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The first strike

Author: Bryan King
last update Last Updated: 2025-01-21 23:59:21

Liya’s scream echoed throughout the room as the window shattered, spraying shards of glass all over the study. Her body shifted backward impulsively, her heart beating noisily in her chest. She rushed for shelter, her hands trembling as she took cover behind the gigantic desk, the wood pressing into her back.

A figure showed up in the broken window, his face covered by a mask, then with sharp and precise movement, he dragged his body through the broken glass. His silhouette was frightful, shaped by the night outside and the shining weapon in his hand glaring at her. The air around him was filled with danger and her breathing came in pants.

“Miss Glensdale, move.” Melinda’s frantic voice cut through the havoc. She emerged in the doorway, a gleaming black firearm in her grip.

Liya didn't wait for her to repeat herself. She ran further into the study, hiding behind a heavy oak desk as the infiltrator advanced toward her. The intruder’s face was masked, his figure covered in black from head to toe, and he carried a lever that glimmered dangerously in the dull light.

An ear-splitting gunshot from Melinda burst through the confined space of the study. The figure dodged and rolled to escape the bullet before attacking Melinda. She dodged with real ease, giving a ruthless kick to his stomach.

Liya looked over the desk, her heart beating frantically with fear. The intruder was unstoppable, swinging the lever so wildly that Melinda barely managed to evade.

Where is Mr Marino?

Her thoughts were brought to a halt as Melinda screamed at her, “ Run! Get out of here immediately!”

Liya was reluctant, stuck between running away and staying back to help Melinda, but the sound of footsteps drawing closer made the choice for her. More intruders?

Before she could move, the door opened with a bang again and Aldo marched in, his face filled with extreme fury. He was quiet–he didn’t need to speak, his stance and appearance said it all. The atmosphere of the room seemed to change under the heaviness of his presence.

The intruder turned to Aldo, raising his weapon, but Aldo’s movement was faster. In a swift motion, he disarmed the masked man with a ruthless strike to his wrist and a punch to his face that sent the man dropping to the floor.

“ Don’t you dare move,” Aldo lashed out , his voice low and threatening.

The intruder groaned, gripping his broken hand but Aldo wasn’t done with him. Grabbing him by the collar, he lifted him off the ground effortlessly.

“ Who sent you? Who do you work for?” Aldo demanded, his voice so low and menacing that it made her very scared.

The intruder’s eyes squeezed in refusal, but it was obvious he getting weak and could not hold his own.

“Damian sends his greetings,” he said, his voice filled with hate.

Liya froze. Damian? That name sent shivers through her body. He was the reason she was in that mess…her brother too.

Aldo’s face became enraged, his jaw hardened as he fisted the masked man’s shirt pulling him closer. “ Don't make me repeat myself,” he said, his voice cutting like a sharp razor.

The intruder’s lips twisted in a sly grin before he quickly bit down on something he had in his mouth. Melinda let out a choked shout, but it was already too late. The intruder’s body became limp in Aldo’s hands, his eyes glossing over as the body fell over.

Melinda dashed toward the body but Aldo stepped back letting the body fall to the floor without so much as a second glance. His eyes focused on where the body had dropped down, the burden of what just transpired coming down on him like a heavy rock.

“Inspect the perimeter,” Aldo commanded, his voice sounding far off, as though he wasn't affected by the entire experience. “Ensure this was a solo infiltration.”

Melinda nodded firmly, her eyes shifting to Liya briefly before she turned and disappeared down the hallway.

Aldo stood in the middle of the study, his gaze indecipherable. The distant and dangerous aura that always accompanied him seemed to increase, shifting everything else out of its surroundings. Liya wanted to say something, but she couldn't find her voice, the entire thing left her shaken.

Her thoughts were in a marathon. What just happened? Damian…was he really behind this? The same Damian who had arranged this marriage? The same one who had bullied her and threatened her brother’s life?

Aldo turned to her, his eyes searching hers. It was penetrating, and for a split second, she believed he could read into her soul–into every unsaid act she had always kept to herself. His mouth moved and she held her breath, anticipating something cold, something mean, but the words that left his mouth stunned her.

“Are you harmed?” he asked, his voice more delicate than she had ever heard it. His eyes shifted to the shards of glass that surrounded her before settling back on her.

“No,” Liya said in a shaky and nervous voice, her hands still trembling by her sides. “I–I’m okay.”

Aldo seemed to debate on it for a second before nodding his head, his lips curling in a way to express his satisfaction with the answer. Then without any further signal, he turned his attention back to the fireplace, his back to her again.

“What just happened,” Liya asked, her voice sounding a little firmer now that the current threat seemed to be over.

Also didn't give her an immediate response, as if he was contemplating his next words. When he finally replied, his voice was curt and to the point. “Looks like Damian decided to send a message.”

“A message?” Liya voiced, her stomach churning.

“An attack,” Aldo explained. “The invasion was to remind me that he's far from done with me.”

Damian had masterminded her union with Aldo to wipe off her brother’s debt, but this felt like it was more than just her brother’s debt. What was going on? Her mind swirled with different thoughts.

“ But why would he do that now?” Liya asked, her voice rising with fear. “Why would he send someone after you? Why me?

Aldo’s eyes jerked back to her, his countenance hard to read. “That's because you are a party to this game now Liya,” he said plainly. “And Damian is aware of that.”

Liya frowned. “Part of the game? What are you talking about?”

Aldo’s gaze clouded as he advanced towards her leisurely, his steps steady. “You’re here for one reason and that's for my protection. To act as a shield that makes me look vulnerable…even mortal.” He stopped before he continued, his eyes fixed on hers. “You’re more than just collateral in this game plan. You are a weapon, just so you know.”

Her chest constricted as his words settled in. This wasn't just an arranged marriage, a marriage to pay off her brother’s debt. It was deeper than she thought. She was in the middle of a more risky scheme that she didn't understand.

Before she could open her mouth, Melinda reemerged in the room, her face taut. “The perimeter is secured, but we need to act fast,” she said to Aldo. “The others will be waiting for us.”

Also nodded, the muscles in his jaw tensing. Then he turned his attention back to Liya, his eyes narrowing. “I’m not letting you leave, not after what just happened, you are safer here.”

Liya’s pulse thrummed at the decisiveness in his voice. She didn't want to be anywhere close to the danger looming around and being with Aldo meant being in danger. She didn't want to be part of his world or any game with Damian. But Liam–her brother’s life was in danger. Damian’s threat still weighed heavily on her.

“I–I don't want to stay, I don't want to be a part of this.” She muttered more to her gearing than to his.

Aldo’s expression softened briefly. “You don't have other options.”

Liya’s stomach turned. Every fiber in her told her to run, to leave immediately while she could. But when she thought of her reckless brother, Liam, the choice was already made for her. She couldn’t go back on her deal with Damian.

“Please, tell me what’s really going on. Why did Damian do this?”

Aldo’s eyes darkened again. “You’ll understand it later. Right now, what you need to know is this is just the beginning of Damian, the tip of the iceberg.”

Liya stared at him, her mind spinning. She dove into this world with no ammo–just the desire to free her brother. But now it didn't seem as easy as she had imagined before.

Aldo looked at Melinda who gave him a faint nod. He turned back to Liya, his voice barely above a whisper, “I don't trust anyone, not even you. But right now, you have to trust me. Stay with me and I'll protect you. If you leave, then your life and that of your brother will barely see the crack of dawn.”

His tone made her wonder if his protection came with a price. “Trust you?” she repeated. What a hypocrite, she thought to herself.

Aldo nodded. “For now, yes, you have to.”

Liya felt the pressure of his words settling over her like a heavy cloak. She wasn't just caught in a dangerous game, she was at the center of it, and she didn't know how to escape.

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  • Desperate Measures   CHAPTER 43: Steak

    Aria held her breath as she headed down the stairs. After she had her bath, she headed out of her room and made her way to the kitchen. That was when she heard the voices of Liya and Aldo talking downstairs. The only thing that was on her mind was the hope that they weren’t arguing. Lately, everything that had been happening to her felt like it was her fault somehow. She was the reason why they were getting into countless arguments, and she didn’t even know how she could put an end to everything. The one person that she could have talked to was Melinda. But Melinda had gone for her holiday, and she didn't want to bother her with her problems. The woman hardly took a break. She had tried talking to Aldo the night before as well, and she begged him to tone down the harshness he was directing to Liya. He was going to change her and make her the monster that he wouldn’t like her to be. Aria saw how silent Aldo became after she said that, and she knew that there was something that had c

  • Desperate Measures   CHAPTER 42: COOKING

    Liya could feel someone breathing down her neck. After she had gotten inside the previous day, she didn’t meet Aldo or Aria in the living room anymore. She figured that both of them might have gone to their respective rooms, but as she got closer, she could hear their muffled voices on the other side of Aria’s door. And to be honest, she was glad that things were over. Sleeping that night was hard, as she was constantly trying to remind herself not to turn and sleep on her injured hand. It was only in the early hours of the morning that she could get some sleep. And it was being disturbed by whatever or whoever was breathing on her. She quickly raised her head, trying to see who it was. Liya took in the sight of the slightly tall woman who looked down at her. She opened her mouth to scream, but the woman quickly covered her mouth with her hands. “You don’t have to scream,” she said in a voice that sounded almost robotic. Her hair was black, and she put on black leather clothes with

  • Desperate Measures   CHAPTER 41: OFF WORK

    Liya stepped forward with fear in her heart, her arm was aching like hell, and she was trying so hard not to cry out in pain. The painkillers that the doctor gave her seemed to have worn off, and the last thing she needed was Aldo’s sympathy. Not when she needed to find out what he was going to do to her after he figured out what was going on. She knew that something had changed when she walked out of the hospital ward, but she didn’t know what. There was a certain coldness between Aria and him. “I’m not speaking to a ghost, am I?” Aldo asked, and she could hear his tone darken with each word that left his mouth. “I went to the library,” Liya said with her chin up. “Why?” he said, even though he already knew the answer. But Liya was very much willing to switch things up.“I got a mail from Barnes and Nobles. There were new book releases that I had to check out. You didn’t have them in your library.”Aldo wanted to ask her why she didn’t read the ones that were already there, but he

  • Desperate Measures   CHAPTER 40: HOSPITAL

    Aldo walked through the hospital doors with his jaw locked and his hands in a fist. He had been trying to get things all set at the new warehouse without any sort of disorder from anybody. That was why he went himself. He left Melinda at the house to take care of the two girls so he could put things in order. He didn't trust anyone to do it to his liking.It was only when he checked his tracker that he noticed that Liya was at the same place as Aria, even when he had clearly asked her to stay away from the girl. He didn’t know if he was going to keep his anger subdued for long. He was driving to the library when he noticed that she was on the move again. And it finally stopped at the hospital. The way he gripped the steering wheel on the way to the hospital was out of this world. He couldn’t help but wonder if she had somehow found something else about her brother. He tried reaching out to the guards who were supposed to be taking care of Aria, but they weren’t answering his calls ei

  • Desperate Measures   CHAPTER 39: SHOT

    “Get down!” Liya screamed as she pushed Aria away. The few people who were around noticed the man with a gun and ran away immediately, screaming for their lives. Aria hit one of the shelves, and she felt her skin peel, but that wasn’t what mattered to her at that point. Her eyes were wide in shock as she watched Liya hold her hands out, trying to calm the man who was right in front of her. One of the people who ran out would have called the police, right?“You don’t have to do this,” Liya begged, but the man cracked his neck like he wasn’t even willing to listen to whatever she had to say. “I was sent, and all I have to do is deliver the message.”“Would you accept any kind of payment?” Liya asked, and she saw the man’s eyes widen for a second. Liya knew that he was hungry. His clothes said everything. But she didn’t know just how much he was being paid to come and kill her. How much was Damian willing to throw away? And why was she the new target this time?She had access to Aldo’s

  • Desperate Measures   CHAPTER 38: SNEAK OUT

    Liya stayed in her room for days, refusing to come out. She heard Aldo and Aria’s footsteps whenever they walked past her room, but neither of them agreed to come inside. The maids were the only ones who did so, only coming to serve her food that could barely pass down her throat. After Liam, Aria was the only person that she seemed to care for. But now that Aria had been taken from her, she had no one to talk to. Liya didn’t know how long it was going to take before she saw Aria again. But one thing she was certain of was that she wasn’t going to obey Aldo’s order for long.As she buried her head in her knees, a knock came at the door. “Come in,” she whispered as she raised her head. She didn’t know if it was Aldo or someone else. As the door opened, the first thing she saw was a tray of food. She looked away immediately. Her hopes crushed.“You won't have the energy to see Aria if you don’t eat,” Melinda’s voice came, a little softer than usual. Liya looked up immediately. “Is Ar

  • Desperate Measures   CHAPTER 37: PROTECTING HIS SISTER

    “I can only imagine how angry Aldo is at both Liam and me,” Liya said, running her hands through her hair. Just when things were starting to work out well between them. Aldo hadn’t returned yet, and she didn’t want him to because she wasn't ready to face him. Not yet. He could hold onto his anger for the meantime. If there was anything she knew, it was that Aldo would definitely be mad at her if any kind of harm was caused to his sister. She was the one thing that mattered most to him in the world. The girl had even tried to fight for the person who ended up hurting her.“You don’t have to worry,” Aria whispered. “He won't do anything. This isn’t the first time that this is happening.”That didn’t do anything to calm Liya down. The only thing she could do was hope for the best. Aria looked up at her again, as she rested her head on Liya’s thigh. “I’m sorry for ruining whatever was happening between you and Aldo,” she said, and Liya looked down at her. She had even forgotten that som

  • Desperate Measures   CHAPTER 36: Hurt and Flee

    “Thank you very much,” Liya said, with a proper smile on her face as she bid the other people at the dinner table goodbye. They were not done with dinner, but Aldo wanted to go home for some reason. Liya felt a shiver run through her spine when he said he was ready to go home. Out here, he couldn't do anything, but she couldn't say the same when they were home. She felt scared of him because she had the feeling that he wanted to deal with her. If he wanted to, he would have done that already. Xavier was pretending to be an obsessed lover throughout the night. He was constantly gushing over her in a way that every other person at the table noticed, and Aldo didn't seem to take that well. “Hold on!” Liana called out just as they were about to step outside the building. She handed Liya a little box. “Xavier asked me to give this to you.”Liya looked up at Aldo just in time to see his hands turn into fists. “Thank you so much,” Liya said, and Liana hugged her again. “I love your brac

  • Desperate Measures   CHAPTER 35: Sent to Kill

    Liya felt herself being dragged to a corner. She was about to scream when she saw that it was Aldo who had grabbed her to stay behind him. “What do you think you are doing?” he asked the man who had pointed the gun at Liya.“My boss asked me to end her,” the man said, and Aldo couldn’t help but let out a sad laugh. “Is she the new target?” he asked, and the assassin frowned, cocking his head to the side. “Your boss couldn’t face me, and he sent you to kill her? The weaker person?”Liya wanted to argue that she wasn’t weak. But then, she knew not to speak. There was no way she would have gotten rid of the assassin. If Aldo weren’t there, she would have been lying on the floor in her pool of blood. “He just asked me to get rid of her. And that is what I’m going to do.”The assassin cocked the gun again and within the blink of an eye, the gun was in Aldo’s hands. Liya had no idea how he did it. Aldo didn’t even give the man a chance to react before he pulled the trigger. They heard th

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