Chapter 5

Mira stared at the big security screen on the wall by the front door, and her soul practically left her body.

The outdoor camera was showing the front gate. And right there, staring straight into the camera lens with a wicked, ugly smile, was the head nurse from General Hospital.

And she wasn't alone. Two huge, scary-looking men were standing behind her, holding Mira’s mother right there in her hospital wheelchair, looking terrified and confused.

Mira’s breath caught in her throat.

"Mama!" she screamed, taking a desperate step forward like she could somehow punch her way through the television screen.

On the screen, the nurse held up a phone right to the camera lens and waved, like she was greeting someone on a friendly video call.

Right at that second, Daniel’s phone buzzed hard in his hand. He looked down at the new text message, and his jaw clenched so hard a muscle jumped.

The text read:

*“We have the mother. If you want her to see tomorrow, send the maid out the front gates alone. In two minutes. Or we pull the plug on her life support right now.”*

Mira grabbed her head, tears spilling down her swollen cheeks like broken pipes. "They have her! They are going to kill her! Please, Mr. Hudson, let me go! I have to go right now!"

She tried to bolt past Daniel toward the front door, but Daniel caught her arm and pulled her back, pressing her firmly behind his broad shoulders.

"Let you go?" Daniel’s voice was shaking, but not from fear—from pure, terrifying rage. "If you walk out those gates unarmed, they won't just take you. They’ll kill you both and dump you in a ditch before you even reach the van."

"I don't care! It's my mother!" Mira cried, fighting against his grip, her yellow-and-bee socks slipping on the smooth marble floor. "If she dies, what is the point of me staying here?! Let me go!"

Arthur Harrison and Sienna saw their chance in the chaos. While everyone was distracted by the screen, they started tip-toeing toward the open front door, trying to sneak out like naughty children.

Daniel didn't even turn his head to look at them. He just raised his left hand, pointed two fingers at Axel and Jace, and barked a single word:

"Lockdown."

*CLANG!*

Instantly, Axel and Jace slammed the heavy steel security shutters down over the front windows and doors, locking the entire foyer tight and trapping Arthur and Sienna inside with them.

"Hey! You can't lock us in here!" Arthur shouted, his face turning red with panic. "My lawyers will—"

Daniel ignored him completely like he was just background noise. He turned his full attention back to Mira, holding her gently by both shoulders so she had to stop crying and look right into his eyes.

"Listen to me," Daniel said, his voice dropping into a tone that brooked zero argument. "Your mother is not dying today. And neither are you."

He turned to Axel and threw him a set of heavy, clinking keys.

"Get the back armored SUV ready," Daniel ordered, stepping into full mob-boss mode. "We are not waiting for them to make the next move. We are going through the front gate. And someone is about to find out why they shouldn't mess with my staff."

He reached into his jacket, pulled out a second heavy black gun, checked the clip with a sharp, satisfying *click*, and tucked it securely into the waistband of his trousers.

Mira stared at him, her tears pausing for a second out of sheer disbelief. "Wait... are you actually coming with me?"

Daniel looked down at her, the ghost of a dangerous, cold smirk finally touching the corner of his lips.

"Of course I am," Daniel said softly. "Nobody interrupts my morning coffee, shoots up my foyer, and kidnaps my maid and gets away with it."

Before Mira could say thank you, or call him crazy, or argue about her salary, Daniel grabbed her hand. He pulled her firmly behind him, kicked open the heavy side door leading to the underground garage, and stepped out into the shadows.

The armored SUV was waiting, engine roaring. Axel was in the driver's seat, and Jace was checking his rifle in the back.

Daniel pushed Mira into the back seat, slammed the door shut, and climbed in beside her.

"Drive through the gate," Daniel told Axel.

The heavy SUV revved its engine, tires screeching against the concrete as it sped toward the main gates where the black van was waiting.

Mira held her breath, gripping the seat in front of her. Through the bulletproof glass, she saw the black van. She saw the nurse holding her mother.

And then, right as the SUV slammed hard into the iron gates to break them open, the side door of the van slid open, and the nurse didn't pull out a phone—she pulled out a remote detonator, pressed a red button, and smiled.