LOGINDarkness swallowed the mansion. Gunshots erupted wildly from every corner of the room. Anna screamed as chaos exploded around her. “Get down!” Eric shouted through the darkness. Another shot rang out. A guard collapsed heavily against the table. Carden struggled violently against the men holding him. In the confusion, one of the guards loosened his grip for a split second— That was enough. Carden slammed his elbow backward into the guard’s throat. The man choked. Carden ripped the gun from his hand and fired blindly into the darkness. A body hit the floor. “Lights! Turn the damn lights back on!” Arnold roared somewhere across the room. But nobody answered. More gunfire echoed through the mansion. Anna dropped to the floor, covering her head as shattered glass rained around her. Then suddenly— Strong hands grabbed her arm. She gasped violently. “Quiet,” a familiar voice whispered. Fred. “It’s me.” He quickly cut the ropes binding her wrists.
The silence in the room became suffocating. No one moved. No one dared to. Arnold leaned back slowly in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly against the armrest as he studied the faces before him. Carden’s chest rose heavily with anger. Eric remained still, his jaw tight. Fred stood beside Mr. Jackson with both hands raised, but his eyes never left Vera. And Anna— Anna could barely breathe. Tears burned in her eyes as the tape pressed painfully against her lips. Arnold smiled faintly. “This…” he muttered, glancing around the room, “is exactly how revenge should feel.” Carden glared at him. “You’re insane.” A guard instantly struck him across the face with a gun. Blood spilled from the corner of Carden’s lips. Anna let out a muffled cry. “Careful,” Arnold warned calmly. “You’re in no position to challenge me.” Carden spat blood onto the floor. “Go to hell.” Arnold chuckled softly. “That attitude…” He stood up slowly. “Just like your father.” The room froze. C
Below— Flames licked the wooden crates as Fred stepped back, the fire spreading quickly now. “Go,” he muttered into his comm. “Done,” Eric’s voice came through. Fred turned— And disappeared into the shadows. ⸻ In the tunnel— Carden and Eric moved fast now. No hesitation. No slowing down. The faint glow of firelight flickered through cracks ahead. “We’re close,” Eric said. Carden didn’t respond. He didn’t need to. He could feel it. Above— Arnold grabbed his gun. “Lock the exits,” he ordered sharply. “No one leaves.” The guard nodded and rushed out. Vera stood slowly. “You should be careful,” she said lightly. Arnold looked at her. “You knew,” he said. It wasn’t a question. Vera didn’t deny it. “I suspected,” she corrected. His grip tightened. “Who is it?” Vera’s gaze shifted— Landing directly on Anna. A slow smile spread across her lips. “Someone who’s willing to burn your world down for her.” “Immediately I stopped getting calls from them, they stopped
The name barely left her lips. Sister Vera smiled gently as she walked closer, her eyes fixed on Arnold. “You’ve grown reckless,” she said softly. Arnold let out a quiet chuckle. “And you’ve been away too long.” They stood facing each other now. Like old allies. “I have missed you baby, Arnold spoke. I have missed you too sugar”. Then they kissed passionately and brief. Anna’s confusion deepened. Her pulse raced. “What… is this…?” she whispered. But no one answered her. Sister Vera hung her hands around Arnold, her gaze flicking briefly toward Anna—something unreadable passing through her eyes. Then back to him. “You’re losing control,” she said. Arnold tilted his head slightly. “Am I?” he replied, almost amused. “Yes,” she said simply. “And it’s making you sloppy.” A pause. Then— Her smile widened slightly. “And you know I don’t like sloppy work.” Arnold laughed softly under his breath. For the first time— He didn’t look like a mons
The abandoned house felt colder than usual. Not because of the weather—but because of fear. It clung to the walls. It sat in the silence between breaths. Fred stood over the table, maps and scattered papers spread before him. His fingers pressed hard against the wood, his jaw tight with focus. Carden stood beside him, restless. Pacing. Stopping. Pacing again. Every second that passed felt like a blade dragging slowly across his chest. Across the room, Rita sat on a worn-out chair, her body trembling as quiet sobs escaped her. “My daughter…” she whispered brokenly. “My Anna…” Her hands clutched tightly to her chest as if trying to hold herself together. Carden stopped pacing. His eyes softened for just a second as he looked at her—but it didn’t last. It couldn’t. Because guilt was louder. Because anger burned hotter. “We’ll get her back,” he said, his voice firm, though something underneath it cracked slightly. Rita looked up at him, her eyes swo
Anna’s breath hitched. For a moment, she couldn’t speak. Arnold’s eyes didn’t leave her neck. The faint red mark—barely visible—had ignited something dark and volatile inside him. “Answer me,” he said, his voice low but dangerous. Anna swallowed hard.She quickly shifted her thoughts to Carden, the night they had at the abandoned house when it rained. “It’s nothing,” she said quickly, shaking her head. “I must have hit something when they dragged me in—” Arnold’s hand shot out suddenly, gripping her chin and forcing her face up. “Don’t lie to me.” His grip wasn’t just firm—it was possessive. Anna winced. “I’m not lying,” she whispered, her voice trembling now. For a second, it looked like he might believe her. But then his expression hardened again. He released her abruptly and stepped back. “Guards!” he barked. The door opened immediately. Two men stepped in. Arnold pointed at them without hesitation. “Which one of you touched her?” They exchanged confused glances.
Sister Vera was confused. The documents she had kept were no longer in her office. Her keys had always been with her; no one came in except her, and now she couldn’t find the documents. She felt a strange presence around the chapel, yet she couldn’t figure it out. She kept reminiscing about w
Sister Vera did not sleep. The chapel bell had barely finished its first call when she was already walking briskly down the corridor, her veil swaying with restrained urgency. The image of Father Damien’s empty room from the night before still gnawed at her—missing documents, locked doors, a pres
“You found her where?” Fred asked. The voice on the call spoke to Fred for some minutes. “Okay… I will be there now. Make sure you all take your stands. Nothing must go wrong.” “Okay, boss,” the voice said as Fred hung up. He walked up to Father Damien’s room. He knocked. Father Damie
⸻ At the mansion, night time. Anna was still in the confession room, curled to the ground. The cold ground gave her chills on her skin, but nothing gave her chills more than the thought of her mom in Silicly, and Arnold already knows about that. She wouldn’t stop praying that she’s safe, tho sh







