ANMELDENMeanwhile, inside the bank, the robbers were loading their haul into a truck parked in the drainage tunnel running beneath the building. Suddenly, one of the gunmen began inspecting the hostages one by one. Spotting a woman, he aggressively grabbed her, ripping her clothes open. She screamed for help, but there was no one around to save them.
"SHUT UP!" the robber roared, making his sickening intent clear right in front of the other hostages.
One of his accomplices shouted at hi
The narrow ventilation shaft Aidan crawled through led toward a room adjacent to the bank's main deposit vault. A few times, Aidan had to halt and force himself to stay calm. It wasn't that he couldn't fit; it was the lingering ghost of his past claustrophobia rearing its head. At one point, Blake reached out from behind, gripping his boot to check on him."You good?" Blake asked, knowing a bit about Aidan's condition.Aidan took a deep breath, glanced back, and nodded. Pushing forward, he reached the end of the shaft and forced his body through the opening.As his tactical boots hit the floor, Aidan let out a heavy sigh of relief. The SWAT officer, who had dropped down first, handed Aidan his weapon, which had been tossed down ahead of them. Keeping low behind a wall, Aidan tried once more to raise Arjoona on the comms, but the signal was dead.Signaling Juan to advance toward the far wall, Aidan stayed in front while Blake a
Meanwhile, inside the bank, the robbers were loading their haul into a truck parked in the drainage tunnel running beneath the building. Suddenly, one of the gunmen began inspecting the hostages one by one. Spotting a woman, he aggressively grabbed her, ripping her clothes open. She screamed for help, but there was no one around to save them."SHUT UP!" the robber roared, making his sickening intent clear right in front of the other hostages.One of his accomplices shouted at him, "Hey! We don't have time for this shit! Let her go!"Furious, the man released the poor woman, shoving her back into the crowd. But as he scanned the room again, his eyes locked onto a new target. Malikha, who was hiding, had accidentally exposed her face."Well, hello gorgeous," he purred, a predatory glint in his eye.Malikha cringed backward, praying he would leave her alone. But the man moved too fast, grabbing her.His partner snapped, growing even more annoye
A bank manager was being brutally beaten to force him into giving up the vault code. When he refused to speak, the man who appeared to be the ringleader shot him point-blank in the head.Malikha choked back her tears, fighting to keep her panic from surging out of control. If she spiraled, her unborn baby could be deprived of oxygen, and she couldn't risk putting her child in danger."Breathe, Malikha... just breathe," she whimpered softly, her eyes squeezed shut. Her hands gently cupped her stomach, soothing her baby, who was kicking restlessly from her extreme stress."It's okay, sweetheart. Mommy's here. Stay calm... we're going to be okay," Malikha whispered to her womb.A fellow hostage seated nearby glanced over at Malikha, taking pity on her when he noticed her pregnancy. Acting on instinct, he shifted his body to block her from view, shielding her so none of the robbers would take notice."Thank you," Malikha whispered from behind him. The young man gave a subtle nod, keeping h
A single phone call caused Aidan and Glenn to exchange glances in the lobby of Orcanza. Aidan gave Glenn a firm nod, and his assistant immediately approached. Together, they headed straight for the elevator down to the underground parking garage.“I’ve prepped all the gear in my car, sir!”Aidan nodded. “We’ll use yours.”Glenn nodded back, stepping out of the elevator alongside Aidan. Both men shed their suit jackets before Glenn unlocked the trunk of his luxury sedan. He pressed a hidden button, revealing a secret compartment. Aidan and Glenn tossed their suit jackets and dress shirts aside, quickly changing into plain long-sleeved t-shirts before getting into the vehicle.Thirty minutes later, they arrived at an office complex that the NYPD had completely evacuated. Police line tape had been strung up since late afternoon when the robbery first broke out. Their car couldn't breach the police barricade, which had sealed off the surrounding streets for blocks. As a result, they had t
MONTH SIXAidan plunged right back into his old workaholic habits. After returning from Los Angeles, he spent nearly all his waking hours buried in work. The only thing different about him was his hair—now a neat cut in a dark brownish-black shade.Aidan had transformed into a stylish, handsome, and masculine man. Yet he remained as cold and mysterious as ever. The only constant was that he still wore his wedding ring and no longer played around with women or alcohol.The most drastic change was that Aidan completely abolished the "red room" shows in his clubs and casinos. All the dancers and pole dancers were reassigned to regular waitstaff and other roles. His clubs now exclusively booked renowned DJs, putting an end to any adult entertainment.Leaning his elbows against the second-floor railing of his casino, Aidan listened as the general manager explained the revenue and growth metrics for his Pegasus club and casino. Aidan simp
Aidan had already left LA, though Malikha had yet to realize it. This was now the third time in a single week that she had called Raphael to her home. She had grown increasingly restless lately, haunted by recurring dreams of Aidan.She even dreamed of kissing and making love to him in her bed. On top of that, Malikha was frequently overwhelmed by sudden surges of anxiety, feeling unsafe whenever she was left alone—even though she had been perfectly fine before."Since when have you been feeling this anxious?" Raphael asked after working through a series of preliminary questions."For about two months now. Ever since my fourth month of pregnancy," Malikha answered, her tone laced with worry. She dreaded the thought that something bad might happen again because of these dreams.Raphael, who had brought an obstetrician along, conferred with the doctor regarding her recent assessment. He paused to think for a moment before asking Malikha to describe he
Aidan smiled as he listened to Malikha’s reaction on the other end of the phone.He could already picture her expression—wide eyes, trembling lips, that soft, overwhelmed look she always had whenever something touched her heart. The thought alone was enough to satisfy him.“Do you like the surprise?
Malikha froze the moment she heard his voice.“Hey, babydoll!”Her heart skipped as she slowly turned around. Of all people… she hadn’t expected to see him here.Aidan flashed a charming grin, acting warm and friendly, almost like an old friend.He stepped out of his car like he had all the time in
Malikha didn’t sleep that night. After Aidan left, she stared emptily, thinking about his apology—not because of the job offer. Aidan had changed in a click. The way he had looked at her before he left somehow made her blush, and she couldn’t stop. Her conscience told her to leave, but her heart as
Malikha forced a smile as she walked into her mom’s room, steadying her breath before anyone could notice the tension in her shoulders. The moment her eyes landed on the tall, handsome, mature man standing near the bed, her smile stretched wider.“Good afternoon, Mr. Caesar,” she greeted politely,







