ANMELDENChapter 233: The Final TrapThe underground chamber pulsed with red light.Helios was alive.Breathing.Counting down.The sound of the system grew louder with every second.Beep.Beep.Beep.Valentino stood frozen for half a second.Not out of fear.Out of calculation.Twelve armed men.Adrian standing calm behind them.Aria beside the system.And Helios… seconds away from exposing everything.“Drop your weapons,” one of Adrian’s men ordered.Luca let out a low laugh.“Yeah… that’s not happening.”Marco raised his rifle slightly.“We’re not leaving here empty-handed.”Adrian sighed softly.“Still so predictable.”He stepped forward slowly.“Valentino… let’s not waste time.”Valentino’s voice was cold.“Then talk.”Adrian’s eyes flicked toward Aria.“Helios cannot be shut down without her.”Aria’s chest tightened.“I know.”Adrian nodded.“Of course you do.”He stepped closer to the central system.“The override requires her biometric authorization… and a final confirmation.”Valentin
Chapter 232: Into the UndergroundThe door slammed shut behind them.The sound echoed through the narrow passage like a final warning.Above them, the war continued.But down here…There was only silence.Valentino led the way, his weapon raised, flashlight cutting through the darkness.The underground corridor was cold.Concrete walls.Low ceilings.No windows.No escape.Aria walked just ahead of him, her heartbeat loud in her ears.Every step felt heavier.Like she was walking deeper into something she couldn’t come back from.Behind them, Luca and Marco followed closely.Luca winced slightly with every step, his injured shoulder slowing him down.Marco noticed.“You still alive back there?”Luca smirked faintly.“Barely. But I’m too stubborn to die tonight.”Valentino didn’t look back.“Stay focused.”His voice was quiet.Sharp.Controlled.The corridor split ahead.Two directions.One leading deeper underground.The other toward a series of locked maintenance doors.Aria stopped.
Chapter 231: Aria’s ChoiceThe control room felt like it was closing in.Alarms blared.Red lights pulsed across the walls.Helios was still running.And time was slipping away.Valentino stood near the exit, preparing to move toward the underground chamber.Luca checked his weapon.Marco reloaded silently.Alessandra worked frantically at the system, trying to slow the process even by seconds.But Aria…Aria stood still.Her hands trembled slightly.Her heart was racing.Adrian’s words echoed in her mind.You were part of my plan.Your father made a deal.You are the key.She closed her eyes for a moment.Her entire life suddenly felt like a lie.Everything she believed.Everything she thought she chose.Had it all been planned?Had she ever truly been free?“Aria.”Valentino’s voice pulled her back.She opened her eyes.He was looking at her.Not cold.Not angry.But something deeper.Something conflicted.“We’re moving,” he said quietly.She nodded.But didn’t move.Valentino stepp
Chapter 230: Helios UnleashedThe control room doors slammed shut behind Valentino.Heavy metal locks clicked into place.For a brief moment, there was silence.Then the chaos outside crashed back in—gunfire, explosions, shouting.The estate was still under siege.But inside this room…Something even more dangerous was about to begin.Alessandra stood in front of the main system panel, her face pale under the flickering emergency lights.“You made it,” she said quickly.Valentino moved beside her.“Status.”Her fingers trembled slightly as she pulled up multiple screens.“Security is failing in three sectors. We’ve lost east wing cameras completely. West wing is hanging by a thread.”Marco cursed under his breath.“Great.”Luca leaned against the wall, breathing harder now.“Tell me something I don’t know.”Aria stepped closer to the screens.“What about the vault data?”Alessandra hesitated.“That’s the problem.”Valentino’s eyes narrowed.“Explain.”Alessandra tapped the keyboard.M
Chapter 229: The Battle EscalatesThe Romano estate was in flames.Smoke curled into the night sky, carrying the smell of burning stone and gunpowder.Valentino ran through the corridors, his pistol drawn, eyes scanning every shadow.Every corner of his home—his empire—was under attack.Outside, the courtyard had turned into a war zone.Viktor’s mercenaries regrouped after their earlier defeat, Adrian’s new reinforcements moving with calculated precision.The estate guards were struggling to hold them back.Marco ducked behind a marble pillar, firing rapidly at an approaching squad.“Boss! They’re breaking through the west wall!”Valentino’s jaw clenched.“Then we go west,” he growled, moving with Aria and Luca at his side.The west wing was worse than he expected.Doors had been torn from their hinges, windows shattered.The halls echoed with gunfire, shouting, and the occasional explosion.Adrian’s forces were moving fast, precise. This wasn’t a random attack—it was surgical.Luca s
Chapter 228: Aria’s Secret ConnectionThe vault had barely quieted after the chaos of Alessio’s betrayal when a new tension filled the room.Adrian’s voice echoed suddenly through the courtyard speakers.“Valentino Romano… still standing, I see.”Valentino froze mid-motion.“Adrian,” he growled, finger twitching on the trigger.Adrian’s calm, measured tone carried over the stone walls, chilling everyone.“I must say… you’ve done well securing the vault. But it’s not enough.”Aria’s stomach twisted.“What does he want now?” she whispered.Valentino’s eyes narrowed.“Stay behind me,” he ordered.But Adrian’s next words made even Valentino take a step back.“You’ve been a loyal companion, haven’t you, Aria?” Adrian’s voice was smooth, almost casual, but deadly sharp.Aria froze.“Me?” she stammered.Adrian’s laugh echoed.“Yes. You. You’ve been following him for months, fighting beside him, earning his trust. And yet… you are part of my plan.”Valentino spun toward her.“What are you tal
Chapter 65: When the Past Refuses to Stay QuietShe should have known peace would make noise.It always did.Just when things began to feel steady—when her days flowed without emotional whiplash and her nights ended without unanswered questions—the past stirred, restless and uninvited.She was in a
.Chapter 69: Saying It Without FearShe didn’t plan to say it that day.There was no dramatic buildup, no rehearsed speech running through her mind. It happened naturally—because for once, she felt safe enough to tell the truth without worrying about the outcome.They were sitting together, the ai
Chapter 68: When Actions StayShe didn’t look for proof anymore.That was the quiet change she noticed first.In the past, she searched for signs—overanalyzed tone, timing, effort—trying to decode whether someone truly meant what they said. Words had once carried weight for her. Promises had sounde
Chapter 64: When Someone Sees You ClearlyShe wasn’t looking for anything.That was the truth.No expectations. No secret hopes tucked away behind guarded smiles. She had learned the hard way that searching for connection before being rooted in herself only led to disappointment.So when he noticed







