Mag-log inMichael’s POVI couldn’t breathe properly, even after Fernando left the room and the door closed behind him.It felt like the entire world had tilted violently beneath my feet and my body simply hadn’t caught up yet.The steady beeping of Ashley and Nick’s monitors drilled into my skull while Fernando’s face replayed over and over again inside my head.I gripped the edge of Nick’s hospital bed harder as the cold metal steadied me slightly.Beside me, Henry stayed quiet for several long seconds, trying to process too much at once.Ashley shifted slightly in her unconscious state, causing one of the machines beside her bed to beep differently for a second before returning to normal.The sound snapped me back enough to realize I had been staring blankly at the wall.I slowly sat down in the chair beside Ashley’s bed before my legs gave out completely.Henry moved closer cautiously.“You okay?” he asked.No, not even remotely.But I couldn’t say that aloud. So instead I rubbed a shaky han
Fernando’s POVThe hospital hallway felt strangely cold despite the expensive lighting and polished floors. Henry stood frozen beside Michael, his eyes wide with disbelief, confusion, and something deeper.Something wounded.God, the last time I had truly seen him, he had still been a child. Now he stood nearly as tall as Michael, staring at me with eyes that looked like mine. Neither of them spoke and honestly, I understood why.I had imagined this moment countless times over the years but none of those fantasies had prepared me for the reality of his expression now.He looked destroyed.The guards outside Ashley and Nick’s room shifted awkwardly, clearly sensing the tension but I barely noticed them.My attention remained completely fixed on Michael.His face had gone pale beneath the harsh hospital lights. His injured shoulder visibly stiffened beneath his jacket.He looked exhausted, traumatized and despite everything, the sight of him standing there still made my chest ache with
Michael’s POVHenry walked beside me through the brightly lit corridor while two federal agents Director Hale assigned trailed several feet behind us.The hospital was quieter now due to the late hour, but there were still nurses moving quickly between rooms, doctors speaking in low urgent voices, machines beeping steadily from nearby wards.Everything felt cold, like the building itself was trying to hide how much pain existed inside it.My shoulder throbbed beneath my jacket with every step. I was exhausted mentally, physically, emotionally but adrenaline kept me upright.“Dad.”Henry’s quiet voice pulled me back immediately and I looked at him.“You think they’ll be okay?” he asked.The question hurt because he sounded younger when he asked it, not like the stubborn teenager constantly arguing with me.I swallowed slowly.“They’re strong" I replied. Before he could respond, a nurse approached us cautiously.“Mr. Michael?”I stiffened slightly then regained myself. “Yes.”“I was i
Michael’s POVHenry had been taken to meet a medic who checked a bruise along his wrist where Marlo’s men had restrained him.I sat a few feet away on a metal chair while Director Hale stood in front of me with his arms folded across his chest and for the past twenty minutes, I had told him everything.Or at least as much as I could.Hale remained quiet for a long time after I finished speaking. His sharp eyes studied me carefully then finally he exhaled slowly.“Well, that’s significantly worse than I expected” he muttered. A tired laugh escaped me before I could stop it.“Sorry.”“You should be.”There wasn’t real anger in his voice though, mostly disbelief.Hale shook his head slightly and paced a few steps away before turning back toward me again.“When Luca recommended you three to me, I knew something was unusual" he said slowly.I frowned faintly.“You did?”“Michael, you, Ashley, and Nick showed up in town with almost perfect documentation, military-level survival instincts,
Michael’s POVOne second Theo had been preparing to shoot me, and the next, Federal agents were flooding the building.Marlo’s expression twisted into something dark and furious as he looked around and realized the truth immediately.They were trapped and outnumbered.One of his men raised his gun nervously, but before he could finish speaking, several laser sights landed directly on his chest.“DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!” an agent barked sharply.The man froze instantly.Anabelle cursed under her breath beside Marlo, fury radiating from every inch of her.“This is impossible.”Mortis stepped protectively closer to Marlo automatically, his sharp eyes scanning every exit in the warehouse but there was nowhere to go.Agents surrounded every side now.I felt Henry suddenly slam into me a second later. His arms wrapped tightly around me so fast it almost knocked the breath from my lungs.“Dad—”His voice cracked badly. I immediately grabbed him tightly too qnd for the first time since all
Theo’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 POV If you had told me yesterday that I would be standing beside the man who was meant to kill me, I would have laughed bitterly.But today, there was no time for either.Fernando stood near the console, his back to me, his jaw tight as he watched the monitor flicker with Damian’s signal
Ashley’s POVThe air inside my apartment room was thick with the faint scent of Nick’s cologne blending with the crispness of my freshly ironed shirt. I buttoned my shirt slowly, the white fabric hugging my body as if it knew what kind of day I was walking into. My reflection in the mirror looked
Fernando’s POVThe hallway still echoed with dying groans.Blood pooled beneath my boots, and the smell of gunpowder clung to the air like a curse. The last of the gunmen collapsed at my feet, Marlo’s bullet buried neatly in his forehead.I exhaled hard, my chest burning, adrenaline crashing throu
Fernando’s POVThe sound of Michael’s voice faded as he lowered the phone from his ear. I watched him closely, the faint tremor in his hand, the small light dying in his expression when he said her name for the last time.He held the phone out to me without looking up.“She’s gone,” he said, his vo







