~~~~~~
Continuation...
The moment the door opened, Sophie’s eyes snapped open, turning toward the sound. Seeing Captain Mock running out of the room and down the stairs in a hurry, she knew something was up.
Shortly after, some strange-looking people, clad in heavy cloaks with collars humming with electric current, followed him.
Their faces were hidden, but Sophie managed to catch a single word from Mock’s lips as he hurried out: “Syndicates.”
Her heart raced. If her suspicions were correct, it meant Alex was on his way. Great! All the more reason to get out of here, she thought, returning her attention to the stubborn chains binding her.
The doctors around her gasped and pleaded, their voices filled with fear. “Please, kill the smoke!” they begged desperately.
As much as she would love to, Sophie didn’t know how to control the smoke. But she couldn’t let them know that.
~~Continuation~~The moment I heard the sounds of hurried footsteps approaching the cabin door, I opened my eyes and managed a small smile.It’s a bittersweet sight to see my father and Alex engaging in a frantic, almost playful competition to be the first to reach me.Ah, I’ve missed them all. My parents, Alex, Drew, Rick, and Avavska—everyone is here, surrounding me with their presence.“Darling, are you okay?” Dad’s voice is filled with both worry and relief. I smiled at him and nodded.I slowly turn to Alex, who is now kneeling beside me. “Hey!” I whisper softly, with exhaustion in my voice.“Hey,” he replies, gently pressing his lips to my hand. His voice trembles, and I can see the strain in his eyes. “I thought I lost you,” he murmurs, struggling to keep his emotions in check.“That’s never going to happen,” I reply firmly, though my
Inside the Plane***I wake slowly, the world around me cloaked in thick shadows and muted sounds.My head throbs with a relentless, pounding rhythm, each pulse sending a sharp wave of pain through my skull—a brutal reminder of the hell I’ve just been through.The surgery on my brain lasted four hours, but it feels like I’ve been lost in darkness for days. Ten hours—ten agonizing hours—I’ve been out cold, unaware, while everything around me kept moving, kept changing.How do I know that? Don’t ask me. My brain is a ticking time bomb right now, and I’m not sure it can handle the strain of thinking, of trying to make sense of what’s real and what’s not. Pondering over it feels like a dangerous game, one I’m not willing to play.The steady hum of the plane’s engines is gone, replaced by an eerie stillness. We must have landed.I force my eyes open, the cabin
There are two more chapters to go.Dear Reader,As I bring loving a Gangster to a close, I want to extend my deepest thanks to each of you for joining me on this thrilling, emotional ride.Writing this story was both challenging and rewarding, and I hope it resonated with you as much as it did with me. Through the highs and lows, the passion and the pain, I aimed to capture the complexity of love in a world where danger and desire collide.Your support has meant the world to me, and I hope this story stays with you, reminding you of the power of love to change even the most hardened hearts.With gratitude and affection,Clara J. Stari
Chapter 81 - Not yet the endâSophie? Sophie?â Alexâs voice was frantic as Daniel laid her trembling body on the table.He turned to Drew, his tone urgent. âWe need to operate now.âDrew didnât hesitate, quickly setting out the operating tools. âYes, right away.ââOperate on her? What are you talking about?â Alex suddenly demanded, confusion and anger rising in his voice, but no one answered him.Emily, who had already pieced together what was happening with her daughter, spoke up, her voice shaky. âWe canât do this here. We should wait until we land first.ââAnd risk losing the only chance to save her?â Drew shot back, his tone sharp.Still confused and growing more frustrated, Alex demanded, âWhy does she need an operation to be saved?â His eyes darted from Avanska to Rick, then locked onto Drew. âIs there something youâre not telling me?âAvanska turned to Rick, whose nervous eyes were scanning the room as if searching for answers that werenât there.âAnswer me!â Alexâs voice thund
**Continuation**Meanwhile, on the far edge of the field.I gasped as blood dripped from my mouth. Killing this general was taking longer than I’d anticipated, and the first time bomb I’d planted when leaving the underground facility had already started going off.“We need to end this now,” I muttered, just as another bomb exploded in the distance.It felt like the universe was finally throwing me a bone—the general stumbled, losing his balance. I seized the moment, driving my dagger into his lower abdomen, pushing it deeper with all my strength.He groaned in agony and flung me off, but Alex and my mother were already on him, launching another attack from behind.I stood still for a moment, knowing if I waited for him to go down before making my next move, it would be too late.I scanned the area for someone reliable, but everyone was engaged in the battle—except for… Drew and my father.
****"Sorry, come again?" Daniel requested, with his eyes throwing a dagger at him.Drewâs face drained of color, his eyes widening with sudden fear as he realized heâd just betrayed himself.He stiffened, turning his head away, and cleared his throat awkwardly. âIâm afraid I donât know what youâre talking about,â he stammered, attempting to mask his panic.âIsnât it a bit late for that?â Daniel pressed, his voice cold and unwavering. âThe look on your face tells me you know more than youâre letting on. I just watched my daughter writhing in pain, clutching her head. So if you sayâââWait!â Drew interrupted, his voice rising in alarm. âYou found her already?âDanielâs eyes narrowed as he stepped closer, his anger palpable. âYes, to be precise, she found us. Now, tell me whatâs going on before itâs too late.âDrew swallowed hard, his composure crumbling under the weight of Danielâs intense gaze. âI⌠I donât think youâre ready for the truth,â he said, his voice trembling.Danielâs gaze
~~~~For my plan to succeed, he needed to lower his guard, even a little. My eyes locked onto the grenade launcher in his hands. Damn...Dert⌠He was the last of the three generals. I didn't know the full extent of his power, but I knew killing him wouldnât be easy. Still, it was better to face him in combat than to let him toy with my family's lives.Iâd rather gamble with my life, I thought, a devilish grin spreading across my face as he loaded his grenade launcher.âSeriously, is that the best you can do?â I questioned him, marching forward, trying to make him lose his guard. Another grenade flew past my shoulder, leaving burns. I groaned in pain. âThisâs hardly a fair fight,â I yelled. âEven when I killed the other generals, it was a fair fight.âHe ignored me and continued firing. I didnât give up, continuing to taunt him. âAnd you call yourself a manâa general at that.â I halted. âWhat a waste of a title,â I spat out.At my last comment, he suddenly paused and gently pulled back
~~~"This isn't happening," I murmured faintly.The grenade was almost upon my mother, and time seemed to slow. I reached out, heart pounding, cold dread filling me as I realized I might not make it in time.âNoâŚâ I found myself screaming, despite the deadly headache and the sharp pains ringing inside my skull. Just then, the cause of my current situation decided to do me a favorâMANA.It was as if I was suddenly filled with a kind of supernatural strength unlike anything before. Instead of running, I saw myself flying. In that instant, I threw myself on her, and she fell to the ground with a loud gasp.The grenade barely missed her as it flew past us, leaving a small cut on my shoulder, while pushing me off my mother and landing on some military men, blowing them to pieces.The chaos around me blurred into a grim symphony of screams and explosions, but all I could focus on was the faint rise and fall of my motherâs breath beneath me. My breaths came in ragged gasps, the pain still pu
****“What the...?” Emily’s voice faltered, her expression twisting in shock and horror.Her eyes flicked from the headless body of General Storm to the blood-drenched figure standing over it. Sophie stood there, motionless, covered in blood from head to toe.Her eyes locked onto Emily’s with a fierce, unyielding glare.Emily couldn’t believe what she saw—Sophie, the daughter she thought she knew, standing over the bloody mess she had wrought.Her mind raced while her body remained frozen. The brutality of the scene left her paralyzed. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from her daughter, now a stranger, a deadly force she could barely recognize."Just what the hell, Sophie? How could you...?" She trailed off, words too heavy to utter.But Daniel saw things differently. He saw that his daughter—the one taken from them—had finally returned.Ignoring the mess, he pushed past his