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12: AMAYA’S POV

ผู้เขียน: Still Iv
last update วันที่เผยแพร่: 2026-03-30 00:59:31

The sun was beginning to go to sleep, casting long, skeletal shadows across the stone paths of the Valak estate.

I walked faster than usual, my breath hitching in my chest.

Regina said that I was free to roam and roam about, I did.

I turned away from the main gardens, seeking a bit of true silence.

Anywhere that was furtherest from the main house was a welcome idea.

I followed a narrow, gravel path that sloped downward, hidden behind a thicket of towering cypress trees.

That was when I saw something that intrigued me.

A low, concrete building sat huddled in the shadows. It looked nothing like the rest of the estate.

It was nothing but gray walls, a heavy steel door, and a single, high window barred with iron.

"What is this place?" I whispered to myself.

I took a step closer, my curiosity momentarily overriding my fear. It looked like a bunker.

I wonder what they kept in here.

"You're a long way from the palace, little princess."

I jumped, a small gasp escaping my lips as I spun around.

A guard was leaning against a tree just a few feet away.

He wasn't one of the silent, professional ones that usually flanked Bane.

This man was younger with a cruel, lazy smirk playing on his lips while he tossed a small pocketknife into the air and caught it.

"I... I was just walking," I said, my voice trembling.

I started to back away. "I didn't know this area was off-limits."

"Everything is off-limits if I say it is," he said, pushing off the tree.

He started to circle me, his boots crunching loudly on the gravel.

"The Boss has everyone on edge because of you. We’re pulling double shifts, missing sleep... all to watch over a girl who doesn’t even look that pretty”

"I'm sorry," I managed to say, my eyes fixed on the knife in his hand. "I’ll go back now."

"Not so fast."

He stepped into my path, blocking the trail back to the main house.

"I’ve been hearing stories about you. The girl who was worth a massacre. Raul’s little widow."

He reached out, his fingers rough as they caught a lock of my hair.

I flinched, my heart hammering against my ribs. I felt trapped.

This felt like that night with Raul all over again.

"Don't touch me," I whispered.

"Or what?" he chuckled, his eyes dark and mocking. "You going to tell Bane? He’s a busy man, Princess. I think you’re a bit of a brat. All this luxury, and you still look like you’re at a funeral."

He leaned in closer, his hand dropping from my hair to my shoulder, his grip tightening until it hurt.

"Maybe you need someone to remind you. You aren't family. You’re a spoil of war and spoils are meant to be shared”

"Let go of me!" I cried out, shoving at his chest with all my strength.

He didn't budge. Instead, he laughed, the sound harsh and ugly.

"Feisty. I like that. Raul probably didn't know how to handle you, but I’m a better……..”

I didn't wait for him to finish. I drove my foot into his crutch as hard as I could and he fell to the ground in pain.

"You little bitch!!!”

I took off running, my lungs burning as I scrambled back up the gravel path.

I could hear him cursing behind me, his heavy footsteps echoing for a few seconds before they stopped.

I ran until my legs felt like lead, until the wild greenery gave way to the manicured lawns once more.

I was sobbing by the time I reached the stone fountain near the conservatory.

My dress was snagged, my hair was a mess, and my shoulder throbbed where he had gripped me.

"Amaya? My God, what happened?"

I looked up through a blur of tears. Regina was standing near the fountain, a glass of wine in her hand.

Her bright, cheerful expression vanished instantly, replaced by something sharp and lethal.

"Amaya!" She rushed to me, grabbing my shaking hands. "Talk to me. Who did this?"

"The... the guard," I choked out, my chest heaving. "By the gray building... the one in the trees. He... he grabbed me. He... had a knife, Regina. He wouldn't let me go."

Regina’s eyes turned to cold fire.

The "preppy", giant woman I had gotten used to was gone. In her place stood a Valak.

A woman who lived in a world of blood and knew exactly how to navigate it.

"He touched you?" she asked, her voice dangerously low.

"He... he grabbed my shoulder. He wouldn't let me pass. He was saying such horrible things" I buried my face in my hands, my body racking with fresh sobs. "I just wanted to walk. I didn't do anything wrong."

Regina pulled me into a firm embrace.

"Shh," she murmured, stroking my hair, but her gaze was fixed on the path I had just run up. "You didn't do anything wrong, honey. You’re safe now."

"Is he going to come after me? He knows where I sleep”. I whispered into her shoulder.

"No," Regina said. "He isn't going to do anything ever again."

"As much as I hate to say this," Regina said quietly. "You belong to my brother. And anyone who forgets that is a liability we don't tolerate."

"Regina, please... don't tell Bane," I begged. "He’ll... he’ll kill him. I don't want more blood on my hands."

Regina looked at me for a long moment.

"Amaya, you’re so sweet"

"Please," I repeated.

Regina sighed and tucked a stray hair behind my ear.

"Fine. I won't tell Bane. Not yet, anyway."

"You promise?"

"I promise I will make sure it’s taken care of," she said.

She looped her arm through mine, turning me back toward the main house.

"Now, let’s get you inside. You need a bath and a drink,

I walked beside her, my heart finally slowing down, but I couldn't shake the look in her eyes.

It was the same look Bane had.

She was definitely pissed off.

This was far from over.

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  • THE KILLER THAT CLAIMED ME   73: Nathaniel

    My boots slammed against the cold marble floor of the subterranean corridor, each impact sending a jarring shockwave straight up my spine. The freezing air of the server vault was a distant memory, replaced by the hot, suffocating rush of pure adrenaline. I didn't stop to use the internal comms; the security of the primary network lines was fundamentally compromised, a radio transmission would broadcast my findings to the snake. I tore through the double oak doors leading into the executive wing, my sidearm rattling against its tactical holster. "Out of the way!" I barked at the two vanguard sentries guarding the master study, throwing my shoulder directly into the heavy brass plates of the door. The door burst open with a violent crash. Bane was standing behind his mahogany desk, a tactical layout of the valley checkpoints spread before him. He snapped his head up, his dark eyes instantly flashing with a lethal, predatory irritation at my unannounced breach. "Natha

  • THE KILLER THAT CLAIMED ME   72: Nathaniel

    The green digital clock on the master console flickered to 3:42 AM. My eyes burned, the bloodshot vessels scratching against my eyelids every time I blinked. Before me sat three separate high-definition monitors, each displaying dense, unrolled matrices of biometric data, keycard overrides, and encrypted sub-routines. I was up all night going through hundreds of files, his fingers moving across the mechanical keyboard with a stiff, algorithmic precision. My uncle’s threat in the monitoring room had been an absolute command: ‘find the contaminant, or become the casualty.’ But the real battle wasn't against the mole. It was against the ghost haunting the interior of my own mind. I kept thinking of Amaya. Her hair, her eyes, the sound of her laugh and how gorgeous she looked with very little effort. I slammed my fist flat against the edge of the steel desk, the heavy impact rattling the porcelain coffee mug. "Get a grip," I growled into the empty room, my voice sound

  • THE KILLER THAT CLAIMED ME   71: Bane

    The heavy mahogany desk in my private monitoring room was buried under layers of internal personnel files, biometric access histories, and the handwritten security schedules`. I sat perfectly still, my arms crossed over my chest, my dark eyes fixed entirely on the man standing across the room. Nathaniel stood at perfect military attention, his jaw tightly set, his black tactical uniform immaculate. He didn't look at the files on my desk, and he didn't look at the live security feeds rotating behind my head. He looked like an iron statue, a perfect instrument of the Valak empire but the raw, bleeding exhaustion behind his eyes told a completely different story. "You've reviewed the technical data from the northern border wiretap, Nathaniel?" I asked, my voice completely level. "I have, Uncle," Nathaniel responded, his delivery professional, and completely deadpan. I stood up slowly, my massive frame casting a long, intimidating shadow over the glass table. I stepp

  • THE KILLER THAT CLAIMED ME   70: Amaya

    I stood in the center of my private dressing room, staring blankly at the dark burgundy blazer draped over the back of the velvet armchair. There was no reason to stare but it was the only thing I could focus on. Just two days ago, I had worn that jacket like armor, standing beside Bane in his office and strongly claiming him as my man. I had felt untouchable then. I had felt like a woman who had finally seized control of her own destiny in this world. But now, the hollow ache radiating from within me made that victory feel incredibly brittle. I thought of Nathaniel. He had been the only friend that I had here. He was a kind man to me and a true confidant. But now, every time our eyes met, his eyes would be completely devoid of the warmth that had once been my only anchor in this house. He actively avoided me and treated me like a stranger. And when I had chosen to be Bane’s woman, I knew that I had completely shattered Nathaniel’s heart. Regina had assur

  • THE KILLER THAT CLAIMED ME   69: Victor

    The concrete walls of the safehouse basement sweated cold moisture, matching the freezing adrenaline pumping through my veins. The air was heavy with the suffocating stench of cheap cigars, gunpowder solvent, and the bitter copper tang of my own absolute fury. I was infuriated to see my men just idling by.I slammed my hand down onto the scarred wooden table.“What the hell do you lot think you’re doing?!”All of them immediately shot to their feet. "Look at this mess! Clean it up!" I roared, pointing a trembling finger at Marcus, who stood near the iron door with his head bowed. "Don't just stand there like a brainless target, Marcus! Clean it up and tell me why the communication arrays haven't established the secure satellite proxy yet!" "We are doing everything we can, Boss," Marcus muttered, his voice tight as he stepped forward. He avoided my eyes, completely aware that my rage was a live wire waiting to electrocute anyone who stepped too close. “Your best? What best?!”"T

  • THE KILLER THAT CLAIMED ME   68: Bane

    The heavy double doors of the conference room had barely clicked shut behind Susan’s frantic exit before I let out a low chuckle that rumbled from the very depths of my chest. Amaya was standing by the large mahogany liquor cabinet, pouring herself a fresh glass of brandy. She still looked entirely composed. Still, the tension in her shoulders told me the territorial fire she had unleashed on Susan hadn't completely burned out yet. "You terrified her, you know," I said, stepping up behind her. “Is that so?” I reached out, my hands settling firmly on her waist, pulling her back against my chest. "Susan has stood before international tribunals and stared down federal prosecutors without breaking a sweat. Yet you had her trembling over a fountain pen within three minutes." Amaya tilted her head back against my shoulder, her eyes meeting mine in the reflection of the glass window. "She was crossing the line, Bane. She was looking at you like she would eat you up. I

  • THE KILLER THAT CLAIMED ME   29: Bane’s POV

    I stood in the center of the garden, the scent of jasmine suddenly cloying, like the smell of a funeral. My eyes were fixed on the spot where Nathaniel’s hand had been resting on hers. It was a casual, intimate touch that felt like a hot iron pressed against my throat. How could he do this?! I

  • THE KILLER THAT CLAIMED ME   28: BANE’S POV

    I stood in the center of the garden, the scent of jasmine suddenly cloying, like the smell of a funeral. My eyes were fixed on the spot where Nathaniel’s hand had been resting on hers.It was a casual, intimate touch that felt like a hot iron pressed against my throat.How could he do this?! I w

  • THE KILLER THAT CLAIMED ME   27: AMAYA’S POV

    The garden had become my only sanctuary. It was the only place I could have any semblance of privacy even if the air was thick with Bane’s expensive surveillance. I was sitting on a stone bench near the lily pond, a sketchbook open in my lap, though I hadn't drawn a single line. My mind was

  • THE KILLER THAT CLAIMED ME   26: AMAYA’S POV

    My bedroom had suddenly been buried beneath a tide of glossy white shopping bags, velvet-lined boxes, and gold-embossed garment bags. Every morning for the past week, it was the same. I would wake to the sound of the door clicking shut and find a new offering. Today’s haul was particularly

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