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"Bracelets and Bombshells"

Author: Janina peters
last update Last Updated: 2025-07-26 22:11:34

AARON

I finally signed the last deal for Lombardi Co. It’s been hectic all week working on a particular client and now, it’s over with. I finally have the time to focus on Ash business. Before that, I have to find my Kitten.

I haven't had a moment to breathe with her, not truly, since we arrived. I tried to conclude everything and focus on her but work is a lot.

Our penthouse is quiet as I step inside, the city’s distant hum barely audible from this height. I chose one of the best hotels just so we can get our privacy and hopefully Mia can get some rest before we travel back.

I enter the living room and see Mia sitting on the sofa, her knees drawn up, a hand resting on one. Her gaze is distant, fixed on the curtains but I’m sure she’s not looking at them. On her other hand, she holds a small, beaded bracelet, turning it over and over, the colorful beads catching the last rays of light. It's a bracelet I've never seen on her before.

“Mia?” My voice is soft, an attempt not to startle h
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  • THE HOSTAGE'S DILEMMA    "A Dance with Danger"

    MIAThe sound of Aaron’s voice rips through the penthouse. I head out of the kitchen to see what the problem is. “You know what? You'd better handle it. You better make sure every single trace, every thread connecting Randall to Ash, vanishes into thin air. Because if you don’t,” my voice drops, becoming dangerously quiet, a stark contrast to my earlier fury, “then I’m washing my hands of all of it. I’m handing Ash back to you. Since you clearly don’t want to retire anymore, you can have your empire back. See how well you run it with federal agents breathing down your neck. You’ve done it before, you can do it again, can’t you? This isn’t a threat, Grandfather. It’s a promise.”I almost gasp when he mentions his grandfather. Who would’ve thought that the one Lombardi family member that Aaron has a bit of fear for is the one receiving the lashing? He throws his phone against the sofa and takes deep breaths. I’m about to ask if everything is okay when he gets another call and I bite my

  • THE HOSTAGE'S DILEMMA    Ashes Before the Summit

    AARON The cold fury burns through me, a raw, hot wave threatening to choke. My knuckles are white, pressing against the phone, the metal digging into my palm. I don’t care who he is, not right now. Authority means nothing when the foundation crumbles.“What the hell did you do?!” My voice rips through the receiver, a guttural roar I barely recognize as my own. “The FBI is on Randall! On Randall, Grandfather! Do you understand the weight of all this? This is all on you! Your damn short-sightedness, accepting that pathetic deal with him!”“Calm yourself, Aaron. Randall is a loose end for which we were always prepared.” His words are like stones, each one hitting a nerve. “I will handle the authorities. The Ash mafia will not be traced to Randall. You worry too much.”Worry too much? You have to be fucking kidding me. My jaw clenches, a muscle ticking violently at my temple. “Worry too much? You think this is ‘worrying too much’?” I laugh, a harsh, humorless sound that scrapes my throa

  • THE HOSTAGE'S DILEMMA    "Bracelets and Bombshells"

    AARONI finally signed the last deal for Lombardi Co. It’s been hectic all week working on a particular client and now, it’s over with. I finally have the time to focus on Ash business. Before that, I have to find my Kitten.I haven't had a moment to breathe with her, not truly, since we arrived. I tried to conclude everything and focus on her but work is a lot.Our penthouse is quiet as I step inside, the city’s distant hum barely audible from this height. I chose one of the best hotels just so we can get our privacy and hopefully Mia can get some rest before we travel back. I enter the living room and see Mia sitting on the sofa, her knees drawn up, a hand resting on one. Her gaze is distant, fixed on the curtains but I’m sure she’s not looking at them. On her other hand, she holds a small, beaded bracelet, turning it over and over, the colorful beads catching the last rays of light. It's a bracelet I've never seen on her before.“Mia?” My voice is soft, an attempt not to startle h

  • THE HOSTAGE'S DILEMMA    "The Girl at the Gate"

    DREWAfter I left Mia in the penthouse, I met up with Aaron who was still busy with Lombardi Co. business. We went through several files before I got the call. My feet already know where they’re going, urged forward by the urgency of Trina’s call. She hit me with the full rundown on Liam Conall just an hour ago. He’s living under a fake identity now, "Sam," Trina said, her voice tight with stress. She also gave me a lead: a specific pawn shop he frequents, though she couldn’t tell me why. My gut churns with a mix of anticipation and dread. Liam Conall is a slippery man and I wonder how no one has ever found him for years now.The pawn shop looms ahead, a small store wedged between a perpetually closed dry cleaner and a neon-lit nail salon. The windows are caked with dust, obscuring the treasures—or junk—within. I push open the door, a bell jingling weakly above my head. I brace myself for the unexpected. A discreet drug chain? Armed men? Anything.Instead, the air is thick with the s

  • THE HOSTAGE'S DILEMMA    Forty-Eight Hours to Burn

    NATALIEI step into the huge mansion, my worn sneakers scuffing lightly on polished marble, and my breath catches. I scan the entire house, taking in the beauty of this masterpiece. Sunlight streams through tall, arched windows, illuminating dust motes dancing like tiny, indifferent spirits in the air. A grand staircase, wide enough for a parade, curves elegantly upwards, its banister a dark, gleaming wood that looks impossibly ancient and impossibly cared for. Expensive art lines the walls, abstract splashes of color and emotion in frames that probably cost more than my entire apartment. The air itself feels different here, probably what money can do.“Are you quite finished admiring the house, Natalie?”Luca’s voice cuts through the quiet house. I jump, startled, my daydream dissolving into a prickle of heat on my cheeks. He stands at the end of the hall, leaning against a wall, his arms crossed over a tailored black suit that looks like a second skin. “Come.” The single word is a

  • THE HOSTAGE'S DILEMMA    Threads of the Forgotten

    MIAThe sun warms my face as I step into the streets, the scent of espresso and old stone filling the air. After Drew made up some excuse and hurried out, I decided to make the best use of the free time. If I am in danger shortly, I'd better enjoy this sense of normalcy.My first stop is a small, tucked-away souvenir shop. Inside, shelves overflow with intricate ceramics, miniature gondolas, and delicate lace. I browse slowly, my fingers tracing the cool surface of a hand-painted mask, considering a tiny glass sculpture of a bunny. Nothing quite catches my eye, but the quiet hum of the shop and the rustle of other tourists provide a soothing backdrop. After a few minutes, I decide to get a bite to eat. My stomach rumbles in agreement.I head towards a small restaurant I spotted earlier. I can already feel the excitement of trying a new dish bubble in me. The narrow cobblestone street curves, leading me away from the main road. I’m about to pass a small alley when I see an old woman on

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