my heart shot up into my throat, thinking maybe it’s about her, maybe it’s news about Ashley. But it never was. Ashley







