Eloise’s POV
A faint smile touched my lips when I finally read Sebastian’s message. My phone had been silent during the entire flight, and only now, as we landed, did the messages start coming in.
I’m back in Paris. But for some reason, I can’t shake this unease sitting heavy in my chest. Something’s wrong. I can feel it—miles away.
“Eloise!”
I froze mid-step when I heard a familiar voice. Turning quickly, I scanned the crowd outside the airport where I had just hailed a taxi. There she was—Colette—waving at me from the curb.
“Colette!” I smiled, walking toward her.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, puzzled.
Eloise’ POVThe words cut sharper than the ropes biting into my wrists.Celeste leaned forward, her smile never reaching her eyes. “You always thought you were different, Eloise. Smarter. Stronger. But look at you now—nothing more than a pawn waiting to be moved.”I locked my gaze with hers, steady, refusing to give her the satisfaction of fear. “Pawns don’t talk back. And I’m still talking.”Adrian chuckled darkly from the corner, arms crossed, his presence filling the room like a shadow. “That mouth of yours will get you killed.”“Or save me,” I shot back. “Depends on who’s listening.”Celeste tilted her head, mock curiosity dripping from her tone. “Do you really think Sebastian will come for you? He has bigger problems—his family, his empire. Why waste time on a woman who keeps running into danger?”Her words twisted in my chest, but I didn’t let them show. “If you were so sure of that, you wouldn’t need to keep me alive as bait.”That flicker in her eyes—anger, quick and hot—was a
I must have blacked out for a second from the force of Celeste’s slap. It wasn’t just her hand that struck me—it was every ounce of her fury. My cheek burned, my ears rang, but I forced myself to breathe evenly even as my heart pounded so violently I swore they could hear it.“You know nothing, Eloise!” she spat. “Whatever happened to my father—he deserved it!”I smirked through the sting. “Really? Or did you do it because no matter how much you tried to impress him, he never truly saw you? Because every gift he gave you was just a bribe to keep you quiet?”Her teeth ground so hard I could hear it. Rage flared in her eyes, crimson and wild. She lunged, ready to strike again—until Adrian caught her by the waist and dragged her back.“Relax, babe!” he coaxed, his voice almost playful. “Don’t let her get to you. Remember—we still need her alive.”Celeste’s nostrils flared. She shot me one last venomous glare before spinning on her heel and storming out.Relief washed over me for only a m
Eloise’s POVEverything happened in a blur.One moment, I was running from Sebastian—angry, betrayed—and the next, I was shoved inside a van. A black cloth was yanked over my face, my wrists bound tightly behind me.“Let me go!” I screamed, thrashing.A hand suddenly clamped around my throat, crushing the air out of me.“Shut up, or I’ll kill you right here,” a man hissed.He released me roughly, and I gasped for air, the cloth suffocating me with every breath.“Put her to sleep already,” another voice muttered. “She’ll be trouble if she figures out who we are.”Panic clawed through me. I fought against the ropes, but then a rag pressed hard over my nose and mouth. A sickly-sweet, chemical smell flooded me, spinning the world into darkness.I tried to resist. I wanted to fight. But strength drained from my body, leaving me in a helpless void.All I had ever wanted was simple: a life where I could give the orphanage stability, provide for the children, and keep my own dignity. Was that
I had been staring at my phone for minutes, rereading the address Eloise had texted me. Each time my thumb hovered over her number, I tried calling, but the line was dead. No answer.I lifted my gaze to the towering building before me. My stomach knotted. Did Eloise really mean here?Impossible. I knew this place. The most exclusive club in the city—owned by one of my business partners. I’d been here before. The kind of place full of money, wine, and whispers. And Eloise? She hated places like this.Something was wrong. Badly wrong.I clenched my fists, forcing myself to move. If Eloise had lured me here, I had to know why.Inside, I cut straight for the stairs. The text had been clear: the room upstairs. When I pushed the door open, my chest tightened.It wasn’t Eloise waiting for me.“Lucille?” I muttered.She lounged at the far end of the room, one leg draped over the other, a wine glass in hand, her smirk sharp as a blade. As if she had been expecting me all along.“You came,” she
I went straight back to my hotel after everything that happened. In the bathroom, I let the warm water run over me, soaking my bloodied skin, as if the heat could wash away the images burned into my head.Angelo was in the hospital now—fighting for his life.I told myself I shouldn’t care. That I’d long since stopped caring. But guilt had a way of crawling in through the cracks. He was still my brother. My reckless, irritating, fragile brother.By the time I stepped out, steam clinging to my body, my muscles felt looser though my chest was still knotted tight. Half-dressed, I crossed the carpeted floor to where my phone buzzed faintly on the bed. A message from Eloise lit up the screen.She was already in Paris. Relief bloomed inside me for a moment. I tried calling, but the line never connected. Just endless ringing.I sighed and tossed the phone aside, exhaustion dragging me down. The moment I stretched out on the bed, sleep claimed me like a thief.—The next morning, Marcus’s voic
Sebastian’s POVEverything happened so fast. In one blink of an eye, everything changes.One moment I was talking to Angelo—arguing, as always—and the next, he was collapsing into my arms.The world slowed to a crawl, as if time itself had recoiled. My ears filled with a dull ringing, every breath shallow, every heartbeat like a hammer striking my skull.What the hell just happened?No matter how broken our relationship was, Angelo was still my brother. My foolish, infuriating, weak brother.“Angelo!” Agatta’s scream shattered through the haze.I snapped back to reality. She lunged toward us, but the officers caught her, wrenching the gun from her hand and slamming her to the ground.“No! My son! Save him! Please!” Her voice cracked with hysteria.I shifted Angelo carefully against the cold floor. His lips glistened with blood, chest heaving violently, every breath a battle.“Wait—wait, Angelo. Hold on! Medic! Where the hell is the medic?!” My throat burned as I shouted.Angelo coughe