Alison Damien didn’t look stunned.Those piercing blue eyes—God, the same ones I had tried so hard to forget—locked onto me, wide with disbelief. Not a single word came out of his mouth at first. He just stood there, staring at me like he didn’t quite believe I was real. And I hated that a part of me wanted to reach out, trace the shape of his lips, and kiss him right there. But I didn’t. The anger buried deep inside me kept my hands still. I had suffered too much to fall for that face again. “You’re lying,” he finally said, in a firm voice.I shook my head slowly, fingers tightening around my car keys. “I’m not. I’m getting married. I don’t want anything to do with you, Damien.” His brows pulled together like the truth tasted bitter. Then he said, “You’re only saying this to push me away.” I didn’t respond. “I had Pronto keep an eye on you these past few months,” he said. “He never said anything about a wedding. No rings. No venues. No guy. So tell me—who is he, Alison?
Damien Hernando’s funeral was a week ago. The cold air around the estate still lingered like a ghost that refused to leave. Everyone was mourning, including me—but I couldn’t let the grief take me down. Not when I had men depending on me. Hernando wouldn’t have wanted me to crumble. He would’ve wanted me to lead. That morning, I stood outside the estate where all the men had gathered. Their eyes were heavy, some red from tears, some tired from the weight of loss. “I know we’re all still hurting,” I began, my voice was firm as I spoke. “Hernando was more than a boss. He was family. He was the kind of man who looked after his people, protected what was his, and kept the streets clean in his way.” They listened, quietly, not a single word spoken. “Before he passed, he made it clear that Raul and I would take over operations. That’s not something I take lightly. I know some of you are scared—scared for your jobs, and your future. But I swear to you… I won’t fail. Not him. Not you.”
Alison The soft beeping of the monitor was the first thing I heard. It echoed in the quiet room, and that sound pulled me back from the darkness. I blinked, my eyes adjusting to the white ceiling above me. I was in a hospital. I tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through my side. My hand reached instinctively to the source and I winced. Then everything came rushing back. The gunshot. Edwardo. The pain. I gasped, my heart racing. Damien. Where was Damien? Was he hurt? Was he alive? The last thing I remembered was Raul’s face before everything went black. My thoughts were spinning when the door opened. A doctor walked in, clipboard in hand, a small, relieved smile on his face. “Mrs. Jones,” he said gently. “You’re awake. That’s good.” I looked at him, my throat dry. “How long… how long have I been here?” “A day,” he replied, walking to the side of my bed. He checked the IV drip, adjusted a few wires, and then looked back at me. “You’re stable now. You’ll be able to go h
Damien The minute the elevator door slid open with a metallic hiss, my eyes locked onto Edwardo. He stood there like a ghost from a nightmare, arms folded, a smug grin tugging at his scarred lips.“Well, well,” he said, with a bitter tone. “Long time no see, Damien.”My brows furrowed in disgust. I took a slow step forward. “Get out of my way, Edwardo. Or else.”He chuckled. “Or else what? You gonna shoot me right here, man?”Without a word, I nodded. His smile faded just a bit, but he held his ground.“You wouldn’t dare,” he said, stepping closer. “You shoot me, and you're finished. You’re gonna regret that.”“I don’t regret anything,” I growled.In one smooth motion, he reached inside his coat and pulled out his gun. I didn’t flinch. I drew mine too, with a steady hand and a raging heart.Edwardo smirked. “When I finally kill you, you’re going to end up with your woman in hell.”My heart slammed against my ribs. “Don’t you dare mention her?”“Why shouldn’t I? Don’t I have the right
Damien I followed Aiden closely, never letting him out of my sight.He was fast, pushing through the deeper part of the building, but I stayed on his heels. My footsteps echoed behind him. My heart pounded with anger which had clearly blinded me.“You’re not getting out of here easily,” I warned, with a growl in my voice. “This is your last day on earth.”Aiden laughed without even turning around. “You think your stupid little plan is going to work?” he shouted back. “I promise you, brother, you and that fucked-up wife of mine just dug your own grave.”I gritted my teeth. “You don’t get to call her that.”He laughed again. “I don’t regret a damn thing.”“You know what amuses me in all this is that I didn’t see through her facade. I should have discovered that there was no way that she could have made you fall in love without you trapping her with your charms. I blame that on myself. If I had known earlier I wouldn’t have welcomed her back to my home I would have killed her on the spo
Alison I took a deep breath and stepped forward.My heels clicked against the floor as I made my way toward the stage. It wasn’t a long walk, but it felt like the longest I’d ever taken. My heart pounded inside my chest. Every step felt heavy like I was walking through water.The crowd’s chatter dimmed as I got closer. When I finally climbed the steps and stepped onto the podium, the bright lights hit my face. I blinked against them but didn’t stop. My eyes found Aiden’s immediately.He was confused. He didn’t know what to do at that point and weirdly so did I.He mouthed something and when I didn’t leave he used my lack of obedience as an opportunity to swoon some of the people who were definitely doubting him after that protest happened.Then Damien’s voice came through the earpiece in my ear. “That’s my girl,” he said. “You’ve got this. Remember act according to the plan.”I swallowed the lump in my throat. My hands were slightly shaking, but I didn’t let it weigh me down. Not n