Chapter 40: Taking A StandCELESTE I felt a flutter of anxiety at the thought of leaving the house. Yesterday's attack had shaken me more than I wanted to admit, and the idea of being out in public, exposed and vulnerable, made my stomach clench.Xenois seemed to sense my hesitation. He set down his spatula and came around the counter to stand beside me, his hand resting gently on my shoulder."The choice is entirely up to you," he said quietly. "If you'd rather stay home, we can have a quiet day here. Watch movies, play board games, just relax. Whatever makes you feel comfortable."His understanding, his willingness to let me make the decision, was both reassuring and confusing. The old Xenois would have made plans and expected everyone to fall in line. He wouldn't have consulted me about my comfort level or given me veto power over family activities."What about security?" I asked, voicing the concern that was uppermost in my mind."Already handled," he said, his voice taking on th
Chapter 39; Morning RevelationsCELESTEI woke to the unfamiliar sensation of an empty bed. For a moment, confusion clouded my thoughts as I reached across the mattress, expecting to find warm bodies curled up beside me. The events of yesterday came rushing back – the attack, the terror, the way we'd all slept together for comfort and safety.But now the bed was cold, the sheets rumpled from where Xenois and the boys had been sleeping. I could hear sounds drifting up from downstairs – muffled conversation, the clatter of dishes, and something that made my heart lift despite everything: the sound of my children's laughter.I lay there for a moment, just listening. It was such a normal sound, so beautifully ordinary after the chaos of yesterday. The boys were giggling about something, their voices bright and carefree in a way that reminded me they were resilient in the way only children could be.I slipped out of bed and padded to the bathroom, catching sight of myself in the mirror. I
Chapter 38: Dangerous GamesSOPHIA"Perhaps it was random," I suggested, acting innocent and trying to keep my voice steady from shaking. I wasn't going to give him the suspicion that I had something to do with it. "A robbery gone wrong, or—""No," Victor interrupted, his voice sharp with irritation as he banged his hand on the table startling me as it was sudden and unexpected.The silence was loud before he broke it and continued speaking. "It wasn't random. The bomb on the car, the planned attack at the restaurant – this was professional, this was intended. This was planned. This was personal."I felt my facade beginning to crack, but I forced myself to maintain eye contact with him as I said carefully."I still don't understand what this has to do with me."Victor smiled, but there was no warmth in it. He shook his head, his lips curled up in a smirk as if he was finding this amusing. "I think you do, Sophia. I think you know exactly what this has to do with you. Because I know y
Chapter 37: The Uninvited Night GuestSOPHIAThe elevator ride to my suite felt like it was never going to end, each floor that I passed making my frustration kept building up and it was almost reaching a breaking point. The day had been a complete disaster, and I could barely contain my rage as I replayed the events in my mind.Those incompetent fools I'd hired were supposed to be professionals at their jobs. They'd come highly recommended from contacts I'd made during my years working in various criminal enterprises before I'd cleaned up my act to pursue Xenois. But today had proven that reputation meant nothing especially when it came to carrying out the job.The plan had been perfect. Simple, clean, and more importantly, it was untraceable back to me. The bomb on Celeste's car would have eliminated her and those three little brats in one quick explosion, leaving Xenois devastated and vulnerable losing all his family at once and with no explanation. He would have needed comfor
Chapter 36: A Private Family Moment.XENOISI walked out onto the balcony, my bare feet were silent on the cool stone tiles. The night air was cold against my skin, which seemed to be crying the noise of distant night traffic and the faint scent of jasmine and honey from the garden below.I wrapped my arms around her shoulders from behind, feeling the tension in her body as she leaned back against me. Her hair smelled like her usual shampoo, it was a familiar scent that reminded me of safety and a bit of normalcy in the life we lived. A life I kept hidden from her."Why are you still up?" I asked softly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as she closed her eyes and exhaled, leaning deeper in my embrace."I couldn't sleep," she said, her voice sounding so low that I had to strain my ears to hear what she wanted to say. "Every time I close my eyes and try to have a bit of rest, I see those men. I hear the gunshots that don't seem to end just echoing over and over in my ears. I ke
Chapter 35: Restless Night XENOISBy the time I finished making the last call, the clock on the wall showed 8:47 PM. My neck was hurting me from bending over the phone for hours, and my throat felt raw and dry from speaking in the low dangerous tone that frightened people in the underworld.. Each conversation had been filled with threats and promises, making it clear that information about today's attack would be rewarded if they knew anything about it while feigning ignorance and not coming forth with the required information that I needed would prove to be costly.The responses had been similar from everyone that I had called. Every contact I'd reached out to – from the drug lords who were the ones in charge of the docks and ships that brought illegal substance to the city, to the arms dealers who supplied half the city's hard drugs to willing customers off the book– had sworn they knew nothing about the attack on my family. Their denials sounded like they had truth in them, whic