LOGINMARCO’S POV.The boy’s surrounded me in a full circle, while I sat in the middle….in control. They all stood still…..shoulders squared, faces set in the same unreadable mask. I let them feel that presence, let it settle over them: the economy of the man they followed. My throat worked once, and then the words poured out, each one sharpened by the hunger and hunger that had been eating at me.“Tonight isn’t just a normal meetup,” I said. My voice was quieter than they expected, and that made it more dangerous. “We’re meeting because I want answers. I want people watching, listening, moving. I want my people where she walks, where she eats, where she sleeps. I want every place she could be watched and every door she could slip through closed.”A murmur ran through them……approval, a small rustle of focus. I watched it and let it feed me.“We will widen the net,” I went on. “Satellite scans where we can. Signals. Metadata. Credit-card drops. Traffic cams. We’ll trace phones, test every nu
NAYLA’S POV; (continued)I crept toward the bathroom on tiptoe, every nerve in my body screaming. The house felt wrong …… too quiet, too empty. My hand shook over the doorknob of the bathroom. For a second I wanted to run. I wanted to run and not stop until I was miles away.I pushed the door open, slowly and quietly. Then with my heart beating extremely fast, I peaked inside, scanning around but there was no one…… nothing. Then suddenly, unexpectedly, the bulbs popped on and a dozen voices shouted from behind me, “Surprise!”I jumped so hard I nearly hit the doorframe. My heart was racing. Lights, faces, color…….Roy was in the doorway, Mr. Mills beside him, the staff behind them with balloons, a small cake and gift bags. I stood there stunned, like I’d walked into a movie scene.Roy’s face went soft the second our eyes met. He took a step toward me, his eyes gleaming with joy and excitement. “Welcome home,” he said, in this low, calm voice that made my knees weak. Gosh I mused him
NAYLA’S POV.I didn’t want to leave France, but I had to. I couldn’t run away forever….I couldn’t stay away from my baby forever, I missed him so much! At least by now, Marco would have gotten over me. It’s been more than a month since we escaped his men and never heard from him again.Surely, he would have given up and forgotten I existed. Thanks to Mr. Mills who did all he could go protect us and keep us hidden and safe.I stepped out of the private jet, shielding my eyes from the hot sun as I hurried toward the SUV waiting nearby. I lifted my carry-on into the back and settled into the leather seat, the cool interior a relief against the burning heat outside. My hands trembled a little as I latched the seatbelt…..a small habit I kept since that night. The driver nodded, eyes polite but distant, and we pulled away from the tarmac.The drive was quiet. I stared out the window while my thoughts chased one another…..:scenarios of what might come next, lists of things I needed to do. I
KAIN’S POV.I took a deep breath before barging into my father’s office. The door swung open, and there he was……slouched back in his chair, eyes closed as if lost in thought. A cigarette dangled from his fingers, the tip glowing faintly. He took a slow drag, exhaling the smoke in a long, deliberate stream, his expression unreadable. It was as if he were waiting for some profound insight to strike him from the depths of his own mind.“Dad,” I said, urgency creeping into my voice. He slowly opened his eyes, looking up at me yet he didn’t move his body.“Look Dad, J am tired of waiting. It’s been one month, and everything is cleared. No one is looking in our direction anymore…..neither the police nor the media. We can cash out the check now before things get bad again, I really do not know what you’re waiting for. If….if you can’t do it. I will. Just hand over the check to me,” I said, my body trembling. Not from fear but anger. I was so damn tired of waiting!He took another drag from
ROY’S POV.Suddenly, One month had passed since we narrowly escaped Marco’s men. Nayla went away to France a few wwwks ago to clear her head….I could have gone with her, but I knew she wanted to be alone. Loosing both people she cared about was not an easy pain to deal with. But thankfully, ahe woukd be returning in two days, ans i can finally see her, because I miss her ao fucking much.Although ww spoke everyday, almost every hour, I still missed her, be a it was nothing compared to her being here with me. Later in tbe day I found myself in the personal gym that had become my sanctuary. Weights clanked as I lifted, the sound echoing off the walls. The smell of rubber mats and sweat filled the air. Reminding me how much hard work I’d put in to get back on my feet.I was focused, pushing myself harder with each repetition, every lift felt like a moment to channel my anger and frustration into something productive. My body was sore, but I welcomed the pain; it meant I was still aliv
ONE MONTH LATER:MARCO’S POV.“Doctor, tell me, how’s my son’s health? Is it improving?” I heard my father’s voice tremble, filled with pain and worry. He turned to look at me, his eyes filled with pity, as if I were already lost…..I was actually.“He’s improving, Sir……at least he’s better than yesterday. I assure you he’ll get better soon,” the doctor said, bowing his head slightly before leaving the ward. My father turned to me, stepping closer, his brows furrowed in anger. And for a second. I thought he was going to harm me.“Marco… ¿qué te pasa? (What’s wrong with you?)” My father’s voice cut through the air, filled with desperation. “How can you let one girl ruin everything for you? This is not who you are, Marco! This is not the son I raised!” His words felt like daggers, each one thrusting deeper into my already wounded and broken heart. I was too exhausted, too lost in my own mind to respond. Everything felt ao suffocating…It felt like I was done for….i was hopeless. Ruined
“Who sent you? I’m going to die anyway, right? So you might as well tell me who sent you. It won’t matter to me anyway,” I challenged, desperate for answers.He glanced at me, his lips parted slightly as though he was about to speak, but he sighed, turning to leave.“Marco,” I called loudly, causin
ROY’S POV; (continued)“Answer me! What did you come here for?” I growled, feeling my anger rise again.It was all her fault, everything that had happened to me and Nayla was caused by Ruby and that fucking cheap how, Laurel.Despite my angry voice, Ruby didn’t even flinch and inch, instead, she he
NAYLA’S POV. (Continued)“Is everything alright?” Marco walked in as I stared at him through the mirror. He looked worried, his brow furrowed and lips pressed together in concern, and I hoped he didn’t suspect that I might be pregnant.“I’m okay,” I said, brushing past him, avoiding eye contact as
ROY’S POV; (continued)I sat across from Detective Harris, The room silent as I thought about what I was about to tell him. There was a seventy percent possibility that he wasn’t going to accept my offer, but I had to try anyway. “Mr Roy, What did you want to talk about?” he asked, leaning forward







