AVERY’S POV:Each step away from Axel’s estate was a war. My body fought me with every breath, but my heart? It was the real enemy.I clutched my shirt tighter around me, the wind being mean like it had a personal vendetta. I jumped at the sound of a car swerving in the distance and ducked behind a low wall when two men laughed too loudly around the corner. I kept going, head down, tears streaming silently—not that anyone was around to notice. This was the second time in my life I was walking away from a man who had power over me. The first time, I ran from a monster. This time... I was walking away from my angel. And that was what made it hurt so damn much.My heart felt like it was dragging behind me, scraped raw and bleeding on the pavement. The thought of Axel—his hands, his warmth, the way his voice changed when he said my name—haunted me with every step. And Sea. God, Sea. I missed her so badly it physically hurt. My chest ached, my arms ached, my soul ached.The world sp
AVERY’S POV:The smell of fine earth, incense, and freshly turned soil filled my nostrils as my mind and body slowly woke up. Around me, harmonized chants and melodic singing wove through the air like a gentle caress. For a moment, I wondered if I had found heaven—a place of peace and solace after so many sleepless, torturous nights.I felt a light sting that vanished as quickly as it came, and I fluttered my eyes, trying to wake up from the most peaceful sleep I’d had in ages.I realized I was lying sideways, my face turned away from the world and my stomach pressed flat against the cool floor. The scent of cedar smoke and wild herbs lingered in the air. When I finally blinked my eyes open and raised my head, I found myself inside a hut that looked like it belonged in a forgotten fairytale. I was in an odd acupuncture pose, as if someone had deliberately positioned me for healing. Before I could gather my thoughts, a soft female voice spoke."She's awake," the voice said gently.I a
AVERY’S POV:"Oman was the first of us—a healer who survived the burning plague when entire villages perished. They say he walked through flame and came out whole. His gift passed down through the bloodline, marked by the tattoo only seers can see. We have guarded it for generations."Every word reverberated through me, mingling with the pain of the past and the shock of the present. I recalled vague memories of love and loss, of fleeting moments when my world had been whole. Now, the truth shattered that fragile illusion—Axel’s betrayal, my own mistakes, and the dark legacy that I had never even known.I burst into laughter—loud and out of place. The sound echoed in the quiet sanctuary like I’d just dropped a bomb into a library. I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye, not sure if it came from laughter or exhaustion. Maybe both.“Okay, Akira, please,” I said, waving my hand as if that could erase all the absurdity. “Let’s end this comedy show. What is this? Harry Potter’s lost trib
AVERY’S POV: By the time Akira finished the tour, I was dazed—like someone had spun me around too many times and dropped me into the middle of a dream. She didn’t need more words. No speeches or convincing. I was already there. The Temple of Oman and Kore stood like something from another century, carved into the belly of a mountain and wrapped in ivy that twisted into the shapes of runes I didn’t recognize. Stone pillars, etched with golden script, stretched toward the sky like they were holding it up. A soft mist rolled down from the peaks above, layering the steps in a silvery sheen. The entrance itself glowed faintly—breathing, almost—as if the temple was alive, watching me. Inside, it was quiet. Not the awkward kind of silence, but the sacred kind. The air smelled like sandalwood and ancient earth. Candles burned in long, neat rows, casting shadows that danced across murals on the stone walls—murals of people with glowing hands, wide green eyes, dark robes rippling in wind tha
AXEL'S POV:“Daddy, I want my mom. Bring back my mom.” Sea’s voice still replayed in my ears, the same broken plea she’d repeated for weeks. She wasn’t eating. Couldn’t sleep. Every day brought a new tantrum. A new heartbreak. And I couldn’t fix it.Sea was mostly in the care of Katie and Cedric while I lost myself. I shut the world out. Nothing entertained me. Nothing made me happy. I hated life right now. I stood at the window of my office, the city blurred behind a sheet of condensation. It was late, or early—I didn’t care anymore. I hadn’t left this house in days. Maybe weeks. The silence had become a kind of cell. A warden pressing its weight into my chest.Outside, it rained. Inside, I unraveled.The world was shattering beneath my feet.Word had spread—about the fallout between Ryan and me. About the medication. About how my strength was fading. Some of the Dons had already turned, sniffing out new allies like dogs chasing meat. Business was bleeding out. The foundation
AVERY’S POVI tried not to think about the past.Tried not to remember his hands, his voice, the way his eyes looked just before they went dark with rage. I pressed it down like a bruise, refusing to touch it. My strength had to go toward the present. Toward now.The village had become a balm. Quiet, nestled between the curve of two mountains and a forest that breathed with life. The people here spoke in soft tones and walked with purpose. They treated me like I mattered. Like I was someone sacred. The child in my womb was treated the same.I had never felt this kind of care. Not even with Axel.They taught me things—how to prepare herbal medicines, how to read the wind, how to listen to the trees. I was still learning, stumbling over some of their ways, but I was adapting. Slowly. Steadily. I had no other choice. This place was the only place I could exist freely. They were special. And when I wasn’t learning, I trained like I had something to prove.Akira made sure of that.“You mo
AVERY'S POV:The village lay in ruins. Nauseating. Smoke twisted upward from blackened roofs like ghostly fingers clawing at the sky. I stumbled forward, my breath caught between a gasp and a sob. The village I had grown to love had been reduced to a scene of quiet devastation.Birds scattered in a frenzied panic above as I approached. Leaves rustled violently even though the wind had died. The animals were gone. Not a goat or a dog in sight. My heart thundered as I broke into the clearing.Everyone had been rounded up.Men, women, children—on their knees in a wide circle, hands bound behind their backs, guarded by men in black tactical gear with sophisticated guns and emotionless expressions. Even Grandma Akira was among them. Her frail frame trembled as she struggled to remain upright, her silver hair streaked with ash and dried sweat, lips moving in silent prayer.The fighters who should’ve protected us lay bloodied at the edge of the clearing. Some unconscious. Others groaning, t
AXEL’S POV: “How can I have the best and none of you have found her? Is she hiding under a rock?” I roared to the assembled men, my voice echoing harshly off the cold stone walls of tge room. Every eye in the room was fixed on me, but I saw only confusion and fear. The encrypted message that had led us to this dead end now mocked me. Whosoever sent it was a ghost, and worse, my men had searched every inch with no trace of Avery. Meanwhile, an enemy either had her or was near having her while I’d been running around like a headless chicken—and now, I was left seething.Earlier that day, I’d been forced into a meeting with the Dons on my supposed side—a gathering meant to make a statement and reclaim the power that was slipping through my fingers. I was a powerless Don now, and I couldn’t allow that to continue. As I paced in the room, my phone rang shortly. I answered in a snarl.“What?” I snapped into the receiver, not caring who the caller was.“Oh, dear Blackwood,” the voice tsk
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
AXEL’S POV:Avery was bent over Sea, her brows tight with focus as she ran test after test to make sure our girl was okay. Her hands moved gently, like she was touching glass that might shatter. I stood close, arms crossed, jaw clenched, watching every emotion on Sea’s face.“Did anyone hurt you?” Avery asked softly, brushing a strand of hair from Sea’s forehead.“Did anyone ever touch you in a way you didn’t like?” I added, trying best to stay in control while waiting for her answer Sea looked up at us. Her eyes were bright but calm. She looked older than her years—seven years had done that.“No,” she said quietly. “Ryan never hurt me. He was always... kind. Protective. Present. He took care of me. Always made sure I had what I needed. He taught me things, helped me grow up. Like a father should.”I exchanged a glance with Avery. A bitter taste bloomed in the back of my throat.“And the marriage?” Avery asked gently. “Did he force you to marry that man?”Sea shook her head. “No. He
AVERY’S POV:All this time, Baron and the rest of the guards stood still—positioned with militant stillness, their eyes never drifting from Axel and Ryan. They weren’t statues, though. You could feel the readiness in their posture, in the way fingers hovered just near triggers, how Baron’s gaze scanned every shadow like he expected a war to break out.Me? I kept scanning too. Old habits. But I didn’t feel cornered. Not with Axel here—and not with the numbers we brought. He’d made sure we had enough men. If this turned bloody, it wouldn’t end well for Ryan.Still, something in the air told me we were far from done.Defensively, Ryan snapped, “Her father kept her a secret to shield her from attacks.”Axel’s brows narrowed. “If you found yourself a mafia princess, why couldn’t you stick with her? Build your alliances the right way instead of giving away my daughter?” His voice turned lethal. “If her father is truly who you claim, then why not use that leverage?”Ryan’s jaw flexed. “Becau
AVERY’S POV:“No peace is worth her dignity,” I snapped, my fists clenched so tightly they ached. “You sealed her fate to get yourself out of trouble.”Ryan shook his head violently. “Don’t twist this. You weren’t here. Enemies were striking from all sides. The Russians in Tampa. The East Coast Syndicates in Italy. Everyone thought Axel was dead and Miami was up for grabs. I was just a name. They smelled weakness.”“You were weak,” Axel snapped. “And stupid. You believed that dirty-bag wouldn't touch her? You believed some overweight, power-drunk animal wouldn’t lay hands on my daughter the second she was his?”Ryan’s lip curled. “You think I didn’t struggle with it? That I didn’t weigh every option? I was desperate, Axel. Desperate to hold together what was left of your kingdom while you were dead. I didn’t have the luxury of morals. I had to survive. We all did.”“And for that,” Axel said slowly, stepping toward him until they were nearly nose-to-nose, “you offered her like a gift o