LOGINBLACKWOOD ESTATE â THAT AFTERNOONDamienâs car screeched to a stop in front of the estate.He rushed inside, ran down the hallway, and pushed open the door to his fatherâs study without knocking.Alexander Blackwood sat calmly behind his desk, reading a document.âFather!â Damien shouted, breathless. âShe knows!âAlexander slowly looked up.âDamien,â he said calmly. âWhat exactly are you yelling about?ââAmelia!â Damien ran a hand through his hair. âShe knows about Miguel! She has proof!âAlexanderâs expression barely changed. âProof of what?ââThree years ago,â Damien said, his voice shaking, âI paid someone to kill Miguel Favino at his wedding to Amelia. And now she has everything. Bank records. Wire transfers. Emails. Sheâs going to the police!âAlexander stared at him for a moment.Then he sighed.âYou fool,â he said quietly. âYou absolute fool.âDamien blinked.âI told you that hit was sloppy,â Alexander continued, standing up slowly. âToo traceable. But you insisted.âDamien fro
HOSPITAL â NEXT MORNINGThe morning sun came through the window as Amelia slowly sat up in the hospital bed. She felt weak, but her mind was clear.A nurse walked in with a clipboard.âGood morning, Mrs. Favino,â she said kindly. âHow are you feeling today?ââLike Iâve had better days,â Amelia replied dryly.The nurse gave a small smile. âThe doctor will be here soon to discharge you. He just wants to check a few things first.âA few minutes later, the door opened and Dr. Carter walked in, flipping through Ameliaâs chart.âWell,â he said, looking up at her. âYou look a lot better than you did yesterday.ââLow bar, doctor,â Amelia said.Dr. Carter chuckled and checked her pulse.âNo dizziness? No chest pain?ââNo.ââGood.â He closed the chart. âYour vitals are stable. Youâre lucky. With everything you went through, your body handled the shock better than expected.ââLucky,â Amelia repeated quietly.Dr. Carter studied her face for a moment.âTry to get some rest when you leave here,â he
Alejandroâs breath stopped for a moment.âNoâŠâ he whispered, staring at the papers. âThatâs impossible.âAcross the desk, Detective Silva stayed calm. He opened the thick file and pushed it closer.âI wish it was,â Silva said. âBut the evidence is clear.âHe pulled out several pages.âBank statements. Wire transfers. Emails between Damien Blackwood and the assassination agency.âSilva tapped the file with his finger. âItâs all here.âAlejandro felt his chest tighten.âDamien Blackwood paid someone to kill your brother.âThe words hung in the air.Alejandro stared at him, completely stunned.âBut⊠why?â he said slowly. âDamien didnât even know Miguel.âThen he stopped speaking. His mind suddenly raced backward.The wedding. Miguelâs wedding day.Miguel had been standing at the altar⊠ready to marry Amelia Stone.Alejandroâs eyes widened as the pieces suddenly connected.Amelia.She had once been engaged to Damien.Before she left him. Before she chose Miguel instead.Alejandro slowly l
âAlejandro will never allow this!â Gabriella yelled.Amelia laughed softly.âAlejandro doesnât own this penthouse. I do,â she said. âHe lives here because heâs my husband.âHer eyes hardened. âYou live here because a judge made a very stupid decision.âShe leaned closer. âBut that judge forgot one thing Iâm a billionaire businesswoman who knows exactly how to use money as a weapon.âHer voice dropped.âSo you have two choices. Pay my fees and follow my rules⊠or pack your bags and leave.âGabriella suddenly pushed her chair back and stood up, shaking with anger.âYou think youâre so smart,â she spat. âSo powerful. But youâre just a bitter woman whose husband got another woman pregnant.âHer eyes burned with hatred. âThatâs what you are. A failure.âAmeliaâs smile turned sharp as a blade.âAnd youâre a woman who drugged a man, faked pregnancy test results, and now lives off his money while pretending to be a victim.âShe crossed her arms.âAt least I built my empire with my own hands. W
BLACKWOOD MANSION â FRONT ENTRANCE â NIGHTThe man turned and walked into the darkness without saying another word.Daniel stood there for a moment, still holding both of his daughters tightly in his arms.âIt's okay,â he whispered, kissing the top of their heads. âPapaâs here.âHe carried them inside the house.The front door had barely closed when hurried footsteps echoed down the staircase.Katherina came running down.Daniel had called her the moment the doorbell rang.âMy babies!â she cried.She rushed forward and pulled the girls out of Danielâs arms, hugging them tightly.âMy babies⊠my babiesâŠâShe covered their faces with kisses, checking their arms, their faces, their hair, searching for injuries.âAre you hurt?â she asked quickly. âDid she hurt you? Tell Mama everything.âIsabella wiped her tears.âShe tied us up,â she said softly. âThe ropes hurt our wrists.âKatherinaâs face tightened.âAnd she wouldnât let us call you,â Isabella continued.âBut weâre okay now,â Sofia add
âLeave it outside the door.ââI need a signatureâââLeave it or take it back. Your choice.âThe man shrugged and set the bag down. Jessica waited until she heard his footsteps going down the stairs, then quickly opened the door, grabbed the bag, and locked herself back inside.She dumped the cash on the table. Another two million.âFour million down, six million to go,â she said gleefully.OUTSIDE THE APARTMENT BUILDING - 9:15 PMViktor and his team watched from a van across the street. Theyâd been there for two hours, waiting.âSheâs getting deliveries,â one of his men said. âMoney mules bringing cash.ââHow many so far?ââThree. Probably two million each time based on the size of the bags.ââGood. Let her get all the money. Let her feel safe. Let her think sheâs won.â Viktor checked his weapon. âThen we move. Remember children first. Extract them safely. They see nothing. They hear nothing. Clean and fast.ââAnd the woman?âViktorâs face went cold. âAfter the children are safe, we







