MasukMichael’s POVThe living room felt suffocating beneath the weight of it all.The shattered remains of the front door lay scattered across the floor while Marlo’s men spread themselves throughout the house with terrifying precision, leaving no possible escape route.Years ago, I had grown used to this kind of atmosphere, but I had forgotten how truly helpless it made you feel when the people you loved stood in the line of fire too.My eyes locked briefly with Henry’s, fear burned behind his anger and that terrified me more than the guns did.“Don’t,” I said quietly the second I noticed him tensing again.Henry’s jaw clenched.“They can’t just—”“Henry.”My tone sharpened immediately.Marlo clearly noticed our conversation then his attention shifted fully toward Henry and he smiled.“Well, look at you” he murmured softly. Henry glared at him instantly.“Stop looking at me.”Anabelle scoffed under her breath.“So disrespectful.”Henry ignored her completely but Marlo, however, continued
Michael’s POVThe living room felt suffocating beneath the weight of it all.The shattered remains of the front door lay scattered across the floor while Marlo’s men spread themselves throughout the house with terrifying precision, leaving no possible escape route.Years ago, I had grown used to this kind of atmosphere, but I had forgotten how truly helpless it made you feel when the people you loved stood in the line of fire too.My eyes locked briefly with Henry’s, fear burned behind his anger and that terrified me more than the guns did.“Don’t,” I said quietly the second I noticed him tensing again.Henry’s jaw clenched.“They can’t just—”“Henry.”My tone sharpened immediately.Marlo clearly noticed our conversation then his attention shifted fully toward Henry and he smiled.“Well, look at you” he murmured softly. Henry glared at him instantly.“Stop looking at me.”Anabelle scoffed under her breath.“So disrespectful.”Henry ignored her completely but Marlo, however, continued
Michael’s POVThe living room felt suffocating beneath the weight of it all.The shattered remains of the front door lay scattered across the floor while Marlo’s men spread themselves throughout the house with terrifying precision, leaving no possible escape route.Years ago, I had grown used to this kind of atmosphere, but I had forgotten how truly helpless it made you feel when the people you loved stood in the line of fire too.My eyes locked briefly with Henry’s, fear burned behind his anger and that terrified me more than the guns did.“Don’t,” I said quietly the second I noticed him tensing again.Henry’s jaw clenched.“They can’t just—”“Henry.”My tone sharpened immediately.Marlo clearly noticed our conversation then his attention shifted fully toward Henry and he smiled.“Well, look at you” he murmured softly. Henry glared at him instantly.“Stop looking at me.”Anabelle scoffed under her breath.“So disrespectful.”Henry ignored her completely but Marlo, however, continued
Michael’s POVThe curtains barely moved beneath my fingers as I checked them again and again.Every passing car outside made my stomach tighten, every distant sound forced my attention toward the window and I hated this feeling.The living room was dim despite the morning sunlight outside because we had kept every curtain in the house closed.I stood near the front window silently watching the faint movement of shadows beyond the curtains while pain throbbed dully through my healing shoulder.A soft clink of ceramic pulled my attention away from the window.Ashley placed two mugs of coffee on the table before sitting beside Nick on the couch.“You’re doing it again,” she said quietly.I glanced at her.“Doing what?”“Watching the curtains every thirty seconds.”Nick sighed tiredly and rubbed his face.“She’s right.”“I’m being careful.”“You’re being paranoid,” Ashley corrected gently.I almost laughed at that but paranoia had kept Henry alive this long.I finally stepped away from th
Theo’s POVI couldn’t breathe. The photograph trembled slightly in Mortis’ hand, though I couldn’t tell if it was because of him or because my entire world had just been ripped apart.Michael, Don Fernando and Henry had been a real family. Henry looked almost exactly the same, just smaller. The resemblance was undeniable now that I allowed myself to see it fully.My stomach twisted violently because suddenly every strange thing made sense.Michael’s fear whenever the Ramirez family appeared and Ashley and Nick protecting him desperately.My chest tightened painfully. A strange mix of betrayal and rage burned through me so intensely it almost made me dizzy.“He knew,” I whispered.Marlo leaned back slightly in his chair, watching me carefully.“Knew what?”I dragged my eyes away from the photograph slowly, my throat dry.“He knew I was searching for him.”Anabelle’s eyes narrowed instantly and the atmosphere at the table shifted immediately.Marlo studied me more carefully now.“You’v
Theo’s POVI barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Michael standing in my living room with fury burning in his eyes.I stared at the hotel ceiling in the darkness, unable to relax despite how exhausted my body felt.Beside me, Kim slept peacefully beneath the blankets, completely unaware of the storm slowly swallowing all of us whole.The faint light from the city outside slipped through the curtains, painting soft shadows across the room.It was still early but sleep was impossible now.I sat up slowly on the edge of the bed and rubbed a tired hand over my face.I quietly stood and grabbed my shirt from the chair nearby. I dressed silently, careful not to wake Kim.I stopd by the door for a bit and watched her sleep peacefully. Before I convince myself not to go through with the plan, I slipped out of the room.The hallway outside was quiet.The expensive carpet muffled my footsteps as I walked toward the elevator.My mind was already racing again.The elevator doors slid o
Michael’s POV I hadn’t realized how much the sterile smell of hospitals had burrowed into me until the seventh day. Every step down that corridor reminded me that Ashley was still here, tucked away behind white curtains and pale blue sheets. But today felt different. I could feel it in my ches
Michael’s POV When I woke, the bed was cold.The silken sheets still smelled of Fernando, his cologne, that faint trace of smoke and something darker, like gunpowder laced with cinnamon, but his weight was gone. I blinked into the pale morning light streaming through the curtains, squinting at th
Michael’s POV It was late afternoon when I received word that Henry had returned from school. The soft light of the sun slipped through the tall windows of the mansion, stretching long shadows across the marble floors as I made my way through the halls. The house was quiet, save for the faint s
Fernando’s POV Dominique and I stood in the middle of the foyer, shoulders squared despite the faint bruises that shadowed his jawline. The swelling along the ridge of his cheekbone looked worse in the daylight, yet it only seemed to highlight the strength in his features. For the first time I







