LOGINElise’s scream tore through the room, but a sharp slap cut it off almost instantly. "Shut up!" None of the men around them so much as flinched at the sight. Mark didn’t move either. "Run, Axel… go… run," his mother gasped, still struggling against the hand clamped around her neck. "I said be quiet!" She shook her head disobediently. "You have no right to command me!" She was terrified, yes. Her husband’s head lay somewhere far from his body... a sight more horrifying than anything she could have imagined. But the fear clawing at her chest was nothing compared to the need to protect Axel. For him, she would do anything. Face anything. Even death itself. Her lips trembled as she tried to speak. "You’ll…—" she coughed. "You’ll pay for all this… you can bet on it, you—" Suddenly, Luis drove his sword into her stomach. The blade was so sharp it pierced straight through her back and sank into the couch behind her, pinning her in place. She froze, as though her
FLASHBACK*** He was in his room, finishing the last piece of his puzzle with a wide, carefree smile. His eyes sparkled with color and life, brighter than ever, and his chestnut hair bounced softly with every movement. His pale, flawless skin seemed to glow brighter than anything else in the room. The familiar mole beside his nose twitched slightly as he grinned, and for a moment, he was just a little boy - Axel, full of hope and joy. But then, a sharp, unexpected clatter came from downstairs, breaking the calm of the room. Axel's head snapped toward the door, his hair falling across his eyes, making him look even smaller, even more innocent than he already was. He paused, listening for a voice, but there was nothing. The silence only made him more curious. His parents were downstairs with guests. He knew he wasn’t supposed to interrupt, his mother had been very clear about that. But then another sound came. Louder this time. Something breaking. Shattering.
*A/N: I’m really sorry for the lack of updates lately guys. I’ve been caught up with exams and focusing on my studies (༎ຶ‿༎ຶ). I’ll still be updating, just not as frequently as before until I’m done with all my papers. Thank you so much for sticking with me (◜‿◝)♡* * * After freeing the captives, who immediately burst into tears and called Axel their hero — or Andrew, since Axel had quietly disappeared before the ‘thank you’ session — he left Andrew to handle it all. Axel sat in his car instead, arms folded, staring straight into the darkness of the night. Back inside, Andrew addressed them again. "Remember," he told them, eyes flicking between each face. "Don’t tell the police. We’ll handle this ourselves. No cops. Understood?" "But why?" Angela’s mother asked, her voice shaking as her fingers pressed into her wrists. She hadn’t eaten for days, and the sharp jut of her collarbone made that painfully clear, even though she had never been a slim woman. "The law won
First of all, Mark was suprised when he saw that Victor was the one working for Axel. After all, Victor had always seemed like a loyal guard… right? Luis suddenly removed his nose mask, as though it had anything to do with his sight. At that same moment, the little boy burst into tears again, and the sound drew Axel’s attention. Axel looked at him with clear indifference. To the frightened child, this man was just another villain who had come to take him away from his parents. His mom. His dad. The possibility that they might save him never even crossed his mind. He was not wrong. To Axel, saving the boy was not his responsibility. Neither was saving Angela of all people. But Luis was his responsibility, and that was the matter he had come to settle. Still, something about the sight of the boy, so close to being treated in the worst possible way, stirred something inside him. His hands slowly clenched within his trench coat. He was just a child. So what? Axel had b
That night, Luis kept his word. He returned to the slaughterhouse, determined to resume the only business he believed he still had control over. Strangely, he no longer seemed to care about the empire he had lost. As long as his underground trade remained intact, he convinced himself he could rebuild everything. Not entirely, though. Axel was aware of it now. That was why he needed to move quickly. The faster he reestablished his network, the sooner he could regain his wealth and influence. Losing his empire didn’t mean losing his connections. His phone still held the contacts of loyal clients. And to Luis, that was more than enough to start again. The dim slaughterhouse was far from decent. It never had been. The place carried a heavy, unpleasant odor. It smelled of spoiled meat and dried blood mixed together, which was why everyone inside wore masks, including Luke and Connor — the usual two who rarely missed a night like this. "Where are they?" Luis asked, his voice mu
The entire city seemed to be holding its breath, waiting to see whether Luis had truly been hiding something. But Luis, being Luis, would never admit to it. "What do you mean?" Brenda glanced at him from the corner of her eye. Even she didn't know how they were supposed to explain this. "We have nothing to hide," he continued evenly. "However, it's obvious someone is targeting us." His jaw tightened as his gaze lowered to the table. "It began when my goods mysteriously disappeared." Brenda's fingers dug into his arm, a not-so-gentle reminder that they were live, and he needed to choose his words carefully. "What goods?" the anchor asked, suddenly far too interested. "Some imported construction materials from one of my companies," Luis replied. He paused, then added, "An entire warehouse was robbed." "Robbed?" the anchor repeated. "And yet there was no official report filed?" For a brief second, Luis forgot how words worked. The anchor adjusted his glass
After Mark finished killing Ethan, he turned to Luke and Connor."Boss is home, right?"Both men nodded.Mark turned back to Ethan’s body."Tell Boss I’m about to begin the harvest, if he’s still interested in watching," he said, gripping his knife once more.Neither man moved. Luke stood with his
Warning: Before you read this chapter, please be aware that it contains sensitive content involving human slaughter and ruthlessness. Feel free to skip this chapter if you think it might trigger you. Thank you.____Later that afternoon, Mark stood in the dim, cold room that reeked of blood and hum
The next day, Luis, who had been discharged the previous night, made his way to Mark’s ward. It was still early in the morning. Mark sat upright in bed, hands clasped, head bowed, lost in thought. How was he going to face Luis after failing him? The door swung open suddenly. Mark looked up, eyes
FLASHBACK***Rogers knew exactly how dirty Luis could get. He knew Luis was dangerous, and he knew retaliation was inevitable especially since he held evidence strong enough to destroy him. He’d even mocked Luis about it during their last phone call, and Luis was not the type to let an insult g







