Raina furrowed her brows in disbelief. “What?!”Aaron now stepped closer, the tension heightened between them like a storm pressing on the night air.His men stood a few feet away, watchful, their eyes flicking toward the street Kai had just disappeared down.The silence after the confrontation was heavy, broken only by the hum of car engines still idling.“Raina,” Aaron’s voice was firm, resolute, the kind of tone that left no room for argument. “You’re not staying here, apparently it's not safe for you. I’m taking you to the mansion.”Her eyes widened, a flicker of disbelief crossing her face. “The mansion?” She shook her head immediately, taking a small step back, creating distance between them. “No. Absolutely not. You didn't care about how I fared a weeks ago, why start now?.”He clenched his jaw, frustration simmering beneath his controlled exterior. “This isn’t about what me or you or what we want. You just had Kai’s hands on you. Do you understand how close you were to being t
Raina arrived at the office building around six in the evening, an hour that felt strange even to her.She wasn't here to work, she was here to end it.She had already made up her mind.She pushed through the glass doors with an odd weight pressing down on her chest. Her decision had already been made.She wasn't going to take the job, not if it meant allowing Kai back into her life.When she stepped into the expansive workspace, she froze.Kai was there.He stood by the tall windows, his back turned, hands tucked into his pockets. The city skyline framed him like a dark silhouette, his posture radiating control, power, and impatience.She add expecting to meet the boss, the man she met yesterday, but it was Kai that was here himself.He turned at the sound of her heels. His eyes locked onto her, sharp and expectant.“You’re late,” he said flatly, his voice cutting through the silence. “But you came. That’s what matters.”Raina’s hands tightened around the strap of her bag. She exhale
Aaron sat alone in one of the dimly lit room of the Kingston estate, the curtains drawn, his hands steepled beneath his chin.He as well as the rest of the family remained at the estate, atleast until all the noise around Mr. Kingston dies down.For Aaron, his thoughts circled endlessly, around Raina, and never landing on an answer.Her face kept flashing in his mind over and over again, like a loop.He didn’t know what to do anymore. Should he search for her, risk everything to find her? Or had too much already been broken? Maybe he was too late. Maybe chasing after her now would only rip open wounds that could never heal.But what Aaron feared the most, was finding out that she had already moved on from him. Finding out that she has already gone about her life like he never existed.That terrified him.The sound of the door creaking broke his spiral. His jaw tensed immediately. “If you’ve come here to—”But the words died on his tongue when Lucas stepped inside. His posture was calm
Giovanni sat in the dimly lit study, the smoke from his half-burned cigar curling toward the ceiling slowly but surely. His fingers drummed against the polished mahogany desk, the steady tap of impatience echoing in the silence.He was out, Kingston was out! After all the work he put in, all the lies he whispered to very high and important people to make sure he was locked up… he was out, just because of his son's carelessness.Then the door creaked open. Giovanni knew who it was.His son.Marco lingered by the door, a bit hesitant, his face pale as though he had rehearsed this moment a thousand times but still didn’t know how to step into it.“Father…” Marco’s voice cracked. “I'm sorry. All this is my fault after all all, it was me, it was my voice on the recording confessing to my deed.”Giovanni’s hand froze mid-tap. His dark eyes sharpened like knives, pinning his son in place.For a moment, there was no sound but the faint hiss of the cigar. Then he surged up from his chair, his
By the time they wheeled him out of the infirmary, Kingston had already forced himself upright.He wouldn’t be seen leaving prison broken or a shell of himself, not even in a chair.His bruises still burned from the attack earlier and his ribs protesting every breath he took, but his back was straight and his chin lifted. He moved out of the prison premises with that same elegance.The guards led him down the long, echoing corridor toward the main gates.The clang of each door behind him felt final, like chapters closing.Other inmates pressed against the bars as he passed, some sneering, others silent, but all of then were watching.He walked like a man who had never belonged there in the first place. Right then, Mr. Kingston could only think of ways he could make his attackers pay for what they did to him.The final gate of the prison groaned open, spilling daylight onto his battered frame.Waiting just beyond the fence stood his sons.At that moment, even if he wasn't going to let
The metallic clang of the cafeteria doors echoed as inmates of the prison shuffled in line for food with their trays held in their hands.Mr. Kingston picked up his food from the cook, a young, blonde girl, who left him a smile, but he didn't return it.He took his food away, grey mashed potatoes, a slab of meatloaf that looked days old, and a cup of watery juice. He didn’t flinch; prison food had long stopped surprising him.After all, in his teenage days, he spent a full year in prison for possession of drug.He carried his tray with calm precision, his eyes sweeping over the crowded cafeteria. The air around reeked of sweat, disinfectant, and cheap grease.The moment he chose an empty table near the wall, a voice cut through the chatter.“Look who we got here.”He didn’t have to turn to know the tone and the mood of the person who called him. His tone was mocking and somewhat edged with menace.Bad sign…Still, he glanced up, his expression neutral. A tall, wiry man with tattoos cr