Chapter 4: Sacrifice and storm

VIOLET’S POV

My hands were shaking violently as I picked up my phone from the grass. The screen was dark, but the words of that monster were still echoing loudly inside my head, repeating over and over again like a broken record.

“We have your sister… Kill Damien Vane or she dies…”

“No… no… no…” I whispered, covering my mouth to stop myself from screaming out loud. Tears were flowing down my face like waterfalls, blurring my vision.

My little sister. Mia.

She was only ten years old. Innocent, sweet, and loved drawing pictures for me. She didn’t know anything about this world of violence and power. Why did they have to involve her? Why did they have to hurt the people I loved just to get to Damien?

I looked up towards the window of the study room. Damien was standing there, looking down at me with those gentle eyes, holding his phone to his ear. He looked so strong, so invincible. But I knew that if something happened to me or to my family, it would destroy him.

They gave me 24 hours.

24 hours to choose. Kill the man I love… or watch my sister die.

It was an impossible choice. A nightmare I couldn’t wake up from.

“Violet?”

I jumped and quickly wiped my tears, turning around. It was my father. He was walking slowly towards me, looking worried.

“Papa…” I stood up and hugged him tightly, crying into his chest. “I’m so scared, Papa. I’m so scared.”

“Shhh… what’s wrong, child?” He patted my back gently. “Is it because of what happened last night? Don’t worry, Damien is here. He will protect us.”

If only he knew. If only he knew that the danger was closer than we thought.

“Papa,” I pulled away and looked at him seriously. “Where is Mia? Did you leave her at home? Did you bring her here?”

My father looked confused. “No… she was with our neighbor, Auntie Linda. I thought she would be safe there. Why? What happened?”

My heart sank even further. She wasn’t here. She was out there. In their hands.

“Nothing, Papa,” I lied, forcing a smile that felt like it was cutting my face. “I just missed her. That’s all.”

I couldn’t tell him. I couldn’t break his heart. He was already sick and weak. He couldn’t handle this kind of news.

“I’m going back inside, Papa. I need to rest,” I said quickly.

“Alright, go ahead. Don’t think too much.”

I walked away as fast as I could, running towards our room. As soon as I locked the door, I slid down against it and let myself break down.

What am I going to do?

If I tell Damien, he will go crazy. He will try to fight them, but they said if we involve the police or try to rescue her by force, they will kill Mia immediately. They have the upper hand.

They want Damien dead.

And the only way to save Mia… is to give them what they want.

INSIDE THE ROOM

I stood up and walked towards the mirror. I looked terrible. Red eyes, pale face, and trembling lips. But I had to be strong. For Mia.

I opened my closet and took out a small bag. I started putting some clothes inside. Not much, just the essentials.

Where will I go? I don’t know. But I can’t stay here. If I stay here, Damien will notice something is wrong. And if I stay here, I won’t be able to do what needs to be done.

“I’m sorry, Damien,” I whispered to the empty room. “I’m so sorry. I love you so much. But I have to save my sister. I have to save my family.”

Just as I zipped the bag, the door handle turned.

Click.

The door opened.

Damien walked in. He was holding a tray with food and drinks. He smiled when he saw me, but that smile immediately disappeared when he saw my red eyes and the bag on the bed.

The air in the room instantly turned freezing cold.

“Violet…” His voice was low, dangerous, and filled with suspicion. “What is that? And why are you crying?”

I froze. My heart stopped beating for a second.

“I… I…” I couldn’t find the words. My mind went blank. “I just… I want to go home. I want to go back to our old house. It’s too… quiet here. I’m scared.”

Damien put the tray down on the table slowly. He didn’t take his eyes off me. He walked towards me step by step, his expression hard and unreadable.

“Liar,” he said simply.

Tears fell again. “I’m not lying!”

“You are!” He stopped in front of me, grabbing my shoulders firmly. “Look at me! Tell me the truth! What happened?! Did they contact you?!”

His question hit me like a thunderbolt. He knew. How did he know?

I couldn’t hold it anymore. I broke down completely.

“They have her, Damien! They have Mia!” I sobbed loudly, hitting his chest weakly. “They took my sister! They called me! They said… they said if I don’t… if I don’t let them kill you… they will kill her!”

Damien’s whole body went rigid. His eyes widened, and for a moment, I saw pure shock and rage flash through them. Then, his grip on me tightened, turning white.

“Who? Who called you? Give me the phone!” He demanded, his voice shaking with anger.

“I deleted the number!” I cried. “They said if I tell you, if we call the police, or if we try to do anything… they will shoot her immediately! They gave me 24 hours, Damien! 24 hours!”

I looked up at him, my heart breaking into a million pieces.

“They want you dead, Damien. They want you dead because of me. Because of my family. So I have to leave. I have to go to them. Maybe… maybe if I give myself up, they will let Mia go. Maybe they will leave you alone.”

“SHUT UP!”

Damien roared, pushing me against the wall, trapping me. His face was terrifying. Veins were popping on his forehead, his eyes were dark and filled with bloodlust.

“HOW DARE YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT LEAVING ME?!” He shouted, his voice echoing in the room. “HOW DARE YOU THINK OF SACRIFICING YOURSELF?! DO YOU THINK I CAN LIVE WITHOUT YOU?!”

“I have to!” I shouted back, crying harder. “Mia is just a child! She hasn’t lived her life yet! And you… you have a whole empire to run! You have to live!”

“I DON’T WANT ANY OF IT WITHOUT YOU!”

His shout silenced me.

He was breathing heavily, staring at me with so much pain and love. Slowly, his anger faded, replaced by desperation. He slid down to his knees, hugging my waist, burying his face in my stomach.

“Please… Violet… don’t leave me,” he whispered, his voice broken and crying. “Don’t ever leave me. I swear to you, I will get Mia back. I will save her. But don’t ask me to let you go. Don’t ask me to choose between my life and yours… because I would rather die a thousand deaths than live one day without you.”

I cried even harder, stroking his hair. “But how, Damien? How? They are watching us. They said any wrong move and she dies.”

He stood up slowly, wiping my tears with his thumbs. His eyes were now filled with a terrifying determination. Cold. Calculating. Deadly.

“They think they have won,” he said grimly. “They think they have trapped me. But they made a mistake. A very big mistake.”

“What are you going to do?”

He held my face firmly, looking deep into my eyes.

“They want a show? Fine. We will give them a show.”

THE PLAN

Damien sat me down on the bed and held my hands tight.

“Listen to me carefully, Violet. This is the only way. We have to play along with their game, but we will change the rules.”

“How?”

“They want you to think that you have to betray me,” he said. “So you will go to the meeting place they will tell you about. But you won’t be alone.”

“I won’t?”

“No,” he smirked darkly. “I have men everywhere. The best of the best. Snipers, undercover agents, tactical teams. They will be there, hidden, waiting for my signal.”

“But they said no guards…”

“They won’t see them,” Damien said confidently. “And I… I will be there too. Right beside you, in disguise. Or waiting nearby. As soon as you see Mia, as soon as she is safe… I will give the order. And then… I will kill every single one of them. Slowly. Painfully.”

I shivered. He was really the King of the underworld.

“B-but what if they hurt you?” I asked worriedly.

“Let them try,” he said coldly. “I have survived worse things than them. But Violet, I need you to be brave. Can you do that? Can you act scared? Can you pretend that you are ready to give me up just to save your sister?”

I nodded slowly. “Yes. I can do anything. As long as we are together.”

He pulled me into a tight hug, kissing the top of my head repeatedly.

“That’s my girl. We are a team, remember? Husband and wife. Against the world.”

Suddenly, my phone rang again on the bed.

We both looked at it. Unknown number again.

“They are calling,” I whispered.

Damien’s eyes narrowed. “Answer it. Put it on speakerphone. And stay calm.”

I took a deep breath and answered the call, putting it on speaker.

“Hello?”

“Have you made your decision, Mrs. Vane?” The same creepy voice asked.

“I… I want to see my sister first,” I said, trying to sound shaky and afraid. “I want to hear her voice. Prove she is alive.”

There was a pause, then we heard a small sob.

“Ate! Ate! Help me! I’m scared!”

“MIA!” I screamed, tears flowing again. “Mia! It’s okay! Ate is coming! Don’t be afraid!”

“Enough,” the voice cut in. “You heard her. Now here are the instructions. Tonight, at exactly 10 PM. You will come alone to the Old Warehouse District at the port. You will wear white so we can see you clearly. And you will bring Damien Vane with you… or what’s left of him.”

“I… I will bring him,” I said, looking at Damien. “Just don’t hurt her. Please.”

“Good. Come alone. If I see even one policeman or one guard… the girl dies. See you tonight, Mrs. Vane.”

The line went dead.

I dropped the phone, sobbing. “They want you to come with me, Damien. They want your life.”

He held my face, looking me straight in the eye.

“Then I will go,” he said calmly. “I will walk right into their trap. Because that is the only way to get close enough to destroy them all.”

“You will be in danger!”

“I am always in danger,” he smiled sadly. “But now, I have something worth fighting for. Something worth dying for.”

He kissed me deeply, pouring all his love and passion into it. It felt like a goodbye, but also like a promise.

“Pack your things, wife. Tonight… we go to war.”

THE PREPARATION

Hours passed quickly. The whole mansion was like a military base.

Damien was giving orders to his men. I saw them bringing out heavy weapons, bulletproof vests, and communication devices. They were all serious, ready to die for their boss.

I was sitting on the bed, wearing the white dress they told me to wear. It was simple, but Damien put a bulletproof vest underneath it. He made sure it was invisible.

“Here,” he said, handing me a small earpiece. “Put this inside your ear. You will be able to hear me at all times. And I will be able to hear everything that happens there.”

I put it on. “Where will you be?”

“I will be driving the car that takes you there,” he said, fixing his tie. He was wearing all black, looking like an assassin. “But I will drop you off first. Then I will join my team. I will be watching you through the scope, Violet. I will never take my eyes off you.”

He turned me around to face the mirror. He stood behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist, resting his chin on my shoulder.

“Look at us,” he whispered. “We look like we are ready for anything.”

“We are,” I said, finding my strength. “Because we have each other.”

He turned me around and hugged me one last time, breathing in my scent.

“I love you, Violet Vane. More than my own life. Remember that.”

“I love you too, Damien. More than anything.”

THE RIDE TO HELL

Night fell. The city was dark and quiet.

We were inside the car, driving towards the port. The atmosphere was heavy.

I was holding Damien’s hand tight. His hand was warm and firm, giving me strength.

“Are you scared?” He asked softly.

“A little,” I admitted. “But not as long as I know you are there.”

We arrived at the entrance of the warehouse district. It was abandoned, dark, and full of shadows. The perfect place for murder.

“Okay, we are here,” Damien stopped the car. He turned to look at me. “This is where I leave you for now. Remember, walk straight ahead. Keep your head down. Act weak. Act like you have given up.”

He took my hand and kissed my ring.

“As soon as you see Mia, signal me. And trust me. Trust my men. We are everywhere.”

“I trust you,” I whispered.

I opened the door and stepped out into the cold night air.

I walked alone on the gravel road, the sound of my heels echoing. My heart was pounding so loud I could hear it in my ears.

Damien is watching. Damien is here.

Suddenly, lights turned on. Bright spotlights blinded me.

And there, in the middle of the empty warehouse, standing on top of crates, was a man wearing a mask. And beside him… was my sister, tied up and gagged, crying.

“MIA!” I wanted to run, but guards stopped me.

“Stop right there, Mrs. Vane!” The masked man shouted. “Where is Damien? Did you bring him?”

“I… I’m here,” I said, trembling. “Please let my sister go. I did what you asked. I came alone.”

The man laughed loudly. “Good. Good. Now, since you are such a good wife… you get to watch us kill your husband.”

Wait? What?

He looked at his watch. “He should be here any minute now. He can’t resist coming to save his woman.”

Suddenly, I heard a voice in my earpiece.

“They know, Violet. It’s a trap. Get down!”

It was Damien.

Before I could react, gunshots erupted everywhere!

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Bullets were flying everywhere. Men were falling down. Chaos broke loose!

“ATTACK! KILL THEM ALL!” Damien’s voice roared from somewhere in the dark.

From the shadows, Damien’s men appeared, wearing tactical gear, shooting with precision.

The masked man panicked. “WHAT?! HOW?! YOU SAID SHE CAME ALONE!”

“YOU UNDERESTIMATED MY WIFE!”

A deep, powerful voice shouted from the entrance.

I looked up and saw him.

Damien was standing there, holding a gun in each hand, looking like an avenging angel. His eyes were cold, deadly, and furious.

“AND YOU UNDERESTIMATED ME!”

He started walking forward, shooting anyone who came near him. He was like a god of war. Untouchable.

“DAMIEN!” I screamed.

He looked at me, his eyes softening for a second. “GET DOWN, VIOLET! STAY WHERE YOU ARE!”

The masked man realized he was losing. In a rage, he pulled out a knife and held it to Mia’s neck.

“STOP! OR I WILL KILL THE GIRL!” He shouted.

Everyone stopped shooting. The tension was unbearable.

Damien stopped walking, raising his hands slightly.

“Let her go,” Damien said, his voice dangerously low. “This is between you and me. Leave the children out of this.”

“Get on your knees, Damien Vane!” The man ordered, crazy with fear. “Kneel down and put your gun down! Or I slit her throat right now!”

I was crying, holding my chest. “No… Damien don’t! Please!”

Damien looked at me, then at Mia. He didn’t hesitate.

Slowly, he put his guns on the ground.

Then, he knelt down on one knee. In front of everyone. In front of his enemies.

He was kneeling… just to save my sister.

“Good… very good,” the man laughed. “Now crawl towards me!”

Damien started crawling on the dirty ground, ignoring the humiliation, ignoring the danger. All he cared about was saving us.

My heart was breaking. He was the most powerful man in the city… and he was kneeling and crawling just for love.

When he was close enough, the man kicked him hard in the face.

TO BE CONTINUE