Chapter 2

Kelvin's POV

The man’s head snapped to the side.

His blood sprayed in a satisfying arc across my face. I didn’t stop. My fist came down again, slamming into his jaw with a sickening crunch.

“You bastards. You failing bastards.” My voice was eerily calm as I drove my knuckles again and again into his already broken nose.

His blood pooled beneath him and he collapsed limp and unmoving.

“Answer me,” I said softly, crouching down to his level. He flinched as I grabbed his chin, forcing his face upward. “Who told you to bring her here?”

“I…she…” he stammered with a mouthful of blood.

“You didn’t think,” I corrected, dropping his head in disgust. “That’s the problem. None of you think.”

I straightened, shifting my gaze to the other man pressed against the wall, frozen in terror. His wide eyes darted to his partner, then back to me.

“Say something,” I prompted, tilting my head. “You’re the genius who approved this mess, aren’t you?”

“Boss, it…it wasn’t like that,” he stuttered.

“It wasn’t like that?” I repeated, my lips curling into a humorless smile. I stepped toward him, my boots echoing on the marble floor. “You brought an outsider into my world. And now it is like that.”

The man’s back hit the wall as he struggled to put a distance between us. I grabbed his throat, slamming him against the hard surface.

“Do you know what happens when you fail me?” I murmured as my fingers slowly tightened around his neck.

He choked, clawing at my grip, his feet barely touching the ground.

He collapsed to the floor as I let go of him and grabbed a towel, wiping off the blood from my hands.

I turned to leave the room, but a peculiar unease coiled in my chest.

Her face flashed in my mind, pale and still as she was dragged unconscious into my compound.

Something about her tugged at the edges of my memory.

“Dylan,” I called, my voice cutting through the suffocating silence.

My assistant appeared instantly. He was efficient and, most importantly, loyal. I didn’t keep many people close, but Dylan had proven his worth.

“Yes, sir?”

“The girl,” I said, walking toward my private study. “I need everything on her. Now.”

Victor hesitated, which immediately soured my mood. I glanced at him coldly, silently asking for an explanation.

“She had no ID on her, no phone, nothing,” he explained, following me into the study. “It’s like she doesn’t exist.”

I slammed my palm onto the desk, making Dylan flinch. “Everyone exists. I don’t care if she came out of thin air. Find out who she is.”

Victor nodded quickly. “I’ll start with the dark web.”

“Good.”

As Victor got to work, I leaned against the desk, the faint scent of blood still lingering on me. My mind kept circling back to her. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d seen her before.

Two hours passed. I was starting to lose my patience when Victor returned, a triumphant gleam in his eyes.

“Sir, I found something,” he said, handing me a tablet.

On the screen was a grainy photo of the girl. My breath hitched slightly.

Lauren Carter. The name struck a distant chord.

“She’s listed in missing persons databases,” I raised a brow, as he continued, “But here’s where it gets interesting. She’s the daughter of David Carter.”

“David Carter,” I echoed, the name sounding familiar.

Dylan nodded. “Billionaire. Old money. The Carters vanished from public view years ago after a massive family scandal. The girl was reportedly disowned before the family’s fall, and no one’s seen her since. Except now.”

The pieces clicked into place, and a twisted smile spread across my face.

“So, our little intruder is a long-lost heiress,” I mused, scrolling through the limited information. “Interesting.”

Lauren Carter.

A long-lost billionaire heiress, missing for years. And now, by some stroke of twisted luck, she was within my grasp.

“What's the next step, boss?” Dylan asked, interrupting my thoughts.

I didn’t respond immediately. My reflection in the window stared back at me, calm yet calculating.

“Dylan,” I said, my voice quiet but firm, “set up a meeting with my father. Tonight.”

Victor’s brow furrowed slightly, but he nodded. “Understood.”

My grin cut across my face at the thought of the meeting. My father would see the potential in this situation as I did.

---

"Lauren Carter," I began, my tone clipped, "the missing Carter heiress, presumed dead for years. She’s alive, and she’s under my roof."

My father’s expression shifted, his keen eyes narrowing. “Lauren Carter? From that Carter family?”

“The same,” I confirmed.

He sat straighter, the weight of the revelation sinking in. “How did you find her?”

“She fell into our lap by accident,” I admitted. “But I’ve confirmed her identity through the dark web. She’s worth more than gold to us.”

My father’s lips curled into a slow, calculating smile. “The Carter family is untouchable. Even the Dons tread carefully around them. If we play this right…”

“....we could become untouchable,” I finished for him, the same twisted excitement coursing through my veins. “They don’t know she’s alive.”

He drummed his fingers on the table, his mind already racing. “If we use her against them, we could demand concessions.. The Carters would never risk a public scandal over a ‘dead’ daughter.”

I nodded. “They’ll pay to keep her hidden. But there’s more. If we position her right….we could finally move from being Capo to becoming Dons.”

His gaze glinted, his approval evident. “This is bold, Damian. What’s your angle?”

“I’ll bring her into the fold,”

My father chuckled, the sound low and sinister. “We’ve played in the shadows long enough,” my father said, standing and clasping my shoulder. “It’s time the Aldoracco name becomes synonymous with absolute power. And you, my son, will lead us there.”

The moment we walked out of my father's office, I addressed my assistant, fixing him with a cold stare.

“Prepare a marriage contract. Laura Carter has to be mine.”