LOGINAfter several minutes Lucas finally spoke. “You trust him?” He asked“Owen?” “Yeah.” He replied I considered the question carefully. Then “No.”Lucas nodded. “Good.”“You?” I asked “No, I don’t” he replied “Good.” I also nodded as silence returned once more.Then “But I trust him more than Idris.” I continued.That made Lucas laugh. A dry, exhausted laugh.“That’s an incredibly low standard.” He said.“Still true.” I stated“Fair.” Lucas answered We stood there for a while longer. Then Lucas surprised me, something he rarely managed. “You know what bothers me?” He asked softly.“A lot of things bother you.” I jokingly replied “Besides the obvious.” I waited as Lucas crossed his arms. “If Owen is telling the truth…”His voice lowered. “Then Idris has been planning this for years.”I looked at him.“And?” I asked because I knew there was always more.Lucas looked unusually serious. “And that means we are already behind.”The words settled heavily because he was right. Painfully r
Mason’s PovThe next move belonged to Idris and when it came… It would be unlike anything we had faced before. That certainty stayed with me long after the twins fell asleep, long after Andre had finally stopped asking questions, long after Lucas had disappeared somewhere inside Owen’s settlement to find a room and probably complain about everything that had happened.The room was quiet now, almost peaceful. Almost.Letty sat beside me on the edge of the bed while moonlight filtered through the curtains. For the first time in days, I wasn’t moving, I wasn’t planning, I wasn’t fighting and I wasn’t running.I was simply sitting beside my wife and somehow that felt stranger than any battle because lately, chaos had become normal and silence had become unfamiliar.My hand remained wrapped around hers as neither of us spoke for several minutes. Neither of us needed to. Sometimes surviving was enough conversation.Eventually Letty leaned her head against my shoulder and I felt her finally
His hair was longer, his posture more relaxed and his movements less controlled and less calculated. Even the way he spoke felt different.Idris spoke like every word was chosen beforehand but Owen simply talked like a normal person. Eventually Lucas slowly lowered his weapon though not completely.Owen noticed. “I appreciate the trust.” He said“There isn’t any.” Lucas answered.That earned another laugh, again. It was natural and effortless. Very unlike Idris.Slowly the tension eased but not entirely.But enough.Owen leaned back in his chair. “I owe you all an explanation.”“Yes.” I answered immediately. “You do.”His expression became serious for the first time since entering the room.“I’ve been watching Idris for years.”The room became quiet again.“After he banished me, I couldn’t challenge him openly. So I watched.”His eyes hardened. “And I waited.”I folded my arms. “For what?” I asked “For him to make a mistake.” Owen answered.“And then?” I asked“Then I learned about y
Mason’s povThe journey to Owen’s hideout felt far longer than it actually was, it was not because of the distance, it was not because of the roads twisting endlessly through mountains and forests but because every mile seemed to drag another question out of the darkness and place it directly in front of me.Every answer we had uncovered tonight had somehow created three more questions and I was running out of patience.The vehicle moved steadily through narrow roads hidden beneath towering trees that blocked out almost every trace of moonlight. Thick branches scraped against the armored windows as we passed, creating an eerie sound that seemed louder in the silence.The deeper we traveled, the more isolated everything became. There were no towns in sight, there were no houses, no streetlights, no signs.Nothing.Just darkness. Endless darkness.It felt less like we were driving toward a destination and more like we were disappearing from the world entirely. As if Owen’s territory exi
Before Lucas could answer, one of the unfamiliar men seated in front finally spoke. “They are protected.”His voice was calm and controlled. I stared coldly at the back of his head. “And who exactly are you?” I askedThe man turned slightly toward me then and immediately I understood why he unsettled me. He carried the same controlled stillness Idris did but without the obsession and without the manipulation.This man felt military, disciplined and trained for violence.“My name is Elias,” he answered calmly.“That tells me nothing.” I continued “I know.” He said. The calmness in his tone irritated me instantly.Lucas spoke again before I could continue. “When we escaped the estate” His expression darkened. “We were attacked.”My chest tightened immediately. “What?”“At first I did. I thought they were Idris’ men.” Lucas explained “And?” I askedLucas glanced briefly toward me. “But they weren’t.”Even Rosa looked confused now. “What do you mean they weren’t?”Lucas’ jaw tightened s
Mason’s povThe tires screamed against the rain soaked road as Lucas forced the vehicle through the empty streets at dangerous speed. The city outside blurred into streaks of light and shadow while chaos still echoed violently inside my head.The gunfire, the blood, the bodies collapsing onto wet concrete and Idris just standing calmly in the middle of the violence like a man completely untouched by it. Like a man who had already seen the ending long before the rest of us arrived.For several long seconds, nobody inside the vehicle spoke. Not me, not Lucas and not even Rosa. The silence felt thick and heavy like all of us were still trying to escape the nightmare we had just left behind. Rain slammed against the windows harder as Lucas took another sharp turn without slowing down.The unfamiliar men inside the vehicle remained perfectly composed despite the speed. They were too composed and that alone bothered me immediately.Every instinct inside me stayed sharp now, watching, calcul
Letty’s POVDays passed slowly, each one heavier than the last, and all I could think about was leaving.Every morning, I woke up in my room in the Wells mansion and counted the days in my head. The room was too big, the ceiling too high and the silence too loud. Everything here reminded me of a li
Mason’s povRosa came back home two days later.She walked in like nothing had happened.Like the world had not shifted under my feet. Like I hadn’t sat in my car outside Gabriel’s estate, staring at her car until my hands went numb on the steering wheel. Like I hadn’t replayed that image in my hea
Mason’s POV The next morning felt unreal, like the world was holding its breath.I stood beside Andre’s bed with my arms crossed, my fingers digging into my sleeves so hard they almost hurt. I didn’t care. Pain meant I was still here. It meant this wasn’t some cruel dream my mind was playing on me
Mason’s povAs she walked away, guilt hit me right away.It came fast and heavy, like a weight dropping straight into my chest. I stood there, unable to move, my hands clenched at my sides. Breathing felt harder than it should have. The garden, which had felt calm only minutes ago, suddenly felt to







