LOGINThank you so much for reading up to this chapter đ Your support means the world to me.
If youâre enjoying Aria and Damianâs story, or Zara and jaxon's turn of event,đ then don't forget to subscribe so you donât miss the next update. Every subscription helps this book grow and motivates me to write and come up with more twists, drama, and romance for you. Stay tunedâthings are just getting started đĽ With love, EvieLuxe đZara slowly opened her eyes, and the first thing she became aware of was the steady beeping of a machine somewhere close by. The sound was rhythmic, constant, and irritatingly loud. For a moment, she simply lay there, confused, her mind sluggish and heavy, struggling to understand where she was and why her body felt like it had been dragged through fire.She blinked a few times, trying to clear the fog clouding her vision. White walls came into focus. A curtain. A metal stand holding a bag of clear liquid. And the smell of antiseptic hit her nose.A hospital.Why was she in a hospital?She frowned slightly and tried to push herself up, wanting to sit, wanting answers. The moment she moved, a sharp, searing pain ripped through her side.She groaned and dropped back against the mattress, her hand instinctively going to the source of the pain.And then it all came rushing back.Dimitri.Jaxon.The warehouse. The fight. The gun. The sound of the shot. The burning pain as the bullet tore i
Dimitri stumbled from the force of the punch, his body jerking backward as air was knocked from his lungs. He staggered, boots scraping harshly against the concrete floor, but it took only a second for him to recover. Rage flared across his face, twisting his features into something ugly and unrecognizable.He lunged at Jaxon.The impact of their bodies colliding echoed through the room as Dimitri slammed his shoulder into Jaxonâs chest, driving him back several steps. Dimitri was fast, brutal, every movement sharpened by years of training and bitterness. He swung hard, fist cutting through the air and connecting with Jaxonâs jaw. Jaxon reeled but didnât go down, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth as he braced himself.They circled each other like predators, boots grinding against the floor, breath heavy and labored. Dimitri struck again, this time catching Jaxon in the ribs. Pain exploded through Jaxonâs side, and Dimitri didnât let up. He pressed his advantage, landing blow a
Chapter 73: The signalDimitri came back to Zara not long after heâd left her alone. This time, he pulled a chair and sat directly in front of her, his posture relaxed, as though they were about to have a casual conversation and not one forced by chains and fear. His eyes studied her with unsettling focus, as if he were memorizing her reactions.âYou know,â he said lightly, crossing one leg over the other, âwe never really finished our conversation before the whole âaccidentâ.âZara didnât respond. She lifted her chin and glared at him, her silence heavy with defiance.Dimitri chuckled. âThat look,â he said. âYou do that a lot. He does it too.âShe said nothing.He leaned back slightly. âShould I tell you how Jaxon gave me this?â he added, pointing to the scar that cut viciously across his face. âGave it to me like it was nothing. One clean move, and my face was ruined.âZaraâs jaw tightened, but she kept her mouth shut.âI saved his life,â Dimitri continued, his voice sharpening. âH
Zara woke up slowly, dragged out of darkness by a violent throb pulsing behind her eyes. Her head was pounding, her stomach twisting with nausea. She groaned and tried to lift her handâbut it wouldnât move.She tugged again.No movement.No sound but the scrape of rope burning against skin.She forced her vision to steady and looked down. Her wrists were tiedâtightâto the arms of a wooden chair.Fear slid into her bones, cold and sharp.She lifted her head, taking in the room around her. The place was worn out⌠walls cracked, ceiling stained, dust coating everything. And it reeked of something foul mixed with heavy dustâsomething she didnât want to identify.Her vision was still slightly blurry from the chemical she inhaled, so she closed her eyes and breathed slowly, waiting for the dizziness to ease. It took a few minutes before her head cleared enough for her to focus.Then she heard footsteps. Her entire body stilled.Slow, heavy and unhurried, coming straight toward her.And that
Zara slowed the car to a crawl as she turned off the main road, following the location sent to her. The place looked abandonedâbroken concrete, rusted sheets of metal, and what might have been an unfinished warehouse sat there. Nothing about the area looked active. Nothing looked like a hideout. Nothing looked like a place someone would keep a commander captive.Her stomach tightened.Idiot, she scolded herself silently.She should have checked the place on Google Maps before leaving Ariaâs house. She should have at least confirmed there were buildings nearbyâor people.But she hadnât.She was desperate. Desperate and impulsive.Zara sat in the car for a moment, scanning through the windshield. No movement. No lights. No cars. No sound except the engine of her car, humming low.She huffed, gripping the steering wheel.Maybe it was a mistake.Maybe someone was playing with her.She picked up her phone and typed:Iâm here.A reply appeared almost instantly.Come out.Zara stared at the
Damian went straight to where Aria was sitting the moment he walked into the living room. He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss on her forehead.Aria turned slightly toward the woman beside her.âDamian, this is Clara, my closest friend from uni. Clara, this is Damian⌠my husband.âClara stood and stepped forward with a warm smile and extended her hand. âNice to meet you.âThat was when Damian finally looked at her. Really looked. His eyes were dark and sharp. Intense enough that Clara almost withdrew her hand on instinct. He didnât smile. He just held her gaze for a second that felt much longer, gave her hand a brief but firm shake, and nodded.Before he could step back, Aria pinched him on the arm.He turned, frowning. Aria arched her brows meaningfully toward Clara.Damian sighed, then finally spoke, âNice to meet you. I hope you enjoy your stay.âClara smiled again but it was small. She was still recovering from the⌠impact of his presence.Zara, being Zara, couldnât resist. âDo







