LOGINThe drive back from the board meeting was quiet. Nora kept glancing at Adriano’s shoulder, where the bullet had hit him. His suit was soaked with blood, and every bump on the road made him wince, but he stayed silent. He sat straight, refusing to show pain, even though his jaw was tight and his breathing was different. Nora sat beside him, feeling something she hated—guilt. She didn’t want to care if he hurt. She didn’t want to feel anything for a man who destroyed her family. But she saw him take a bullet that was meant for her. She saw the way he stepped in front of her without thinking. That image refused to leave her mind.“Let’s go to the hospital,” she said quietly.“No.” His voice was low.“You’re bleeding, Adriano,” she insisted. “You need a doctor.”“We’re going home,” he said firmly.Nora looked at him, confused. “Why? You could pass out. You could—”“I said we’re going home.”His tone ended the conversation. Nora pressed her lips together and looked out the window, trying t
Nora woke up early the next morning, confused for a moment about where she was. Then the memories hit her—her parents, Max taken, the contract she signed with shaking hands. The reality of Adriano Greco’s world pressed on her chest like a weight she couldn’t escape.A knock came, and the door opened before she even answered. Troy, Adriano’s right-hand man, stepped in with two maids behind him. They carried trays filled with a fancy breakfast and a long white box tied with a ribbon.“Boss wants you to eat,” Troy said. “And this dress is for you.”“What is the dress for?” she asked.“Mr. Adriano’s orders,” he replied simply, then left with the maids.Nora looked at the breakfast but felt nothing except a knot in her stomach. She kept replaying her promise—I will destroy him. She didn’t want his food. She didn’t want his gifts.The door suddenly opened again, this time without a knock. Adriano walked in as if the room belonged to him. Nora froze, but she quickly found her voice.Do you h
A few days passed, but the pain inside Nora didn’t fade even a little. It stayed sharp, like a knife turning slowly in her chest. Sleep refused to come. Food tasted like nothing. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw them again—her parents on the floor and Max being dragged away.Those images clung to her like shadows she couldn’t escape.She stood in her parents’ empty bedroom, the air heavy with silence. She walked to the dresser and picked up their family picture. Her mom was smiling, her dad looked proud, and Max had his usual playful grin.Nora pressed her hand against the glass, her fingers trembling.“I swear,” she whispered into the room, her voice shaking. “I will make Adriano Greco pay. I will avenge both of you. I won’t rest until I destroy him for what he did.”The words tasted like truth and fire. They kept her standing when grief tried to pull her down.The next morning, she found herself staring at the card Adriano had dropped on the floor. She didn’t want to touch
Adriano Greco stood inside the Dalton mansion with six of his men behind him. The house was quiet, the kind of quiet that comes before something terrible happens. Mr. James Dalton stood across from him, his face pale, his hands shaking even though he tried to hide it. Adriano looked around the room slowly, his eyes fixed on the man he had hated for most of his life.“You thought I wouldn’t find you,” he said, his voice calm but sharp. “But everything you took from me… I’m here to collect it back.”Mr. Dalton swallowed hard. “Adriano, listen to me—”“No,” Adriano cut in. “You killed my parents. You made me suffer. And now I’m taking everything that belongs to you.”Mr. Dalton raised his hands slightly, trying to defend himself. “It’s not what you think. That night—what you saw—it wasn’t the—Adriano’s jaw tightened. “I saw enough.”Mr. Dalton’s voice cracked. “Adriano, don’t do this.”Adriano didn’t blink. “I was there. I watched you destroy my family. I watched you point a gun at my
The restaurant smelled like warm bread and expensive wine, but none of it calmed the storm inside Nora as she walked in. She spotted Liam sitting by the window, scrolling through his phone like he had no care in the world. This was the man she was supposed to marry next weekend. The man she had loved for two years.When Liam finally lifted his head and saw her approaching, the first thing that flashed in his eyes wasn’t guilt. It wasn’t sadness. It was irritating—like her showing up was inconvenient for him. She sat across from him, her hands trembling beneath the table.“Liam… what exactly is going on?” she asked quietly.He let out a long, bored sigh, leaning back in his chair as if the conversation exhausted him. “Fine,” he said, tapping his fingers on the table. “My family no longer wants this marriage.”The words hit her harder than the cold breeze outside.“What?” she whispered. “Liam, what are you talking about? We’ve planned everything. Our families already—”“No company wants
Nora Dalton walked out of the hospital feeling drained after another long evening shift. Her feet ached from standing all day, and all she wanted was to get home, shower, and sleep. She hugged her bag closer as she walked down the quiet street, replaying the plans for her wedding in her head. In one week, she was supposed to walk down the aisle to marry Liam, the man she had spent two years believing was her future. Everything was ready. The dress, the hall, the invitations. Even her coworkers had thrown her a small pre-wedding surprise earlier in the day. She had laughed with them, happy and nervous, excited about the life she was about to start. She texted Liam that she was done with her shift and heading home, expecting his usual warm reply. Instead, her phone rang.Seeing his name appear on the screen made her smile automatically. Nora answered the call without thinking. “Liam, hi. I was just thinking about—”“We need to postpone the wedding,” he said, his voice cold, flat, and em







