Don't worry đ The next chapter will come in a few hours â¤ď¸
After carefully analyzing the route and comparing it with the plans Tony had found before, we continued through the woods according to Ryuu's instructions. We climbed a small hill and finally saw itâa ten-foot-tall barbed wire fence with watch towers.âSon of a bitch,â Kaiden breathed out as his eyes took in the ridiculously well-guarded facility. âI've seen prisons with less security.âMy lips formed a thin line. âWell, now we know for sure that the tunnels are the only way in.âI contacted Gunner and the rest of the groups searching other areas, informing them of what we found. I looked at my watch, and my stomach churned. We had less than twenty minutes, and that was only if Yan Hao decided to stick to his own rules. A part of me knew he might choose to kill Josie sooner...My chest tightened at the thought. I needed to get inside. I needed to find her. Now. âHow long until you get here?â A low growl rang in my tone.âThree minutes,â Gunner replied, panting. I knew that he was prob
JOSIEHe had come for me. He had found me. I remembered his lips on mine. I remembered a vague smile curving his lips. I remembered my voice cracking. I remembered the tears mixed with laughter⌠Then the sounds and images became blurry. Killian's voice softened and faded.I must have fainted afterward.Returning to awareness was followed by the pain. It pulsed through different parts of my body, but it didn't bother me that much. Perhaps I owed it to painkillers, or perhaps I felt that way because I knew I was safe.Despite the ache, my lips curled up slightly as I opened my eyes. I was lying in bedâa hospital bedâcovered with soft sheets. A drip was connected to my arm, most likely the reason the pain I felt was almost acceptable. But none of that put a smile on my face or filled my chest with warmth. Killian's touch did it.He was sitting by my bed, his hand holding mine. His head rested next to our joined hands, his eyes closed. I slowly rose to sit, carefully not to move my hand o
Killian didn't like my decision. He'd spent hours trying to make me change my mind, but I knew that this was the only way to end this. Since my leading doctor refused to let me out of the hospital, my team moved into my room, computers and other tech gear included. Killian brought me a laptop table so I could work while lying in bed. Well, at least I wasn't breaking the doctor's orders, not entirely.In two days, we managed to add over fifty more locations to the Eye. We focused on private airports, harbors, and train stations. Then we slowly began to plug as many traffic cameras as we could. The area watched by the Eye extended its range with every second, but it still wasn't enough to find Yan Hao.âRyuu should have helped us search for his former boss,â Ashley grunted, her eyes locked on the computer screen.I let out a long sigh. âRyuu has done enough. I cannot blame him that he took his mother and left. Now they can be family again.âAshley shook her head. âStill, he should haveâ
Four Years LaterYan Hao, Estelle, and Isabelle had become nothing more than a bad memory. Lou Zichen had been quickly convicted and sent to prison. Estelle and Isabelle landed behind bars six months later. The remains of Yan Hao's army and all his collaborators had been caught one by one. Special Agent Brooks made sure they all ended where they belonged. As if sensing there was no more danger around us, Aria, our beautiful daughter, was born a day after the final trial ended.My once filled with dread and nightmares life had become nearly blissful. Certainly, large areas had needed to be rebuilt, but Killian and I had pieced it back together. I had never returned to Blair Digital. After a year, Blair Digital merged with Tony's company, becoming Blair & Melton Interactive. Killian and Kaiden had recreated the Blair Consortium, making it twice as profitable as before. Of course, they both had wanted me to work for the consortium, assuring me I would find a place there. I'd refused. Inst
âThis has got to be a nightmare,â I murmured under my breath as I entered the reception hall through the revolving doors.More than a dozen of my work colleagues stood in a half-circle, smiling at my ex-boyfriend who happily paraded handing out invitations to his wedding. Everyone congratulated him, boosting his already overgrown ego. He was dressed up in a gray tailor-made suit way above his pay grade. His face was perfectly shaved, his ash-blond hair combed up, and even his nails were perfectly polished. Certainly, this change of façade was courtesy of his awfully rich fiancĂŠe. If I had loathed that man before, now my disgust had increased by a thousand percent.Cursing under my breath, I slowly moved to the right side of the hall, trying to sneak out of the well-lit spot before that bastard noticed me. The last thing I wanted was for him to gloatââJosie!â he drawled my name as if he were announcing another round of a boxing match. Well, that wasn't far from the truth. We had been d
No, no, no, no, no! This couldn't be happening! I had no savings! I was still trying to pay off my father's debt, and this job was all I had!Panic bubbled inside me, threatening to erupt in the ugliest way possible, but I forced myself to breathe. I needed to focus. There had to be a way out of this situation. This couldn't be the end for us⌠could it?Mancy took off her red-rimmed glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose. âThey expect us to clean up our desks and return the passes and company equipment by noon,â she said, her voice shaking.Martin jerked up from his seat, his hands fisting. âThis new CEO can't do this to us! We've done nothing wrong!ââActually, he can, and he did.â Kei stepped toward him, a dry smile twisting his lips. âThe new CEO decided we're not needed here. That's it. We should just⌠pack.âI wished I could argue with what he said, but we all knew the truth. Our work in that department was almost completely useless, and our reports had been rarely taken into
âWhat a fucking jerk!â Ashley growled, grabbing one of the colorful vodka shots from the table and pouring it down her throat.I had no strength left to support her rage. We were sitting by the kitchen table in her apartment, more than a dozen little glasses prepared to soothe our nerves in one of the least healthy ways possible. My fingers slid around the rim of the glass as I numbly stared down at my liquor. I wished the alcohol could solve my problems or at least dull my restlessness. It didn't. I had rarely drunk strong liquor, and by now, I should have been hiccupping and laughing like a happy idiot, but after emptying six shots, I remained irritatingly sober.Our team had bravely accepted the CEO's challenge. We had tried, we truly had, and we failed⌠miserably. This was an impossible task, and we had known it from the beginning. The CEO must have known that too. He had never wanted to give us a chance. He taunted us⌠âArrogant bastard!â Ashley continued, reaching for another g
âSo, where is your highly irresponsible boyfriend?â Killian's gaze was intense enough to drill inside my head.I sucked in a sharp breath. âHe couldn't make it.ââSuch a shame.â Amusement danced on his lips as he stepped closer. âBut are we truly talking about your boyfriend? Or a meaningless date?âWhat kind of a game was that? And what was he trying to achieve? I ground my teeth. âDoes it matter?âHe breathed out a chuckle. âI suppose it doesn't as long as he's not here.â I forced myself still as he studied me. âMay I know your name?âAir escaped my lungs, but my mind warned me I shouldn't feel relieved. This might have been a trick. Still, just in case, it was safer to lie.âMy name isâââJosephine!âI cursed under my breath hearing Ashley's voice behind me.âThere you are!âShit. She must have noticed me but didn't realize who I was talking to. If I let her come here, things could only turn from bad to worse!âMy friend is looking for me.â I gave Killian a nervous smile. âI need to