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The next warning

Author: Bryan King
last update Last Updated: 2025-01-22 00:15:29

The atmosphere outside the mansion seemed strangely silent compared to the chaos that just happened in the study. The storm had passed leaving the night wet and calm, but Liya’s heart was anything but still. The scene repeatedly played in her mind. Every detail troubled her mind as she followed Aldo and Melinda down the shadowy hallway, her movement quick to keep up with them.

Liya’s breath came out in pants, her palms sweaty as she wrapped her arms around herself. She had never felt so uncomfortable, so totally exposed. The beauty of the mansion, with its spotless floors and grand chandelier, felt more like a sugar-coated cage rather than a shelter.

Aldo stopped suddenly, turning to her. His fierce gaze on her and for a minute, her breath stopped. “We don't have a lot of time,” he said in a low but firm voice.”Damian won’t stop just after a single attack. This was the first of many, so we need to hurry.”

Liya’s stomach knotted. Thoughts of the lifeless human in the study filled her mind. His last disturbing words: Damian sends his greetings, weighing heavily on her and suffocating her mind. “Why would Damian decide to attack you now? I thought… I thought the deal was finalized when I agreed to marry you?” She asked with a trembling voice.

Aldo’s jaw hardened. “ Damian never honors any deal unless it's beneficial to him, so don't put too much faith in him. The marriage was just a move on his chessboard and he is still playing the game.”

“And I guess I'm just another piece in this game of his.” Liya whispered bitterly.

“Absolutely,” Aldo voiced without stalling, his tone harsher than she predicted. “But you are not a puppet anymore, you're something more, Liya. And that's the reason Damian will keep seeking you and coming after you.”

Liya blinked, confusion and alarm bells ringing in her head. “More? What do you mean?”

Aldo didn't give her a response immediately. His eyes moved to Melinda, standing silently with her hand fixed on the gun hidden in her hip. The strain between them made Liya uncomfortable.

“There’s no time to explain everything right now,” Aldo said, evading her question. “Right now, you need to stay close and do as I say. Make sure you follow my lead.”

His tone made Liya angry but she withheld her reply. Even though she hated the way he treated her like a child who could barely understand the entire situation, she couldn't forget the fact that he had just saved her life. For now, she had no choice but to trust and listen to him, even though her intuitions screamed at her not to do so.

Aldo guided them down another hallway, his actions conscious and quiet. The elegance of the mansion was shown continuously before them–arts that were the kinds displayed in museums, fancy woodworks that must have taken so long to design but Liya couldn’t take a moment to deeply admire them. The squeak of the floors and every shadow that appeared in the dark posed a threat to them, the hair at the back of her neck standing like they were being watched.

They finally reached a large wooden door at the end of the hall. She got through the doors and into the room only to come face to face with a broad underground room loaded with a range of advanced tech equipment; monitors, weapons, and maps draped out on the walls. A bunch of men and women with hard expressions were already stationed inside, their attention shifting to Aldo as he entered.

“Give me a status update,” Aldo demanded, his voice slicing through the tense room like a sword.

One of the stern-faced men, a lean figure with a vertical scar on his cheek came forward. “We’ve guarded the surroundings, but the attack shows somebody from within supplied Damian with info, cause he knew precisely where to strike. It’s too accurate to be a coincidence.”

Aldo’s entire appearance darkened and Liya felt the warmth in the room drop. “A rat,” he whispered. “Find them immediately. I don’t care what it takes, they’ll wish they never double-crossed me.”

The scarred man nodded and vanished into the darkness while the others carried on with their tasks. Liya hovered around the door, her anxiety building as the seconds passed by. She had believed the storm was over, but if it was true that there was a mole, then this night was far from being over.

Aldo turned to her abruptly, his gaze piercing. “Stay here, don’t leave until I say it’s safe for you to do so.”

“What?” She exclaimed fear taking over her. “No! You can’t…you can’t just leave me here alone! What if–“

“You’ll be safe,” he cut her off, his tone leaving no room for an argument. “This room is highly secured. Melinda will stay here with you.”

Liya’s gaze moved to Melinda who stood at the side. While her presence gave her a slight sense of comfort, the thought of staying back while Aldo faced the danger hiding in the shadows made her chest tight. “I don’t want to just sit back and be clueless, I deserve to know what’s happening,” she said in a trembling voice.

“You’ll know what there is to know when the time is right, this isn’t a battle you’re prepared for, trust me.” His voice held an edge to it as he stepped closer to her, his presence towering over her. Having said that, he turned and left the room, leaving her with Melinda.

——————————

Time went by as Liya paced the room, her anxiety growing as the seconds went by. Melinda just stood by the monitors with a heavy expression as she watched the different areas of the mansion displayed on the screen.

“Is he always like this?” Liya asked, not being able to bear the silence any longer.

“Like what?” Melinda asked, her brows wrinkled.

“Blocking people, acting like he can’t rely on anyone but himself,” Liya said in frustration.

Melinda smirked. “In a world like his, trust is like a poison that kills you slowly. He is not used to depending on anyone but himself.”

Liya wanted to question her further, to understand the man she was forced to marry, but before she could open her mouth, the screen of the monitors blinked and showed the front gates of the mansion.

Liya paled. A black car was parked outside, its engine running. She tried to look inside but the tinted windows made it impossible. A chill ran down her spine as she turned to Melinda, “Tell me that's back up.” she whispered to Melinda, scared her voice would carry through the monitor.

Melinda studied the screen and became rigid. “ No, they are not our men,” she equally whispered as she reached for her earpiece. “Aldo, there's a situation at the front gates, an unknown SUV is parked out in front.”

His reply squeaked through the earpiece. “Stay where you are, I'm on my way.”

Melinda nodded and faced Liya. “Stay here, I’ll be back.”

“What! No! No!” Liya said, her voice hysterical. “You can't leave me alone, what if they get in here?”

Melinda’s eyes softened for a second. “ That's impossible Liya, this room is like a fort, nobody can get through to get in. You'll be safe.”

Liya watched as Melinda slipped out of the room, the doors locking behind her, leaving her with the view from the monitors and panic-filled thoughts.

—————————

Minutes crawled by as Liya sat on the steel chair, her hands fisted so tightly her knuckles turned white, her posture stiff, and her ears on alert for any sound. The monitors showed Melinda and Aldo approaching the front gates, both of their guns drawn.

Liya leaned forward, her heart beating rapidly as they approached the SUV. The driver exited first, then a tall wide-shouldered man in a suit followed. His face was partially covered by the darkness but something familiar about him made her blood run dry.

He exchanged words with Aldo, and though she couldn't hear them, she could tell they were intense. Aldo’s entire demeanor was stiff.

The man suddenly reached inside his suit pocket. Liya gulped, fear gripping her, but Aldo was faster than she imagined, drawing his gun and aiming it at the man.

The screen flickered and went blank.

“No!” Liya banged her hands on the monitor, wondering what had happened. Her mind raced with dangerous scenarios. Was Aldo okay?

A loud thud sounded through the walls of the room, accompanied by gunshots. Her breath caught in her throat as she lowered herself against the wall, panic surging.

Suddenly, the doorknob shook. Liya sat still, hoping it was Melinda or Aldo coming to her rescue. The handle twisted and the door cracked open, a silhouette appearing in the doorway. Her face paled as the figure stepped into the light, his face coming into view.

It wasn't Aldo. It wasn't Melinda. It was someone different.

Not again.

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  • 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

  • Desperate Measures   CHAPTER 34: Dangerous Party

    Liya plastered a smile on her lips as she walked through the crowd of people with Aldo’s hands firmly around her waist the whole time. It was almost as if he was never going to let her go, and she knew exactly what it looked like to the people who were staring. They were the perfect couple. He was the man who would always protect his wife. And of course, she was the trophy wife at least. “If it isn’t Mr. Aldo Marino,” someone called out, and Aldo turned in that direction with a bigger smile on his face. “Xavier Sinclair,” he said so smoothly, that Liya already knew that they had something more than just business. The man with well-gelled hair and sharp features walked over to both of them. He had charming blue eyes, and he never seemed to take his eyes off Liya. He looked at her from head to toe, and she felt small in her dress. Aldo noticed how uncomfortable she was getting, and he pulled her slightly behind him, with his hand never leaving hers. He cleared his throat. A sign for

  • Desperate Measures   CHAPTER 33: Trying

    Aldo stood downstairs, with his hands behind his back. After that little talk with Aria, taking Liya to a party just for her to unwind was the only thing he could think of. His mind was clouded as well. They both needed to socialize. So it was a good idea for them. He wanted to plan a dinner date with her, but he knew that she wasn't going to be comfortable sitting alone with him at a table, so the party was his best option at that point. There was going to be a party and then a little dinner afterwards. It would give him a chance to teach her as well. It was going to be a win-win for both of them. He wondered why she was taking so long. Maybe she didn't want to go join him for the party, but he was prepared to head upstairs and dress her up himself if that was what it took. He was ready to carry her over his shoulders and take her to the party. It was going to be awkward between both of them, but he didn't care. It wasn't like he was going to outrightly apologize to her. Another t

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