MasukKeeping him close would be difficult, but this morning Damien was determined to try.
He stood at the window of his study with a cup of untouched coffee cooling in his hand. The doctor’s words from the night before still echoed in his head. Keep this person close and observe. The problem was that the person he needed to keep close was the same stubborn stepbrother who had slapped him after a kiss and told him to stay away. At the same time, a quiet remorse sat in his chest for the
One year later…"Can’t believe we came this far. Look at us," Kai said, grinning bright as he took a slow sip of his white wine.He looked around the sunny morning kitchen of their high-rise New York apartment. The city skyline stretched out through the floor-to-ceiling windows, bathed in warm morning light."I’m glad we gave love a chance," Damien replied, his dark eyes glowing with warmth as he clinked his glass gently against Kai’s own.Kai set his glass down on the marble counter and checked his watch. "Oops! Time is up. I need to go get the new case on the system. Damien, this one is so touching. The boy is fifteen years old. His boss trafficked him and sold him for prostitution. For five years, he has been working for this cruel boss and gets nothing for salary."Damien leaned against the island, shaking his head. "No way! That is too gruesome.""Yes way, love. People are really wicked," Kai sighed, gathering his iPad and car keys off the table.After arriving in New York, Kai
The heavy armored door slammed shut behind them, cutting off the cold night air and the distant wail of sirens. Damien stood in the center of the plush cabin, his chest heaving under the dark hoodie. He stared at his father, his eyes wide with a mixture of disbelief, shock, and sudden, raw emotion. Magnus Voss slowly rose from the leather bench. The sharp, untouchable billionaire who had controlled boardroom tables for decades looked smaller now. His tailored suit was rumpled, the sharp lines of his face softened by deep exhaustion. For a long, heavy moment, neither of them moved. "Damien," Magnus said, his voice breaking on the single word. Damien took two fast steps forward and threw his arms around his father's shoulders. For the first time since the trial, father and son embraced, holding onto each other with a fierce, desperate strength. Damien buried his face into his father's shoulder, his hands gripping the back of Magnus's suit jacket. Magnus's composed façade finally
A sudden, deafening explosion shook the cold concrete floor beneath Kai's feet, sending dust falling from the ceiling of Cell Block C.Second later, a violent uproar erupted across the eastern wing of the high-security prison. Loud screaming, the harsh sound of metal banging against metal bars, and footsteps filled the hallway. Sirens blared instantly, flashing blood-red emergency lights across the dark walls."What is that?!" Kai gasped, pulling his knees up to his chest as he sat on the thin straw mat.The main officer, who had been standing by the door preparing them for the morning public execution, snapped his head toward the iron gates. His radio burst to life with static and panicked shouting."All units to Block B! The inmates broke the security lock! I repeat, they are overrunning the guards!""Stay right here!" the officer shouted over the noise, turning back toward Kai and Damien. "Don't move an inch! We will finish taking you out to the square once we crush this riot!"He
"Damien Voss and Kai Lennox, stand for your sentencing!" the head judge bellowed, his loud voice booming across the packed courtroom.The air inside the room turned to ice. Damien tightened his grip on Kai’s trembling, cuffed fingers underneath the edge of the wooden table. He squeezed tight, sending a clear signal that they were in this together until the very end.The judge adjusted his heavy glasses, looking down at them with cold, stern eyes. "For violating the sacred morals of this nation, and for refusing to show any remorse for your forbidden relationship, this court finds you both fully guilty. The sentence is "public execution by firing squad at dawn."A loud, collective gasp shattered the courtroom.Elena screamed from the front row of the gallery, a piercing, heart-breaking sound that echoed off the stone walls. She collapsed onto her knees, clutching her chest as two relatives tried to catch her. Magnus Voss stood completely still next to her, his face turning ghostly pal
The heavy iron door slammed shut with a deafening boom, locking Kai inside a cramped, damp cell.Kai pulled his knees tightly against his chest as he sat on the cold stone floor, trembling from head to toe. The air in the prison basement smelled like rust and old sweat. Across the dark room, two large, terrifying inmates sat on a concrete ledge, staring at him like hungry wolves."What do we have here?" one inmate growled, his voice deep and raspy. "A delicate little prince."Kai pressed his back flat against the rough stone wall, hiding his face in his hands as tears dripped onto his knees. He didn't say a single word. His mind was spinning with fear, constantly worrying about Damien. Where were they keeping him? Was he okay?Several corridors away, Damien paced back and forth across his own small holding cell. The steel cuffs were off his wrists, but his skin was raw where the metal had rubbed. He stared up at the tiny barred window near the high ceiling, his mind racing wildly.The
Kai’s voice shattered the silence of the dark house as he screamed at the top of his lungs.He lunged across the kitchen floor, his hands wrapping tightly around his mother’s wrists just as the sharp, silver kitchen knife was inches from her chest."Mom, no! Stop! Drop it!" Kai shrieked, tears instantly blinding his vision as he wrestled the heavy blade out of Elena’s trembling fingers.The metal knife clattered onto the cold tile floor, sliding under the counter.Elena collapsed right into Kai's arms, her entire body shaking with violent, uncontrollable sobs. She gripped the fabric of his shirt so hard her knuckles turned white, letting out a loud, gut-wrenching wail that echoed off the empty kitchen walls."Mom, please look at me!" Kai cried out, pulling her close and holding her head against his chest. "Please, stop crying! I'm here! I'm right here!""How could you, Kai?!" Elena screamed through her heavy tears, beating her fists weakly against his chest. "How could you do this to







