Mag-log inChapter 222: Zane's POV"Pretty story," he said. "Very compelling. You always were good at talking your way out of things."He counted off on his fingers."But here's what I know for certain. I know that you've spent twelve years building an empire while I've spent twelve years having my face rebuilt. I know that you've moved on with your life, started a business, made money, found a girl.""While I've been stuck in this nightmare that never ends.""And I know that you never once tried to find me, never once looked for survivors, never once questioned whether maybe, just maybe, someone had made it out alive."The accusation hit me like a physical blow.Because he was right.I hadn't looked, hadn't questioned, had accepted the official reports that said everyone was dead. Because questioning would have meant admitting that I'd failed them. That I'd led them into a trap. That their deaths were on my hands."I believed you were dead," I said. "Everyone confirmed it. The reports said ther
Chapter 221: Zane's POVMy brain couldn't process what I was seeing at first because it didn't make sense. Faces didn't just come off. Skin didn't peel away like latex.But this wasn't skin.It was a prosthetic. An entire reconstructed face made of synthetic materials that had been attached to living tissue underneath with some kind of medical adhesive.And underneath was something else entirely.Scarred tissue. Reconstructed bone structure. Damage so extensive that it was almost impossible to identify individual features.Except for the eyes.Silver eyes that I'd seen every day for three years during my military service.Eyes that belonged to a man who was supposed to be dead!Eyes that I'd watched close for the last time in that explosion twelve years ago.Mason!Mason!!"Hello, Zane," he said.His real voice was rough and damaged in a way that made it almost unrecognizable. But I knew it anyway. The familiarity.Knew it the way you know a voice that's been burned into your memory.
Chapter 220: Zane's POVI have been waiting for this message and it dropped exactly at 5:47pmIt was from Nikolai, which meant it was important. Nikolai didn't send unnecessary messages, didn't waste time with updates unless something had changed or shifted or gone wrong.‘Found the location. Meet at your place in twenty. We move tonight.’Tonight.That was it.After weeks of searching, we'd finally found it. Finally had confirmation of where he'd been hiding.I should have felt relief. Should have felt something like satisfaction or vindication.But all I felt was this sick heaviness in my gut that told me something was off.I pulled into my building's underground garage and parked in my usual spot. Sat there for a moment with the engine still running, listening to the mechanical hum and trying to identify what exactly was making my instincts scream.The garage was quiet.Too quiet.I killed the engine and got out, and that's when I noticed it.I almost chuckled at their clumsiness.
Chapter 219: Olive's POVMy mom was watching me with growing alarm, clearly able to hear something was wrong even if she couldn't hear the actual words."I'm hanging up—" I started."If you hang up, Brenda dies," the voice said, calm and matter-of-fact like he was discussing the weather.The room tilted."What?" I breathed."Your friend has been very accommodating," the voice continued. "Very willing to make this phone call for me. But her cooperation is contingent on you following instructions.""Where is she?" I asked, and my voice was shaking now, my whole body shaking. "What did you do to her?""Nothing yet," the voice said. "And nothing will happen if you do exactly what I tell you."My mom had come around the counter and was standing next to me now, close enough to hear the distorted voice coming through my phone, and I saw her face go pale."What do you want?" I asked."You're going to come to me," the voice said. "Alone. No police. No Zane Mercer. No one but you."Zane.The vo
Chapter 218: Olive's POV"You're back," she said, looking up as I came in. "I was starting to worry. You're later than usual."I didn't answer.I just went to the fridge and pulled out the wine bottle and grabbed a glass from the cabinet and poured myself a generous amount, like more than I should probably drink on a weeknight but I didn't care, I needed it.I downed half the glass in one long swallow and felt my mother watching me with growing concern."Olive?" she said carefully. "Baby, what's wrong?"I poured more wine and drank that too, and then I finally turned to look at her."How do you know when someone is lying to you?" I asked.My mom's eyes widened slightly and she set down the cookie dough she'd been rolling."What happened?" she asked, coming around the counter toward me. "Did Zane do something?""No," I said quickly, because whatever Zane was or wasn't, he hadn't done anything to me today except make me feel wanted and protected and like I mattered. "Not Zane. Cole."My
Chapter 217: Olive's POV"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, but my voice came out wrong, came out defensive and uncertain."Yes you do," Cole said, taking another step closer, and I took a step back automatically. "You've been looking into it, haven't you? Trying to figure out the connection? And you found something, I can see it on your face. Your eyes fucking said it.""Stay away from me," I said, gripping my keys so hard they bit into my palm."Olive, please," Cole said, and he reached out like he was going to grab my arm, like he was going to touch me, and something in me snapped.I swung my bag at his face without thinking, without planning, pure instinct taking over, and the heavy leather connected with his cheek hard enough that I heard the impact, heard him grunt in pain."Fuck!" Cole stumbled backward, his hand coming up to his face, and I saw blood, actual blood running from where my bag had split his lip.I didn't wait to see if he was okay.I didn't care if
Chapter 25: OLIVE’s POVMy phone screen was dark. Still dark. Had been dark for three days straight except for the notifications I actually didn't want.I pressed the power button again just to make sure, watching the time flash: 6:47 PM. The battery icon mocked me at ninety-three percent. Fully ch
Chapter 23: COLE’s POVThe bag swung back, and I hit it again. Harder. My knuckles were raw inside the gloves, but I didn't stop. Couldn't stop.‘Thwack. Thwack. Thwack.’Olive screaming Zane's name was on loop in my head. Over and over. That look on her face when she'd seen me at the arena—like I
Chapter 18: OLIVE’s POV"So what's your offer?" he asked, moving even closer until I had to tilt my head back to maintain eye contact, and I could feel the edge of the kitchen island pressing against my lower back, trapping me between marble and muscle."I have a better deal than the one you offere
Chapter 11: Olive’s POVBut I kept walking. Ignored it."Olive."A hand grabbed my shoulder. Yanked me backward.I spun around.Gray eyes locked on mine.And for one horrible second, I was back there. Back to being his girlfriend. Back to thinking I was the only woman in his life."Olive." Cole's v







