MasukLila’s POVThe sound of boots pounding against the concrete floor made me turn my head.Victor jerked around, his gun still pointed at my grandmother. For one terrifying second, I thought he was going to pull the trigger before the officers could reach him. “Drop the gun! Now!” One officer shouted, his gun raised.“Put it down!” another officer shouted.Victor’s eyes moved from the officers to the gun in his hand before finally dropping it. It hit the concrete with a loud clatter. One officer kicked it away while two others rushed forward, grabbed his arms, and forced him to his knees. The sound of handcuffs snapping around his wrists filled the room.“Victor Harrison,” the officer began. “You’re under arrest for murder, kidnapping, and sexual assault.”“No!” Victor struggled against their grip. “Get your filthy hands off me!”The officers dragged him to his feet, but he kept fighting them. Then his eyes found Cole, who stood a few feet away, his face bruised and his shirt stained f
Lila’s POVMy fist struck my father's face before he could turn around. Victor stumbled forward, crashing into one of the unfinished concrete pillars. He barely had time to steady himself before I grabbed the front of his suit and pulled him back toward me.“You son of a bitch!”I punched him again.He staggered, blood appearing at the corner of his mouth as he looked at me with pure disbelief. Then his expression changed.He swung at me. His fist caught my cheek, sending me stumbling sideways, and a sharp pain shot through my face. He shoved me backward, and I nearly lost my footing on the scattered pieces of concrete. I had barely recovered from the pain when he struck me across the face.“You ungrateful little bastard!” he shouted. “I could have killed you in your fucking dead mother’s womb!”His words struck me harder than his fist. For one horrible moment, I stared at him, unable to believe he had said it so easily. Something inside me snapped and I immediately lunged toward him.
Lila’s POVI stood in the hallway, staring at my phone as though I could somehow reach through the screen and pull my grandmother out of that filthy place Victor held her hostage. My hands were shaking so badly that I nearly dropped it.Twenty minutes.That was all the time that fucking bastard had given me.I turned toward the DPO's office. A part of me wanted to run back inside and beg him to help me. But I remembered the way he had looked at me when I told him what Victor had done. He had questioned my story, spoken about Victor as if he was some kind of saint.I quickly unlocked my phone and scrolled to my contacts, stopping when Cole's name appeared on the screen. For several seconds, my thumb hovered over it.I wanted him beside me because I was terrified of facing Victor alone. But if he came with me, Victor might hurt him too. I had already seen what that man was capable of, and I couldn't bear the thought of someone dying because of me."I'm sorry, Cole," I whispered. “I need
Lila’s POVMy fingers tightened around the strap of my bag as I stood outside the police station, staring at the entrance. For the first time since Victor Harrison had destroyed my life, I had something that could finally prove he was nothing but a monster who had hurt innocent girls, threatened anyone who dared to speak against him, and murdered Daniel to protect his secrets.And now I was going to make sure he paid for everything he had done.I took a deep breath and stepped inside. The police station was busy, as officers moved between desks and people sat along the walls, waiting for their cases to be attended to. I slowly approached the front counter, trying to ignore the nervous beating of my heart.A male officer looked up at me.“Good morning. How can I help you?”“I…” My voice caught in my throat. “I need to speak with the officer in charge of this station.”He shot me a look.“What is your reason for wanting to see him?”“I need to report a serious criminal case.”“What kin
Lila’s POVI struggled, twisting my body and clawing at the fingers pressed against my face. The figure behind me dragged me backward, but I drove my heel down hard on his foot.A sharp cry broke the silence. His grip loosened, and I tore myself free. Stumbling backward, I caught sight of a flower vase on a narrow table. I grabbed it and swung with all my strength.The figure ducked as the vase smashed against the wall beside his head.“Lila! Stop! It’s me, Cole!”For one disbelieving second, I could only stare at him as he stood a few steps away, holding his injured foot. His eyes moved from the broken vase to my face.“Cole?” I lowered my hand slowly. “What are you doing here?”“I could ask you the same thing.” He straightened, his expression changing from relief to concern. “Are you hurt?”“Don’t change the subject. How did you find me? How did you know I was here?”He hesitated, and that small pause made my stomach tighten.“I tracked you.”My eyes widened.“You did what?”“I put
Lila’s POVI stared at the large house standing in front of me, its dark windows reflecting the moonlight. There were no guards at the entrance, no cars in the driveway, and no sign that anyone was inside. Yet something about the place made my stomach twist.This was Victor Harrison's safe house. Somewhere inside those walls was the evidence that could finally expose his crimes. And I was about to break into it."Are you ready?" Nadia’s voice cut through my thoughts as she whispered beside me.I turned sharply toward her. She was trying to appear calm, but she kept rubbing her palms against her jeans. "No," I admitted quietly. "But we have to do this."Nadia nodded and reached for her bag. "Then stay close to me. We get the evidence, and we leave. Nothing else matters."We began making our way inside, crossing the driveway carefully. We had barely taken two steps when I spotted a small camera mounted above the entrance.My steps stopped."Nadia,” I whispered. “Look.”She followed my







