CHAPTER 15

Meanwhile, Isaac drives to meet the private investigator at the warehouse.

The engine of Isaac’s car hums steadily as he weaves through the streets, the weight of the information he’s about to receive pressing heavily on his chest. The investigator had contacted him with crucial details—details that could change everything. He doesn’t know exactly what he’s about to hear, but he knows it’s tied to Chloe. The very same woman he knows is involved with Nicholas in a way no one truly understands.

As Isaac nears the warehouse, his thoughts are clouded with anticipation and anger. He tightens his grip on the steering wheel, the urgency of the situation gnawing at him. This could be the breakthrough they’ve been waiting for—the key to everything they’ve been chasing.

He parks in front of the warehouse, a dilapidated building on the edge of town that always looks deserted. No one notices anyone who comes or goes. Perfect.

Isaac steps out of the car and heads toward the entrance, the crunch of gravel beneath his boots loud in the still night. Inside, the investigator is waiting, his silhouette visible through the grimy window.

Isaac doesn’t waste any time. “You have the information?” he demands, his voice sharp with impatience.

The investigator glances up from a stack of files and gives a curt nod. “I know who tipped off the police in Italy,” he says, his voice low. “It was Chloe.”

Isaac freezes, the weight of the revelation hitting him like a punch to the gut. He was right all along. Chloe was hiding something, something bigger than he could’ve imagined.

“I have to tell Nicholas,” Isaac mutters, turning to leave. The need to get to his brother—no, to confront him—is overwhelming. He can’t shake the feeling that this information will change everything. Nicholas might have suspected something, but now there’s proof.

Just as Isaac reaches for the door, a sharp pain pierces his back. He gasps, the shock of the attack almost sending him to his knees. His vision blurs as he stumbles forward, but before he can make sense of what’s happening, a familiar voice cuts through the haze.

“Going somewhere, Isaac?”

It’s the investigator—no, it’s not. The man who stands before him isn’t the one he just spoke to. The cold, steely eyes are unmistakable. Adrian Grey. And Isaac knows immediately that everything he thought he knew is about to shatter.

Adrian takes a step forward, his lips curling into a sly smile as Isaac struggles to stay on his feet, blood staining his shirt. Isaac tries to turn, to fight back, but his body refuses to cooperate, the pain in his back sending shockwaves through him.

“You were getting too close to the truth,” Adrian continues, his voice a low, taunting murmur. “You were going to tell Nicholas everything. Everything about Chloe. That’s not going to happen.”

Adrian’s words send a jolt of panic through Isaac. Chloe. He had been so close to uncovering the truth. Chloe was the witness—the one who’d tipped off the police in Italy. He was sure of it. He was ready to bring the truth to Nicholas.

Adrian steps closer, and Isaac’s legs buckle beneath him, but he forces himself to stand tall, even as blood pours from his wound. “You’re too weak,” Adrian sneers, grabbing Isaac by the collar and lifting him off the ground with terrifying ease.

Isaac struggles, his fists pounding against Adrian’s chest in a futile attempt to break free. But Adrian’s grip is iron, his strength overwhelming.

“Do you honestly think you could outsmart me?” Adrian asks, his voice mocking, cold. “You’ve been nothing but a pawn in this game, Isaac. And you still don’t understand, do you? You never will.”

With one swift motion, Adrian pulls a knife from his belt and drives it deep into Isaac’s chest. Isaac cries out in agony, his body trembling from the pain. He tries to push Adrian away, but his limbs feel like lead, the blood draining from him too fast.

Adrian twists the blade cruelly, making sure the pain lasts. Isaac’s breath comes in ragged gasps, his vision growing dim. But Adrian doesn’t stop.

“Chloe is just the beginning,” Adrian continues, his voice low and calculating. “I’ll use her for my own game. She’s the key to destroying Nicholas. And once I do that, I’ll make sure he never recovers. I’ll rip him apart, piece by piece.”

Isaac’s body jerks as Adrian pulls the knife from his chest, only to slam it back in again, deeper this time. Isaac screams, his voice hoarse from the agony. He can barely stay conscious, the pain becoming unbearable. His hands tremble, and he reaches for the blade, trying to pull it out, but Adrian holds him steady, mocking his every attempt.

“Let me tell you something, Isaac,” Adrian murmurs, leaning close enough that Isaac can feel his cold breath against his skin. “I knew Chloe was the witness long before you did. She was never meant to be part of your world. But now? Now I have her, and I’ll use her to destroy everything you hold dear. Nicholas won’t see it coming. Not until it’s too late.”

Isaac gasps for air, his heart thudding erratically as Adrian continues his torturous work. He can feel the life slipping away from him, the darkness creeping in.

“You’re nothing but a casualty in this game,” Adrian says, his voice barely more than a whisper. “And you’re going to die knowing you were never good enough to stop me.”

Isaac’s vision fades, but before he succumbs to the darkness, he hears the final words that send a chill down his spine.

“You were too slow, Isaac. Now, I’ll make sure Chloe is the one who suffers first. Nicholas will break, and it’ll be all your fault.”

With that, Adrian yanks the knife from Isaac’s chest one final time, watching as the last of Isaac’s life drains from him. Adrian steps back, cold satisfaction in his eyes as Isaac’s body crumples to the floor, lifeless.

Adrian pauses for a moment, glancing down at Isaac’s body with indifference before turning on his heel. He had done what was necessary. Isaac had to be silenced, and now, the game was truly his.

The air is thick with the stench of violence, but to Adrian, it’s nothing more than a necessary part of his twisted game. He takes a deep breath, savoring the victory in silence.

His fingers flex around the knife, still slick with Isaac’s blood, but he discards it without a second thought, letting it fall to the ground with a faint clatter.

“I gave you a chance to be useful, Isaac,” Adrian mutters, his voice calm and detached, as though he’s talking to a disinterested observer. “But you failed. Now, everything is in motion, and there’s no turning back.”

He takes one last look at Isaac’s body, checking that there’s no sign of life left. The room is quiet now, save for the sound of his own breathing. Adrian steps away from the corpse and walks toward the shadows, his thoughts already turning to the next part of the plan.

Isaac may have been a fool, but at least he got close to the truth. Chloe. She’s the key. She’s the one who’s going to help him tear Nicholas apart.

With every passing second, Adrian feels the pieces of the puzzle locking into place. Nicholas had been a thorn in his side for far too long. But now, the tables have turned. Adrian knows exactly how he’s going to take him down—through Chloe. The woman who unknowingly holds the power to destroy everything Nicholas has worked for.

Adrian’s lips curl into a smirk, his cold eyes gleaming with anticipation. Nicholas had thought he could get away with murdering Alex. He had underestimated Adrian, just like everyone else did.

Nicholas will never see the storm coming. But when it hits, it will leave nothing but destruction in its wake.

Nicholas’s POV

Nicholas sat alone in his safe house, staring out the window, lost in thought. The events of the night were still fresh in his mind—Chloe, the way she seemed to get caught in this dangerous web without realizing it, and the growing threat he felt around her. The sense of vulnerability in her eyes still haunted him.

His thoughts were a blur as he tried to process everything, but the sharpness of his focus faltered as a nagging unease settled over him. Something didn’t feel right. His gut churned, and the air in the room suddenly felt too thick to breathe.

His phone buzzed on the table, and for a moment, he considered ignoring it. But then, his fingers moved instinctively, unlocking the screen. It was Isaac.

Nicholas frowned and quickly hit the call button. His brother’s voice was usually reliable, his presence a grounding force. But this time, the phone rang and rang, without a single answer.

Growing restless, Nicholas dialed again, his fingers pressing harder on the keys. Still no response. The unease in his chest tightened into a knot. Isaac should have picked up by now, especially after the last conversation they’d had. Something wasn’t right.

He stood, pacing the room as he tried Isaac’s number one last time. The phone went straight to voicemail.

Nicholas’s brow furrowed. This was unlike Isaac. He was always quick to respond, especially with something as urgent as this. Nicholas’s instincts were screaming at him to do something. He opened his laptop, typing in Isaac’s contact information, pulling up his last known location.

The screen flickered to life, showing a map, but the place Isaac had last been was… unexpected. It was a warehouse. A place that Nicholas didn’t recognize. The location was off the grid, and something about it made his stomach twist with suspicion.

“Isaac…” Nicholas muttered under his breath, his mind racing.

He couldn’t ignore it any longer. He grabbed his jacket, snatching up his keys as he headed for the door. A thousand thoughts swirled in his mind as he drove, the unease growing with every passing second. The warehouse loomed ahead, an ominous silhouette against the night sky.

Nicholas pulled into the dimly lit lot, the heavy weight of tension settling over him. He parked the car and sat for a moment, watching the warehouse, his senses heightened. There was no sign of Isaac. No sign of anything.

He stepped out of the car, his eyes scanning the surroundings, his mind calculating the risk. But he knew he couldn’t just sit back. Isaac was in there, and something wasn’t right.

Taking a steadying breath, he made his way toward the entrance, his steps cautious. As he got closer, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. There was a strange stillness in the air, too quiet for a place that should have been alive with activity.

He reached for the door handle, his pulse quickening. When he pushed the door open, a sharp, cold draft hit him, and he stepped inside.

The dim lighting flickered overhead, casting long, distorted shadows across the abandoned warehouse. He moved carefully, the silence pressing down on him, making every step seem heavier than the last.

“Isaac?” he called softly, his voice echoing in the empty space.

His words fell into the silence, unanswered. Nicholas continued to move deeper into the warehouse, every instinct telling him that something was very wrong. The air felt thick with tension, and the uneasy knot in his chest only tightened.

He approached a corner, his eyes scanning every inch of the room. His heart skipped a beat when he saw something out of the corner of his eye—a smear of blood on the floor.

Nicholas’s breath caught in his throat, his stomach turning. He took a few more steps forward, his mind racing. The blood trail led further into the warehouse, and without thinking, he followed it.

What had happened here? Where was Isaac?

He stopped suddenly when he noticed something on the ground ahead—a discarded phone. Isaac’s phone. His fingers trembled as he picked it up, his heart pounding in his chest.

This wasn’t just a missing person’s case. Something terrible had happened.

The phone was still unlocked, and as Nicholas turned it over, he saw the last message—his brother’s number dialed. The call had been made minutes before he’d arrived.

Adrenaline coursed through his veins as panic bubbled up inside him. He ran through the warehouse, his footsteps growing louder in the silence. He couldn’t waste time. Whatever had happened, he needed to find Isaac—fast.

But as he continued searching, he had no idea that the real danger wasn’t far behind, waiting for him to make the next move.