AXEL’S POV:A small voice cut through the chaos in my mind. “Daddy?” Sea. Her voice was soft and uncertain, as if she wasn’t sure I could hear her. My eyes were open, but my body wouldn’t move. I could see her, standing a few feet away, the dim light from the hallway casting her in a soft glow, but I couldn’t react. Couldn’t speak. Couldn’t even lift a finger. Panic clawed at my chest, but my limbs remained locked. My mind screamed at me to do something, anything, to reassure her, but all I could do was lie there, frozen. Her tiny footsteps approached, hesitant at first, then quicker as she realized I wasn’t responding. “Daddy?” Her voice cracked, thick with fear. A lone tear slid down my good eye. My mind was a warzone, still trapped in that nightmarish haze. I could still hear the sickening crunch of metal against bone. Still see my mother’s broken body, her blood mixing with the dirt. I wasn’t here. I was there. Dying all over again. Sea crouched beside me on the fl
AVERY’S POV:It burned.Every line of that mysterious tattoo seared into my spine like fire biting my skin. The pain was relentless, curling through my nerves, refusing to let up. I wasn’t sure if it was the nightmare or the damn ink itself, but when I jolted awake, my body was drenched in sweat, my breath coming too fast, too shallow. I curled into the nearest corner, pressing my back against the wall as if that would steady me. My throat was dry, scratchy, like I’d swallowed sandpaper. I needed water—desperately—but nothing was in reach. What was happening to me? My mind was a battlefield, torn between reality and the fragments of my dream—the bloodied man in my arms. The cold, sticky wetness of his lifeless body seemed so real. The images wouldn’t leave me, wouldn’t stop replaying behind my eyes, a nightmare bleeding into wakefulness. God, was I losing it? Hallucinating? Imagining things? Physically, I was already a wreck. The last thing I needed was a spiritual crisis on
AVERY’S POV:"Are you going to stand there all day or come along?" Axel’s unexpected voice boomed.I blinked, surprised. I hadn’t expected him to call out to me or wait for me. Without another thought, I stepped forward, falling into place behind him. Baron moved swiftly, stepping in front of me with something dark in his hands. Before I could react, the fabric slid over my eyes, shrouding my world in black. "This will be your routine," Baron murmured, his tone almost gentle. "Routine?""Yes. Each time you're leaving your cell, you must wear a blindfold."Oh, I see. Another security measure to tame me from escaping. The word settled uneasily in my chest. A hand—firm but not rough—closed around mine. I couldn’t tell if it was Baron or Axel, but I held onto it instinctively as I was led forward. The floor beneath me changed, and then suddenly, I missed a step. My foot slipped, my balance wavered, and my breath hitched— Strong arms caught me before I could fall. A pause. A s
AVERY’S POV:I was tempted to tell her the truth. To say, "Your father did this. He’s trying to erase me, piece by piece, until I don’t recognize myself anymore." But I couldn’t. So I smiled, forcing lightness into my tone. "I went to the salon and got it done," I lied. She tilted her head, considering me. "I want to get my hair done too," she said thoughtfully. "So I can be pretty like you." Her words struck a sad chord inside me. If only she knew how much of myself I was losing with every change Axel forced on me. But looking at her now—bright-eyed, full of trust—I couldn’t bring myself to shatter the moment. "Maybe one day, darling," I said softly, running my fingers through her ponytail. Maybe one day, when I was free, I'll go back to my natural hair."You don’t need to change a thing, Sea," I told her, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. "You’re already perfect just the way you are." Considering my words, she gave a satisfied nod. "Okay! But if I ever do change
AXEL’S POV: No name. No number. Just an address scribbled on a card—my only clue to my destination. And yet, I was placing not only my fate but also that of the pilot in its hands as we flew through endless sky. This was our second day in the air, and I couldn’t help but wonder—just where the hell were we heading? It felt like the edge of the world. After the incident, there was no more room for hesitation. I had made up my mind. Sea wanted this, and I had to give it to her. Refusing her any longer wasn’t an option. She had already lost too much. Ryan, the one person she was comfortable with, had been sent away to handle business. That left Avery. The only other person Sea clung to like a lifeline. I had given strict instructions—let Avery settle in naturally, with Baron as the only security presence checking in from time to time. But I didn’t need constant reports to know what was happening. I had eyes everywhere. I saw everything. And what I saw… It was almost unnatural,
AXEL’S POV:I stepped out of the helicopter, my boots hitting the ground with a dull thud. The moment I did, an unsettling silence pressed in around me. The wind barely stirred the brittle grass, and the only sound was the distant hum of the helicopter blades slowing to a stop. The GPS had led us here, but this couldn’t be the right place. It didn’t make sense. The coordinates pointed to an active location, yet everything around me was abandoned—rundown houses with shattered windows, rusted fences barely standing, and trees stripped bare like skeletons. No movement. No sound. No sign of life. My jaw tightened. Was this a mistake? Should I turn back? The thought lingered, but I shoved it aside. I wasn’t the kind of man who retreated. If this was a setup, then so be it—I would deal with it the way I always did. I turned to the pilot. “Stay with the chopper. Keep it ready.” He nodded, and I moved. I slid a knife into the holster at my ankle, checked my gun before tucking it away
AXEL’S POV:I staggered to my feet, my knees bracing for whatever the hell this was. Her eyes rolled back, turning pure, blinding white. Her hair was now all black falling around her shoulders as the candlelight extinguished all at once, plunging the room into flickering darkness. "The problem you face," she began, her voice echoing in ways it shouldn’t, "would have been easy to solve. Forgivable, even. But because you do not know forgiveness—" She smiled, and it was vicious. "Your redemption is nearly impossible." The air pulsed. The room shook. She sounded possessed. No, she was possessed. "You have killed the innocent. A soul without sin. And so, you are cursed." My blood turned to ice. I squared my shoulders. "Cursed?" I scoffed. "By who?" She didn’t answer. Instead, her voice deepened, layered with something ancient. "The circle around your heart will never break—unless you find a virgin, one pure in heart, to love you earnestly, and then pray to the God you do
AVERY’S POV:Routine had become my safe space—predictable, comfortable, and yet, in the quiet moments, I felt something creeping in. Restlessness. A hollow kind of boredom. I told myself I liked this life, this peace, but deep down, I knew what was missing. Axel. It wasn’t just his presence—it was the way he made the world feel more alive. The way everything around him burned with danger and excitement. And yet, it had been over a week with no sign of him or Ryan. Nothing. I told myself not to care. I wasn’t his wife, wasn’t obligated to worry. But the silence stretched too long, pressing against my chest like a weight I refused to acknowledge. Instead, I poured myself into the people still here—Sea, Baron, even Katie and her mute entourage who communicated mostly through stiff nods. Sea, especially, had become my shadow. My best friend. We spent hours in the kitchen, making a mess of Axel’s pristine counters, flour coating our faces as we experimented with recipes she found
AXEL’S POV:I leaned forward, palms flat on the wood.“First of all,” I began, “I owe every single person in this room an apology. For my absence. For what’s happened to MedixGen. And for the uncertainty it’s caused you.”A few heads nodded. Others watched, arms folded.“My wife and I…we needed time. Time to reevaluate things. Time to breathe after years of building an empire that never once let us rest. We didn’t think the empire would crumble behind us.” I paused, letting my lies sink in. “But it did. And I take responsibility for that.”There was no way I would open my mouth to narrate our ordeal to anyone. That would break my promise to Akira. “But I’m back now. And I promise you—” I looked around the table, steady and certain— “I will rebuild MedixGen. Not just to what it once was, but beyond. I’ll triple your profits, bring every failed investment back to life. I just need one thing—your trust.”The room was quiet, though not silent. There was a current of murmurs. Doubt. Restl
AXEL’S POV:"It's been such an honour to make this press release with my beautiful wife. Mr. and Mrs. Blackwood are back to run MedixGen and all related companies," I finished, my voice steady as steel.Avery, ever the graceful actress, clapped along with the others. Her hand was warm in mine as I stepped down from the podium, the flash of cameras trailing behind us like wolves scenting blood.They thought I was heartless. Maybe I was.What they didn’t see was the truth: control was slipping—at home, at work, inside me. I wasn’t just battling with external forces, but with myself, too. I was battling ghosts. And if I had to be cold to win, so be it. Avery’s plan was idealistic. I needed something guaranteed.Sea had to disappear—boarding school under a fresh identity or at Akira’s, hidden away. I couldn’t gamble with her life. Not again. As for Ryan… the last time we danced this dance, I’d been wrong. This time, the evidence screamed louder than his lies ever could.The next conferenc
AVERY’S POV:I thought she was leaving, but Katie stopped midway, her brow wrinkled as she turned back to me, the batter still in her hands. “Mrs. Blackwood… with all due respect, it’s my job to take care of this household. That includes making meals for you and Mr. Blackwood. If he's been cautious about who makes his meals, it's definitely not with me.”I closed my eyes briefly, trying not to snap. “Katie, don’t argue with me. Please—just let me do what I want.”The edge in my voice came out sharper than I intended. Frustration had been bubbling under the surface since yesterday, and this little back-and-forth nudged it past civility.Katie blinked, clearly taken aback.I sighed, immediately softening. “I’m sorry. That came out wrong. I just… I need this right now. Let me handle breakfast.”Her shoulders dropped in a slight nod. “Alright. Then I’ll take Mr. Blackwood’s coffee to him—”“That won’t be necessary,” I cut in. “I’ll make another one for him.”“It’s okay, Avery,” came a voi
AVERY’S POV:When I finally woke up, my body groaned in protest.Sleeping on the ottoman had twisted my spine like a corkscrew. I shifted and stretched, every joint aching as I planted my bare feet on the cold marble floor—only to feel a tight, stabbing pressure in my left leg.I looked down.It was swollen. Badly.Puffy from the ankle to the knee, tender and discolored in some spots. My stomach dropped.“I need to go to the hospital… or see Cedric,” I muttered.I peeled off the crumpled sleep clothes and changed into a flowing emerald gown that gathered around my legs and swept the floor. The fabric was light and loose—strategically chosen. No one would notice my limp, not right away.I paused at the closet door. My heart thudded against my ribs.Please don’t be outside. Please let him be gone.I unlocked it slowly, inching the door open. The room was still. Quiet.Axel wasn’t there.Relief flooded my chest like a tide.My eyes flicked to the clock on the nightstand.7:03 AM.A new d
AVERY’S POV:Sleep had finally wrapped its arms around me, heavy and dreamless. The sheets tangled around my legs, and the weight of exhaustion from the day made my body sink deeper into the mattress. For once, I wasn't overthinking. I wasn't haunted by what I had seen on that balcony or the blood Axel had ordered spilled.But suddenly—I couldn’t breathe.My throat clamped shut as if someone shoved cotton down my windpipe. I jerked, trying to swallow, but there was no space for air. Only panic.I coughed. Thrashed. My lungs screamed for oxygen as my eyes flew open.And that’s when I saw him.Axel.Hovering above me like a shadow, his hand wrapped tight around my neck. His grip was brutal—his thumb pressed into my windpipe, fingers digging into the sides of my throat like he meant to snap it clean off. His body pressed over mine, pinning me down, suffocating me."A—Axel," I choked out, barely a whisper.His eyes were hollow. Not just blank—hollow. Like something had scooped the soul ou
AVERY’S POV:I rested for a while, my head spinning with thoughts I couldn’t pin down. Something about Axel felt... off. Distant. Like he’d taken three steps back from a war he was the one who started. This was his world—his creation. So why did it feel like he was trying to unmake it?With a long breath, I sat up and forced myself to move. Each step toward the bathroom made me wince—an intimate reminder that he'd been inside me not long ago. Whatever storm was brewing in his head, one thing hadn't changed: his need for control. For me.After washing up and pulling on a soft robe over a tank and shorts, I padded down the hallway. I needed to check on Sea. That girl was tougher than she had any right to be. Just like her father. Resilient. Quietly fierce.I nudged her door open and heard her soft, even breathing. She was fast asleep, arms flung wide over the blanket, mouth parted, utterly at peace.But when I reached to close the door, I realized I was gripping the knob too tightly.I
AXEL’S POV:“I would’ve followed you anywhere,” Avery whispered, her hands slipping around my neck, her body tightening beneath me. “I have died beside you, Axel. That should be enough proof.”I stilled inside her, the weight of her confession pressing down on my chest like a curse I couldn’t outrun.“Why now?” she asked, panting as she wrapped her arms tighter, pulling me toward her. “Why have this conversation now, Axel?”The urge to push myself all the way back in was infuriating, but I didn’t move an inch, savoring the way she begged with her eyes and her body.I tangled my hand in the back of her hair, holding her gaze. “Because it’s been eating at me.”Her eyes narrowed, suspicious. “What happened back there? Why did you miss the aim? One thing I know for certain—you’re a great shooter. If you wanted that man dead, he’d have dropped before I even arrived.”That was the thing. I was exceptional. Precise. Deadly.I slammed back inside her.“I don’t know,” I admitted, the words for
AXEL’S POV:As Baron left, the room finally settled into silence. I leaned back, the material creaking beneath me, shadows from the light stretching across the floor. My mind wandered—first to Sea, and how she’d surprised me. There was no tantrum, no cold stares. Just quiet acceptance. A daughter who’d been confused for years but chose love over resentment. She was more like Avery than I realized.Speaking of her—Avery sauntered into the living room like a flame in the dark, barefoot, legs bare, wrapped in a blood-red satin nightie that clung to her body like it had been painted on. Thin straps kissed her shoulders, the silk dipping low enough to tease the soft weight of her breasts. Every sway of her hips pulled me to her. Desire pooled low in my stomach, uncoiling like a fuse waiting to be lit.She walked over without a word and slipped onto my lap, her legs curling around me. Her lips found mine in a soft kiss.“Sea’s asleep,” she mumbled against my mouth.I wrapped an arm around
AXEL’S POV:As Baron left, the room finally settled into silence. I leaned back, the material creaking beneath me, shadows from the light stretching across the floor. My mind wandered—first to Sea, and how she’d surprised me. There was no tantrum, no cold stares. Just quiet acceptance. A daughter who’d been confused for years but chose love over resentment. She was more like Avery than I realized.Speaking of her—Avery sauntered into the living room like a flame in the dark, barefoot, legs bare, wrapped in a blood-red satin nightie that clung to her body like it had been painted on. Thin straps kissed her shoulders, the silk dipping low enough to tease the soft weight of her breasts. Every sway of her hips pulled me to her. Desire pooled low in my stomach, uncoiling like a fuse waiting to be lit.She walked over without a word and slipped onto my lap, her legs curling around me. Her lips found mine in a soft kiss.“Sea’s asleep,” she mumbled against my mouth.I wrapped an arm around