Dominic's pov:The rhythmic crashing of waves against the shore did nothing to calm the storm raging inside me. The island was paradise, a secluded haven meant for relaxation, but it had become my personal prison. Three days. Three days of helplessness. Three days of waiting for a call, an update, a miracle—anything to tell me my son was safe. Instead, the silence stretched on, suffocating, each hour that passed. Tightening its grip around my throat.Suzanne sat across from me on the villa’s terrace, watching me with cautious eyes. She hadn’t pushed, hadn’t pried, but she knew something was wrong. I could see it in the way she hesitated before speaking, in the way she reached for my hand and stopped herself at the last second.“You’ve barely eaten,” she finally said, her voice gentle but firm. “Dominic, whatever it is, you need to talk to me.”I exhaled sharply, dragging a hand down my face. How could I tell her? How could I admit that my son was missing while I was stranded here,
Suzanne’s pov:I woke up with a crushing weight in my chest, the kind that made it hard to breathe, hard to move. My body ached from exhaustion, but my mind refused to rest. The world outside was still dark, the ocean waves a distant whisper against the shore. I turned my head slightly, my gaze falling on Dominic. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands, his shoulders rigid with tension.The memory of last night hit me like a tidal wave. Kai. My baby. Gone. Stolen. The pain was unlike anything I had ever known, a deep, clawing agony that threatened to consume me whole. My fingers curled into the sheets as my breathing hitched.Dominic had held me while I sobbed, whispering reassurances I couldn't bring myself to believe. But now, in the harsh reality of morning, I felt something else entirely. Anger.Not at Tavon. Not at the men who took my son.At Dominic.He had known for three days. Three Days. And he hadn't told me. He had sat across from me at dinner, held
Suzanne pov:My fingers clenched tightly around the fabric of Dominic’s shirt as I stared at the screen. The video feed was shaky, the camera moving as Dominic’s team moved swiftly through the abandoned warehouse, their boots echoing off the concrete floor.The space was mostly empty—except for the chilling proof that Kai had been there.Ford crouched near a pile of discarded ropes, picking up a small piece of fabric. His stomach twisted as he held it up. A familiar cartoon pattern stretched across the material, slightly torn at the edges.“Boss,” he called, his voice grim. “We got something.”One of the agents stepped forward, holding a small blue race car in his gloved hand. “This is his, right?”Then I saw it.Kai’s hoodie—his favourite one, the navy blue one with the small rip near the sleeve. It lay discarded near a rusted metal chair, the sight of it made my stomach twist painfully.“Oh my God,” I breathed, covering my mouth with trembling hands.Dominic’s arm tightened around
Ford’s pov:“Tavon’s making a move.”The words sent a jolt of electricity through my body. My grip on the steering wheel tightened as I watched the live drone feed on my dashboard screen. The black SUV ahead of us swerved between cars, tyres screeching against the asphalt.“He knows we’re onto him,” Jones muttered beside me, already reaching for his radio.“Shit—he’s running,” I growled. “All units, lock onto him. Do not let him out of sight.”The radio crackled with confirmations from the rest of the team. Tavon had been cautious until now, always staying just ahead of us. But the second we tracked his car, he panicked. That was all the confirmation we needed—he had something to hide.I slammed my foot on the gas. Our SUV shot forward, weaving through traffic.“He’s heading south,” an agent reported. “Looks like he’s trying to get out of the city.”“Block every possible exit,” I ordered. “Trap him.”The chase picked up speed. Tavon’s SUV made a sharp right, barely missing a truck.
Suzanne’s pov:The private jet sliced through the sky, but all I could hear was the echo of Kai’s voice from the video call. ‘Mommy?’His small, tired voice had cracked something inside me.My hands were still shaking, my body wound so tightly that no amount of deep breaths could steady me.I turned my gaze to the window, watching the ocean shrink beneath us.The private island that had once seemed like a secluded paradise now felt like a prison I was desperate to escape.Dominic sat beside me, his jaw clenched, his hands forming fists on his lap.He hadn’t spoken much since we boarded, but I could feel the storm raging inside him. His fury was a living, breathing thing, suffocating the space around us.“They let him go,” he muttered suddenly, his voice low and lethal.I turned to him, my heart pounding. “What?”“Tavon. He got away.” His fingers flexed as if he were imagining them around Tavon’s throat. “Ford’s men lost him in the chase.”A sharp breath left my lungs. I didn’t know if
Suzanne's pov:The moment we stepped into the house, something felt off.I couldn’t quite place it. Maybe it was just the exhaustion weighing me down like a heavy cloak, or maybe it was the fact that everything felt… different.The space was familiar, yet something inside me had shifted.I told myself it was just the stress of the past few days—the trip, Kai’s kidnapping, the overwhelming surge of emotions that had come with losing him, then getting him back.My body was still adjusting, still coming down from the adrenaline that had kept me moving.But even as I tried to rationalize it, I couldn’t shake the feeling.I inhaled deeply, hoping the scent of home would ground me. The familiar blend of fresh linen and Dominic’s subtle cologne lingered in the air, but instead of comforting me, it made my stomach churn.I pressed a hand to my temple.Maybe I just needed sleep.Dominic was already moving through the house, his phone to his ear, his voice sharp as he gave out security instruc
Suzanne’s pov:The first thing I heard was the steady beeping of a machine, each sound pulling me back into consciousness.My body felt heavy, like I had been submerged underwater for hours.My eyelids fluttered open, and a bright white ceiling came into view. The scent of antiseptic filled my nose, making my stomach churn.Where… was I?Then, I heard a voice—deep, commanding, but layered with something unusual. Worry.“What happened? Tell me exactly what’s going on.” I asked politelyDominic.I turned my head slightly, and there he was, standing a few feet away from my bed, his suit jacket tossed onto a chair, his tie loosened, and his sleeves rolled up. He looked… restless.I tried to speak, but my throat was dry. Swallowing, I blinked at him, confusion clouding my thoughts.“You scared the hell out of me,” Dominic muttered, moving closer, his hand slipping into mine. His grip was firm, grounding me, but I could feel the tension vibrating through his body.“What… happened?” My voice
Tavon’s pov:My phone buzzed on the table, the sound pulling me out of my thoughts. I picked it up, seeing an unknown number flash across the screen. Without hesitation, I answered. “What?”The voice on the other end was quick, urgent. “I’ve got news. Suzanne’s pregnant. The child... It’s Dominic’s.”My breath hitched in my chest. Pregnant. Suzanne. Dominic’s child. I let the words sink in, feeling the weight of them. This was huge. This was the kind of thing that could shake their whole world.I clenched my jaw. Suzanne—carrying Dominic’s child? The thought sparked a flame of rage within me. I’d been aware of their perfect little family, but this... this crossed a line. I hadn’t even been given a chance to react to their reunion before this new twist. The idea that Dominic, of all people, would have a child with Suzanne—my Suzanne—it stung.The voice on the other end cut through my spiralling thoughts. “I thought you’d want to know.”“Yeah,” I muttered, before hanging up, still re
Dominic’s pov:The first sound I heard was not a voice.It was chaos.Faint at first—like static. Then sharper. Words. Fragments. Shouting. Headlines.My eyelids were heavy. My limbs, stone. But the noise persisted, scraping against the edge of consciousness until I couldn’t ignore it anymore.“…Linda Blackwood implicated in multi-million dollar charity fraud…”“…evictions, offshore accounts, demolition of shelters…”“…anonymous leak reveals illegal real estate dealings tied to Chase Foundation…”I blinked. Slowly. Painfully.White ceiling. Beeping monitor. Sterile air.Hospital.I blinked again, turning my head—just slightly. A television screen mounted on the wall flickered with images. Linda’s face. Her signature smile, now twisted beneath grainy surveillance footage.Words scrolled across the bottom of the screen:“Public Outrage as Linda Blackwood’s Crimes Go Viral — Sources Say Ex-Wife of Dominic Khan Behind Years of Corruption.”The next clip: A woman walking out of a building
Suzanne’s pov:The dining room table was covered in maps, laptops, scattered printouts, and half-drunk cups of coffee. Outside, the sky was still a soft bruised purple, the sun barely peeking above the horizon, but inside this house, war was already underway.Ford leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, his usual calm now coated in disbelief. “You’re telling me Linda’s been running an international laundering ring through fake charities?”“Yes,” I said, my voice low, but sure. “She’s evicted children, bribed officials, funnelled money through shell companies, and built a house of cards with bloodstained mortar.”Desmond cursed under his breath and ran a hand through his hair. “No wonder she didn’t blink when you threatened her. She’s been above consequences for too long.”“And she’s good at hiding it,” Stella added, eyes glued to her laptop screen. “The kind of good you only get when you’ve been doing this for years.”I looked at each of them, feeling the weight of the moment press d
Suzanne's pov:My blood ran cold.“She’s planning something,” Desmond said quietly.I looked down at Dominic’s face in one of the photos—still pale, still resting. Unaware of the war being waged around him.And I made a vow to myself, to my heart, to everything we’d built in the shadows of a contract:I will defend you—even if it breaks me.I stood at the window of Dominic’s study long after the house had gone silent. The city skyline stared back at me—cold, glittering, distant. Somewhere out there, Linda was probably swirling her wine, smiling at the chaos she left behind.“I want Dominic.”The words haunted me, not because of their audacity, but because of the calm conviction with which she said them.I had tried to threaten her. I’d offered her money, and even shown her proof of her crimes—but Linda hadn’t even flinched.She burned the evidence in my face and walked away like she’d already won.My threats meant nothing to her.It was at that moment I realized I wasn’t dealing with
Suzanne’s pov: The ride home was quiet.Not because the night was peaceful—no, it was anything but. It was quiet because my mind was on a battlefield. Each of Linda’s words replayed over and over again, like a curse refusing to loosen its grip.“You think this is about money?”“I want Dominic.”“He was never yours.”I stared out the window, the city lights flashing like warnings in the glass. Even the comfort of Stella’s presence beside me in the back seat couldn’t erase the cold grip around my heart. I didn’t say a word, and she didn’t push. For once, she let silence hold us.Linda wasn’t just bitter. She wasn’t just possessive.She was dangerous.And somewhere deep inside, I knew—I had just poked a maniac in the eye.When we pulled into the driveway, I stepped out slowly, clutching my coat tighter around me. Stella said something about needing to check on Kai. I nodded absently and made my way toward the house, my heels sounding sharper than usual against the marble floor.I did
Suzanne's pov:The wind whispered across the rooftop like it knew the secrets of the night.I stared at Linda, her golden hair shimmering under the dim rooftop lights of the abandoned penthouse we traced her to.We waited for Tavon to leave, I felt this should be handled by women without any man interfering She leaned on the rail like a goddess of destruction, sipping something pink and poisonous-looking.Behind her, the city lights blinked like dying stars, nothing but distant witnesses.She hadn't even flinched when I walked in."Well, if it isn't Mrs. Khan," Linda purred, turning slightly, her sea-blue eyes glinting like blades. "How's the billionaire husband doing? Still, panting after you like a desperate fool? Oh, I just remembered, he can’t even move."I ignored the venom, stepping forward and unzipping the sleek black leather bag I carried."Linda," I said, my voice low but steady, "take the money. Leave town. Disappear. Let the devil himself wonder where you went. Just leav
Suzanne's pov:The video kept playing, In my headMe and Kai. Laughing in the garden. My son was chasing bubbles. My voice drifted on the breeze. It was supposed to be one of those rare peaceful afternoons.And someone had filmed it.My jaw clenched as I yanked the phone closer. The footage zoomed in on my face at the end, a slow, eerie close-up before the screen went black. Then—two words appeared in red font.“You're next.”I didn’t speak for a long time. The air in the hospital room felt heavier than before. Dominic lay behind me, still unmoving, monitors beeping a rhythm that didn’t match the one hammering in my chest.I turned to Stella, my voice low. “I need a name.”Her brow furrowed. “What?”“Who do we know that can trace this number? GPS it. Run facial recognition, hell, I don’t care, just someone who can track down where that video came from.”Stella hesitated. “There’s someone. I used him before when my ex was… shady. He’s off-grid, paranoid as hell, but he’s good.”I nod
Stella's pov:After I said the words, they hit me. The only thing I could hear was the sound of my heartbeat.My fingers trembled beside me, my eyes darting everywhere, but not actually picking any view.Confusion clouded my vision, and I blamed myself for what was happening. I asked her to marry him to save her son. But now, the pain it was feeding her, hurt me more.“I need to use the restroom,” I said, turning to Suzanne whose thoughts were also clouded. She looked lost but nodded to me, so I picked up my bag, and rushed out.I walked the halls of the hospital till I located the restroom. The moment I got in I found myself a toilet and locked myself in.My hands flew to my head as it dawned on me that my friend was in a huge mess, and I didn't know how to be of assistance to her. Tears flowed from my eyes unconsciously, as I tried to gather momentum to be strong at this moment.I blinked for a few seconds and flushed the toilet. After which I walked out and washed my face. Only
Suzanne’s pov:“…What more?”Stella was silent on the other end, and that silence said everything.“Stella.” My voice was sharper now. “What else?”She inhaled, shaky. “We… we think someone’s been watching him.”My heart stopped. “What?”She continued, her voice low and quick, like someone afraid of being overheard. “Desmond got a message. A photo. It was Dominic—taken through the office window before he collapsed. There was a note too. Just five words.”I was already locking the door behind me, breath coming fast. “What did it say?”She hesitated.“Tell me.”“Your king is falling next.”I didn’t realize I’d dropped the phone until it hit the porch step with a crack. My hand stayed frozen in midair as my other clutched the edge of the railing for support.‘Your king is falling next.’That wasn’t a threat. That was a promise.The world tilted for a second.I forced myself upright, snatched the phone off the ground and got into the car, the engine roaring to life with a jolt.I didn’t
Dominic’s pov:I didn’t realize how long I’d been sitting in that chair.The office was dark now, painted in shadows, the only light spilling in from the city skyline beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows.The once-busy hum of staff had long since faded.Phones stopped ringing. Emails went unanswered. Even the steady ticking of the antique clock on the wall felt like it was echoing louder than it should.I hadn’t moved since the ruling.My fingers were still clenched around the edge of the armrest, knuckles bleached white. I felt detached from my body, like I was a ghost hovering above myself, watching the slow unravelling of a man who’d never been allowed to lose before.My heartbeat thudded in my ears like war drums, but everything else was quiet.Too quiet.The courtroom played like a reel in my mind, frame by brutal frame.Linda’s entrance is like a queen returning to a throne that never belonged to her.The judge was already in her pocket.The smug politicians, their loyalty boug