เข้าสู่ระบบBOOK 2ARESPain.That was the first thing. Sharp and burning in my side where the bullet had torn through muscle and probably nicked something important. Every breath felt like swallowing glass.The second thing was blood. Mine. Hers. The kid's maybe—god, please not the kid's.The third thing was the smell. Gasoline and copper and burned rubber. The SUV's engine was still ticking, cooling down from the impact. We were upside down. My seatbelt was cutting into my shoulder. Everything was wrong-side-up and spinning even though we'd stopped moving.And the fourth thing—the only thing that actually mattered—was that they were coming.I could hear boots on pavement. Multiple pairs. Crunching over broken glass and twisted metal. Getting closer."Check for survivors.""Boss wants confirmation on all three targets.""The kid too?""Especially the kid. No witnesses. No loose ends."My vision was blurred, red-tinged from blood running into my eyes, but I could see Lucas. Hanging upside down in
A LOVE LETTER TO YOU (YES, YOU IN THE BACK WHO THINKS I CAN'T SEE YOU)Takes a deep breath and grabs a cafecitoOkay, mis amores. We need to talk.First of all—WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!No, seriously, I'm asking YOU. Because I just put Ivy through absolute HELL, left Ares bleeding out in an upside-down SUV, traumatized a six-year-old child (Lucas, baby, I'm so sorry), and ended this book with our girl possibly dying from a head wound while professional assassins close in.And you know what the wildest part is?I LOVED EVERY SECOND OF WRITING IT.But here's the thing—I couldn't have done ANY of this without you.You. Yes, you. The one reading this right now, probably at 2 AM when you should be sleeping but instead you're here wondering if Ivy's gonna make it, if Ares is going to survive, if Marcus is finally going to get what's coming to him, and if Vincent is sitting in his office realizing he just got his daughter killed with his stupid ego.(Spoiler alert for Book 2: Vincent is DEFIN
"You son of a bitch!" I screamed at Ares over the sound of squealing tires and Lucas's terrified sobs. "You just made everything worse! They're going to kill us because of you!""They were going to kill you anyway!" Ares shouted back, his hand gripping the oh-shit handle as Ilias took another violent turn. "At least this way I'm here to stop them!""Stop them?! There's a van full of armed men shooting at us! How exactly are you stopping them?!"Another bullet punched through the rear windshield. I screamed and pulled Lucas tighter against me, trying to make myself a shield between him and the gunfire."Mom!" Lucas was hysterical, his small body shaking. "Mom, I'm scared! I want to go home! Please, I want to go home!""I know, baby. I know. Just keep your head down. Don't look up. Stay with me." Tears streamed down my face. My son. My beautiful, innocent son was in the middle of a goddamn war zone because I'd been stupid enough to think I could survive the Blackwood family.The van ram
IVY I woke up to fifty-three missed calls from Vincent. Deleted every voicemail without listening. Blocked his number. Then blocked the office line when he tried calling from there. The audacity of that man. The sheer fucking audacity to think I'd answer after what he'd done. Maya had stayed the night after the gala disaster, sleeping on my couch because she was worried about me. But this morning she'd had to leave for work—some emergency meeting Damien had called with the entire executive team. Probably to discuss how to undermine me or force me out or make my life hell until I quit for real. "Are you sure you'll be okay alone?" she'd asked, hovering by the door. "I can call in sick—" "I'm fine. Go. Handle whatever crisis Damien's manufactured." I'd hugged her. "I'll call you later." "Call me if anything happens. Anything at all." She'd looked worried. "Turner said there was chatter at the gala. People making threats—" "Turner's coming by later to check on me. I'll be fine."
IVY"For months, I've been watching. Evaluating. Searching for the person who embodies what Blackwood Industries stands for." Vincent's voice carried across the silent ballroom. "Someone with integrity. Courage. The ability to make impossible choices. Someone who's proven themselves not through birthright, but through action."No. No, no, no.He promised. He said he'd give it to who deserved it. He said he understood."This company was built on legacy. On family. On the understanding that blood and merit must combine to create true leadership." Vincent paused, his eyes still locked on mine. "And I've found that person. Someone who represents everything I want Blackwood Industries to become."Please don't say my name. Please don't say my name.I tried to move toward the exit. But the crowd was too thick. Too many bodies pressed together. Too many people between me and escape."Someone who's faced every challenge thrown at them and emerged stronger. Who's survived attacks, betrayals, an
IVYThe Blackwood Estate ballroom glittered like something out of a dream—crystal chandeliers casting prismatic light across marble floors, ice sculptures melting slowly on tables laden with champagne and caviar, an orchestra playing Vivaldi in the corner while society's elite mingled in designer gowns and bespoke tuxedos.I felt like I was drowning in silk and superficiality.Maya squeezed my arm. "You okay? You look pale.""I'm fine. Just ready for this to be over." I adjusted the emerald green dress that suddenly felt too tight, too revealing, too much. "Where's Turner?""Positioning himself near the exits. Just in case." She glanced around the room. "Vincent's security is everywhere. You're safe."Safe. Right. Because being surrounded by a family that wanted me dead was the definition of safe.Damien was working the room like a politician campaigning for office, his smile sharp and calculating. He knew Vincent was about to announce him as successor. Everyone knew. The whispers had







