CHAPTER 101 —The Message He Never Sent

PART 1

The shadow didn’t move like a normal person. Not like a human walking. It glided. Silent. Calculated. Each step measured. Every movement deliberate, like he was savoring the moment before striking.

Lucian’s grip on my hand was iron-strong. Cassian crouched slightly, ready to spring, while Adrian scanned the entire perimeter with precise, almost surgical attention.

“Stay behind me,” Lucian whispered, voice like steel. “No sudden movements. Not for anything.”

I nodded, though my chest was hammering so hard I was sure the shadow could hear it.

Then it happened.

A sudden, loud crash shattered the quiet—the sound of something heavy smashing against the back door. Glass splintered, raining like tiny knives onto the hardwood floor.

Arian screamed.

I grabbed her tighter, pressing her against my chest. The metallic scent hit me again. Blood? Or steel? I couldn’t tell. My stomach lurched.

Lucian moved first. Swift, silent, a predator born for this kind of chaos. He slid toward the back door, hand on the handle, muscles coiled. Cassian and Adrian flanked him, eyes scanning the darkness beyond the shattered glass.

And then… I saw him.

Darius Mercer.

Taller than I imagined, dressed all in black, face obscured by shadow, but I could feel his eyes on me. Every inch of me. Like he knew my heartbeat. Like he could predict my fear.

He raised a hand—not threatening, not yet—but deliberate. He wasn’t rushing. He was letting us stew. Letting the tension build.

Lucian’s jaw tightened. “Darius,” he growled, voice low, dangerous. “This ends tonight. Or you leave. Now.”

Darius’s laugh was soft, chilling. “Ends? Oh, Lucian… it’s only just begun.”

I pressed my face into Lucian’s side. His pulse was steady. Calm. Predatory. Protective. My anchor.

The shadow of Darius shifted slightly, gliding closer, and I realized this wasn’t just a threat anymore. He had come inside our territory. Inside our home.

Cassian muttered under his breath. “He’s playing with us… he’s toying with us.”

Adrian’s eyes were cold, calculating. “He’s testing every reaction. Every weakness. Every instinct.”

The room went quiet. Tension thickened like a storm cloud about to break.

And then Darius spoke again.

“You have something I want,” he said, voice soft, dangerous, like velvet hiding steel. “And I’ll take it… whether you’re ready or not.”

Lucian didn’t flinch. His hand shifted slightly toward a hidden weapon at his side. “You won’t. Not while I’m standing here.”

Darius tilted his head, considering us. “Ah… Lucian, always the protector. Admirable. But even the strongest walls can crumble.”

He stepped closer into the dim light. And I saw it—a faint glint. Something sharp. A blade. Hidden, but unmistakable.

My breath caught. My knees threatened to give out.

And then he smiled. Not warmly. Not kindly. But with a cold, dangerous amusement that made my blood run ice-cold.

“Let’s play a little game,” Darius whispered, eyes glinting. “You’ll see soon enough… your father wasn’t the only one who made mistakes.”

Lucian moved, blocking me instinctively. Cassian and Adrian flanked us.

And in that instant, I understood: whatever was coming next, it wasn’t just about fear.

It was about survival.

And we weren’t ready.

The moment stretched. Every second felt like an eternity. Darius stood in the shattered doorway, calm, controlled, every movement deliberate. Lucian’s body tensed in front of me like a shield, muscles coiled, ready to strike.

Cassian’s hands twitched, eager to jump into action, but Lucian held him back with a single glance. Adrian crouched near the broken glass, scanning for any additional threats. The girls were behind us, trembling, holding onto each other.

And then… Darius smiled again.

“Lucian,” he said softly, almost mockingly, “so predictable. Always the protector. Always standing in the way. Do you think you can stop what’s coming?”

Lucian’s voice was low, dangerous. “Try me. I promise, you won’t leave here alive if you cross the line.”

Darius tilted his head, amused. “Alive? Oh, I wasn’t planning on that anyway.”

My stomach dropped. The words didn’t even need to be fully explained—they were a promise. Threatening, precise, and horrifying.

He stepped closer, and I noticed the faint glint of a blade in his hand. Not raised yet—but ready.

Lucian’s gaze never left him. “Back off. Or I will make you regret the day you ever came here.”

Darius chuckled softly. “Regret? You have no idea what regret feels like.”

And then, as if testing us, he shifted slightly—just a movement, barely noticeable—but enough to make the tension snap.

Cassian lunged.

“Wait!” Lucian barked, blocking him in a blur of motion. “Not yet!”

Cassian froze, glaring at Lucian. But the warning was clear. This wasn’t just about fighting—it was about strategy, and one misstep could cost us everything.

Darius’s eyes flicked to me. Calm. Assessing. Predatory.

“You,” he said, voice low, “you carry more than fear. You carry his blood. And soon… you’ll understand the game fully.”

I swallowed hard, trying to steady my shaking hands. “What game? What are you talking about?”

He laughed softly. “You’ll see soon enough. But first… you need to know I’ve been patient. Watching. Waiting. And now… it begins.”

He stepped closer. Blade glinting in the dim light. My stomach knotted, fear roaring through me.

Lucian moved instinctively. Body in front of mine. Hand on the weapon at his side. Eyes locked on Darius like he could burn through him with sheer willpower.

Adrian crouched, ready, calculating every angle. Cassian flexed, eager, barely contained energy humming through him.

And then, without warning, Darius lunged—not at us directly, but at the shattered glass, kicking shards toward the floor, a distraction, testing our reactions.

Lucian reacted instantly, shielding me, shifting his stance, ready to engage. Cassian moved to flank him, Adrian covering the windows.

Time slowed. Every breath, every heartbeat, every motion calculated.

I clutched Arian tightly, feeling her tremble against me, wishing desperately that I could protect her from this storm.

Darius stood, smirk still on his face, watching us respond, eyes glittering with amusement.

“You think you’re ready,” he said softly. “But none of you are. None of you have a clue what’s coming next.”

Lucian’s jaw clenched. “Then show yourself, Darius. Let’s finish this tonight.”

The tension was unbearable. Every second stretched until it hurt. The broken glass, the shadows, the smell of metal in the air—it all pressed down on me.

And I realized, with a chill that went straight through my bones, that this night was only the beginning.

Because Darius Mercer wasn’t here to play.

He was here to win.

The air was thick with tension, like the calm before a hurricane. Darius Mercer didn’t just stand there—he owned the room, moving with the confidence of someone who had planned this moment for years. Every motion, every glance, every smirk was deliberate.

Lucian stepped forward, blocking me from view, his stance protective and predatory all at once. Cassian moved to flank him, fists clenched, energy practically vibrating with anticipation. Adrian stayed near the windows, scanning every corner, every potential threat.

And I realized, in that moment, that I was frozen—not from fear, but from the absolute certainty that none of this was random.

Darius tilted his head slightly, his voice smooth and chilling. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this, Sophie. And now…” His eyes flicked toward me, sharp, assessing. “…now it begins.”

Before I could even register the movement, he lunged. Not straight at us, but toward the living room, sliding across the floor with uncanny speed.

Lucian reacted instantly, moving in front of me like a shield. Cassian tried to intercept Darius, but the man was fast, impossibly fast, dodging every swing, every attempt to corner him.

“Keep her safe!” Lucian barked, and I clutched Arian to my chest, ducking behind the couch as glass tinkled and scattered across the hardwood floor.

Adrian moved silently, positioning himself near the stairs, covering potential escape routes. “He’s testing us,” he said, voice calm but low. “Every movement. Every reaction. Don’t fall into his trap.”

Darius stopped suddenly, smirking, and leaned against the wall as if taunting us. “Impressive,” he said. “Very impressive. But you’re predictable. All of you.”

Cassian growled. “Predictable? You’ve got to be kidding me. He’s insane!”

Lucian’s eyes narrowed. “Insane doesn’t even begin to cover it. But he underestimates one thing: family.”

The word hit me harder than I expected. Family. All of us, together. That’s what kept us alive—what gave Lucian, Cassian, and Adrian the edge over someone who thought he could break us with fear.

Darius’s eyes flicked to Arian, and my stomach dropped. “You have children,” he said softly, almost a whisper. “And that makes you… weak.”

“No,” Lucian growled, stepping in front of us. “It makes us strong. And you won’t touch them.”

Darius laughed softly. “Touch? Oh, no. That’s not the point. Fear works better than force. Fear bends people. Breaks them.”

He shifted slightly, moving toward the back door as if to leave, testing our reactions again.

Lucian didn’t move. Cassian didn’t move. Adrian didn’t move.

I realized then that we were in a standoff—every inch of space, every shadow, every heartbeat mattered.

Then Darius stopped, just inside the shattered doorway, and held something up. Small. Black. Metallic.

The watch.

The same one he had left outside. Ticking. Counting. A warning.

“Time is precious,” he said softly. “And your father’s mistakes… will cost you dearly.”

Lucian’s hand twitched toward his weapon. “Not tonight.”

Darius smiled again, cold and cruel. “Tonight… is just an appetizer.”

Then, without warning, he disappeared.

The sound of a window sliding shut. A soft whisper of movement. And he was gone—vanished into the night.

Silence fell over the living room. Broken glass glittered on the floor. The metallic scent lingered. And the ticking of the watch echoed through my head.

Arian whimpered, clutching me tightly. “Mommy… he’s gone?”

“For now,” I whispered, pressing my lips to her hair. “For now.”

Lucian exhaled slowly, eyes still scanning the shadows. “This isn’t over. Not by a long shot. He’ll be back. And when he comes… we need to be ready.”

Cassian slammed his fist against the wall. “He’s insane! I want to tear him apart!”

Adrian shook his head. “Focus. Rage will get us killed. We survive. We plan. And then… we fight.”

I nodded, holding Arian tighter, my mind racing. The danger wasn’t gone. It was only beginning.

And I realized something terrifying: Darius Mercer wasn’t just a threat to Lucian, to Cassian, or to Adrian. He was a threat to me. To the girls. To everything we loved.

And if we weren’t careful… we wouldn’t survive the night.

After Darius disappeared, the silence in the house felt heavier than ever. Broken glass crunched under Cassian’s boots as he paced the living room. Adrian’s eyes didn’t stop scanning the windows, the doors, the shadows beyond. And Lucian… Lucian stood perfectly still, jaw tight, every muscle taut, as if anticipating the next move before it even happened.

I clutched Arian to my chest, feeling her small, trembling body, wishing desperately I could make the fear disappear. “Mommy,” she whispered, “will he come back?”

Lucian knelt beside us, pressing his hand to my shoulder. “Yes. And when he does, we’ll be ready. I promise.”

Cassian muttered, “Ready? He just vanished into thin air! That’s not ready, that’s—”

“Cassian!” Lucian snapped. His voice cut through the tension like a knife. Cassian froze mid-step, glaring, but the warning was clear. This wasn’t the time for panic or bravado.

Adrian finally spoke, voice calm, cold, precise. “We need a plan. First, secure all points of entry. Windows, doors, vents. Every possible access point he could exploit. Second, set up watches. Cameras, sensors, anything that can give us an advantage. Third…” He looked at Lucian, eyes sharp. “…we prepare for his next move, whatever it is.”

Lucian nodded. “We divide responsibilities. Cassian and I will patrol the interior. Adrian, you cover the perimeter. I want eyes on every shadow outside, every corner, every blind spot.”

Cassian groaned. “This is insane. He’s toying with us!”

“He’s dangerous,” Lucian corrected, voice calm but firm. “And precise. One misstep, one lapse… and he could get what he wants.”

I swallowed hard, gripping Arian tighter. “Lucian… what exactly does he want?”

Lucian’s eyes flicked toward me, dark and unreadable. “He wants a message. A game. And he wants to remind us that your father’s death wasn’t the end… it was the beginning. Everything that follows is part of his plan.”

Arian whimpered. “Daddy… will he hurt us?”

“No,” Lucian said firmly. “Not while we’re together. Not tonight. I promise.”

But I could see it in his eyes—the weight of the threat, the unspoken reality that the night was far from over.

Adrian moved to the shattered window, carefully inspecting the edges. “He knows the house. He knows your routines. He knows your family. That’s why he chose tonight. Because he calculated our reactions. Because he wanted to see fear.”

Cassian slammed his fist against the wall, cursing under his breath. “I hate that he can do that. I hate it!”

Lucian didn’t flinch. He pressed a finger to my lips. “Don’t let him see fear. That’s what he wants. And fear gives him control. We survive. We fight. And we win.”

I nodded, trying to steady my trembling hands. My heart was still pounding, my chest tight with adrenaline and fear. But Lucian’s words… his presence… they anchored me.

And then he added something that sent a chill down my spine:

“Whatever happens next, we stick together. No one goes alone. No one. Not you, not the girls, not anyone. He will test us. He will push us. But we are stronger than he is. We have each other. That’s what he can’t take.”

I pressed my face into Arian’s hair, taking a deep, shaky breath.

Lucian’s hand rested on my shoulder. Calm. Protective. Predatory. Ready.

And I realized, with a terrible clarity, that we weren’t just preparing for one attack.

We were preparing for a war.

A war Darius Mercer had already started.

The night settled over the house like a suffocating blanket. Every shadow seemed alive, every creak of the floorboards a warning. The broken glass had been swept aside, but the metallic scent lingered in the air, sharp and persistent.

Lucian moved methodically, checking locks, reinforcing windows, and securing the doors. He had a calm efficiency, a predator at the top of his game. I followed him, Arian clinging to my side, while Cassian and Adrian checked the perimeter.

“This isn’t just about fear,” Lucian muttered, his eyes scanning the shadows outside. “He’s mapping us. Learning us. Waiting for the right moment to strike.”

I shivered. “Why… why is he doing this to us?”

“He’s sending a message,” Lucian said, voice low, eyes dark. “Your father’s death wasn’t just personal. It was strategic. Darius Mercer wants something from you, and he’s not afraid to remind us who’s in control.”

Cassian slammed his fist into the wall. “Control? He almost got Arian tonight! That’s not control—that’s psychotic!”

Lucian shot him a sharp glance. “Focus, Cassian. Channel that anger into strategy. Not chaos.”

Adrian crouched near the staircase, scanning every corner. “He won’t stop. Not until he gets exactly what he wants. We need to assume he’ll escalate—fast.”

Arian whimpered, hiding her face in my chest. “Mommy… he’s coming back, isn’t he?”

“Yes,” I whispered, holding her tightly. “But we’re ready. We’ll be ready.”

The next hour passed in tense silence. Every sound—the wind through the trees, the distant hum of traffic, even our own breathing—felt amplified, magnified, as if warning us that danger was already inside our walls.

And then… a faint scratching noise.

From the ceiling.

Adrian stiffened immediately. “Vents,” he muttered. “He’s testing more than one approach. Be ready.”

Lucian’s jaw tightened. He drew a small, concealed blade, sliding silently through the hallway, eyes scanning above and below. “Everyone stay together,” he ordered. “Do not separate. No matter what you hear.”

Cassian muttered under his breath, pacing slightly. “This is insane. He’s inside the house. Inside. And we can’t see him!”

A metallic scrape echoed again—this time from the hallway above. I felt my stomach twist. My pulse thundered.

Lucian pressed a finger to his lips, signaling silence. Adrian crept toward the staircase, scanning each step, each shadow, calculating the potential path Darius could take.

Then, suddenly, a heavy thud from the back of the house.

Lucian reacted instantly, moving toward the noise with Cassian flanking him. I held Arian tightly, heart hammering.

And then we heard it: a faint, mocking whisper, carried on the wind through the broken window.

“Time is precious… and you’re wasting it.”

My blood ran cold.

Lucian’s eyes snapped toward the voice, body tense, muscles coiled. “Show yourself,” he growled, voice low and dangerous. “Or leave. Now.”

A laugh. Soft. Cruel. Smooth. “Oh, Lucian… patience is a virtue. But tonight… I think we’re running short on it.”

Then another crash, louder this time—from the living room. Something heavy hitting the floor. The sound of metal scraping across wood.

I clutched Arian tighter. Cassian growled. Adrian moved silently toward the noise, calculating angles, shadows, possible entry points.

Lucian whispered to me, teeth clenched: “This is it. He’s making his move. Stay close. And whatever happens… stay alive.”

And in that moment, I realized that tonight wasn’t just a warning.

It was the start of a relentless attack.

Darius Mercer wasn’t just testing us anymore.

He was hunting us.