The hum of the private jet was a constant noise in the background, almost relaxing if not for the weight of the mission ahead. Khalid was not an easy man to deal with; every move he made was designed to disarm you, to control you. Maddox knew this, which was why his warning still echoed in my mind: *"Don't hesitate to do what is necessary."* Beside me, the personal assistant Max had assigned was reviewing the itinerary. A private event at Khalid's residence, with high-profile guests: businessmen, politicians, and figures I couldn't afford to underestimate. Everything was calculated, including my role in the meeting. “We’ll arrive in less than an hour, miss,” said the assistant, his voice formal. “Would you like to go over anything else?” “I’ve got it covered,” I replied without looking up from the report I had been studying since takeoff. Every line, every detail, had to be perfect. When we landed, the desert heat hit me immediately, a sharp reminder of how imposing this place was.
The faint light of dawn began filtering through the curtains of my room, but my mind remained trapped in the events of the previous night. The envelope, the shadows on the balcony, Khalid’s message... Everything pointed to a game far more dangerous than anyone had admitted. I wasn’t just dealing with Khalid but also with forces I didn’t yet understand. As I prepared for the day, my thoughts replayed the details of the meeting. Khalid was not a man who acted without purpose, and his insistence on crossing personal lines was no coincidence. His game wasn’t just political or strategic; it was deeply psychological. A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. When I opened it, I was met by one of Khalid’s assistants—a man with an expressionless face and rigid posture. “Mr. Al-Fayez requests your presence for breakfast in the main hall,” he said in a monotone voice. “I’ll be there shortly,” I replied, closing the door with a click before he could say anything else. I took a deep bre
The blend of courtesy and danger that always surrounded him. "I promise you it will be enlightening."Minutes later, we were walking down a seemingly endless corridor, lit by flickering torches in the breeze. Khalid was ahead of me, his steps firm and assured, while two guards followed us at a prudent distance. Finally, we reached a double wooden door carved with intricate geometric patterns. Khalid stopped, turning towards me with an enigmatic smile."Welcome to my personal sanctuary," he said as he pushed open the doors, revealing an impressive room.The place was a mix of modernity and tradition: walls covered with tapestries, hanging lamps casting patterns on the ceiling, and a low table surrounded by silk cushions. In the center, a silver tray with tea and dates waited, along with a bottle of wine that didn’t quite match the rest of the atmosphere."Please, sit," he said, pointing to one of the cushions as he settled across from me.I sat cautiously, not taking my eyes off him. Kh
Dawn broke over the desert, painting the sands in golden tones that seemed to stretch endlessly. From the balcony of my room, I watched the day slowly begin, but my mind was far from peaceful thoughts. Khalid. His gaze, his carefully measured words, and his ability to toy with the balance of power were etched in my mind. There was no doubt: this man wasn’t just a potential ally but also a silent adversary capable of dismantling me with a single move. My device buzzed on the table, pulling me out of my thoughts. It was a message from Maddox: "Is everything ready for the meeting? I’ll arrive by noon." I exhaled deeply before replying: "Everything is under control." The response came instantly: "Stay firm. Khalid doesn’t play fair." “I know,” I murmured to myself as I locked the screen. But Maddox wasn’t the one who needed to remind me of that. Every interaction with Khalid was a battle of wills, and today would be no different. --- The main hall was surprisingly empty when I cam
The midday sun had already turned Khalid’s residence into an oven of light, its intensity reflecting off every corner of the estate. While I waited in my room, reviewing the agenda details, my mind kept returning to my conversation with Khalid. There was something in his words, in the way he looked at me, that made everything feel less like a negotiation and more like a game of attraction and power. The buzz of Maddox’s device pulled me out of my thoughts. The message was simple, as always: "I’m arriving. Be ready." I knew what that meant. Maddox never traveled without reason, and his arrival here only reinforced the gravity of the situation. Khalid could play with his words and his charisma, but Maddox played with results. And I was caught between them. A knock on the door announced the arrival of an assistant. “Mr. Al-Fayez requests your presence in the main hall. Maddox Dangello is already here.” The weight of those words made me straighten immediately. Maddox and Khalid in the
Night had fallen over Khalid’s residence, wrapping the gardens in dancing shadows under the faint glow of the moon. While sitting in my room, reviewing the reports Max had sent, my thoughts kept drifting back to Khalid. The way he spoke, moved, and controlled every interaction—it was no accident. He knew exactly how to push the right buttons to unnerve anyone, but with me, it seemed like he was playing on a more personal level.The buzz of the device broke my concentration. Unlocking the screen, I saw a brief message:"Amalia, on the terrace. Now."I sighed, fully aware that ignoring Khalid wasn’t an option. I adjusted my dress and made my way to the private terrace.The terrace was illuminated by small lights hanging like artificial stars. Khalid was there, standing beside a table with two glasses of wine and an open bottle. As he heard my footsteps, he turned slowly, wearing that deliberate smile that always seemed to conceal more than it revealed.“Amalia,” he greeted, offering me a
Dawn came too soon, bathing Khalid’s residence in a golden glow. I had slept little, my thoughts trapped between Khalid’s words and Maddox’s intensity from the previous night. Both men occupied my mind in different ways, and although I tried to stay focused, I knew I was caught in a game where I was the central piece.A message from Max appeared on the device, as direct as always:"Confirm progress with Khalid. Maddox will be in contact soon."I sighed and set the device aside, deciding to prepare for another day. I knew interactions with Khalid were inevitable, and every moment with him felt like a challenge to my ability to maintain control.Breakfast at the residence was a spectacle of opulence, like everything else that surrounded Khalid. A long table was laden with exotic fruits, freshly baked bread, and an array of dishes that seemed more appropriate for a gala dinner than the first meal of the day. Khalid was already there, seated at one end with a look of calculated tranquility
The air in Khalid’s residence was dense, thick with a tension that was almost tangible. I knew that every minute I spent here brought me closer to his true objective—one that went beyond an alliance with Maddox. Khalid didn’t just want an agreement; he wanted control. And I was at the center of his game. The morning meeting had been nothing but a façade. Between the diplomatic greetings and toasts with high-profile businessmen, the real negotiation was happening in the silences, in the way Khalid watched me when he thought I wasn’t looking. I knew he was trying to disarm me little by little, pushing me onto ground where he had the advantage. After lunch, one of his assistants appeared at my room with a message. “Mr. Al-Fayez wishes to speak with you in private. He is expecting you in his office.” I didn’t ask what it was about. I knew Khalid never sent messages without a reason. I made my way to his office with steady steps, fully aware that, no matter how much I tried t
The clouds blanketed the Las Vegas sky in an unusual gray hue. It was as if even the weather knew something was coming.The "Cosmopolitan," that hotel where the dirtiest secrets and darkest deals crossed paths, stood like a corrupted temple. And there, among dimmed lights and hallways with more cameras than décor, the Dangellos had their first objective: sabotage Project Phoenix.Amalia stepped out of the car with a jacket clinging to her body. Underneath, a bulletproof vest. Not because she was afraid, but because she couldn’t afford to lose everything anymore.Maddox was waiting alongside Max and Dax, all three dressed with lethal precision. Max handed her an earpiece while Dax reviewed the security map on the screen."There's movement on the 31st floor. Too much for a betless dawn," Dax murmured, frowning. "They're up to something.""Tonight isn't a raid," Max said in a dry tone. "It's a warning."Maddox said nothing. His gray eyes scanned every corner, every possibility. His prese
The night burned, even without fire.The streets were deserted, but the air pulsed with danger. Everything had been calculated down to the last detail: infiltration, distraction, execution. Maddox left nothing to chance.Amalia walked beside him, dressed in black, her hair tied up, a weapon strapped to her thigh. She was no longer the same girl who once hesitated. Now she was contained fire.And Maddox knew it.That’s why he kept her close. Not just for protection. But because, in the middle of the chaos, her presence was his only anchor."Dax is already inside. Max and Lev are covering the back exit," Maddox said, his voice low but firm, never slowing his pace."And us?""We light the fuse."The Council's building loomed before them: five stories of secrets, dirty money, and decisions that had cost thousands of lives.Tonight, that structure would tremble from within.Amalia felt the pulse in her throat.Not from fear.From fury.She remembered Kari and June, Lev pregnant and running
The dawn bathed the city in golden hues, but inside the house, the air was heavy, filled with unspoken promises and plans yet to unfold.Amalia sat on one of the living room couches, holding a cold coffee in her hands. The calm before the war was always the most deceptive.Maddox entered the room, impeccable as always: dark suit, hair slicked back, and those intense gray eyes that seemed to pierce through everything. He stopped in front of her, silently assessing her."Today, you can’t hesitate," he said in a low voice filled with authority.Amalia looked up, meeting his gaze without blinking."I won’t hesitate. Not this time."Maddox nodded, stepping closer until his shadow enveloped her. He leaned in slightly, the heat of his presence nearly brushing against her."I want you to remember something," he whispered. "No matter what happens out there, you’re mine." His voice was a dark promise, an anchor in the chaos.Before Amalia could answer, Dax burst into the room, casually leaning
The French city rose before them with indifferent beauty. Marseille welcomed them with a salty breeze and a sky covered in low-hanging clouds, as if the very weather sensed the war that was coming.Amalia stepped off the jet with her coat tight around her body, eyes fixed on the urban horizon. Beside her, Maddox walked with a steady pace, flanked by Max and Dax. Lev, slightly behind, held her purse discreetly, observing everything with sharp eyes."This is the point of no return," murmured Dax as the armored vehicles approached on the private runway."We passed it a long time ago," Max replied, without taking his eyes off the approaching cars.They boarded in silence. The convoy took them through the streets of Marseille to an old manor on the outskirts, a property that had belonged to the Dangello family for generations. Now turned into a temporary headquarters, it would be their base for the final operation.Inside, maps, screens, and electronic devices buzzed with the energy of the
The early morning left a faint trace of mist over the land surrounding the house. Amalia woke wrapped in a warmth that had nothing to do with the fire: Maddox’s arms held her with measured strength, as if he feared the world could take her even in sleep.She said nothing. Just watched his face. Serene, contained, human.For a moment, she allowed herself the luxury of thinking the end was near.But the sound of the cell phone on the nightstand shattered that fantasy.Maddox sat up instantly, his gray eyes already alert."Who is it?""Dax," she said, picking up the phone. "He says they found something."Half an hour later, they were all gathered in the main living room."We intercepted a call," Dax reported, opening a recording on a laptop. "The number belongs to one of the Council's old contacts. They’re organizing a secret meeting in less than 72 hours.""Where?" Max asked."Marseille. A private yacht, in international waters. It’s not an ambush, it’s a power statement."Amalia crosse
The morning light filtered softly through the windows of the Dangello’s old hideout—far from Las Vegas, far from the noise, far from the chaos. The stone walls held a strange silence, one that didn’t come from the absence of sound, but from the weight of what had just ended.The war had been stopped.Cillian was dead. Project Phoenix, neutralized. The Council, weakened.But no one spoke of victory.Amalia had locked herself in the room she shared with Maddox and hadn’t come out since they arrived. She had been the first to shoot. The first to bring down the monster. And though everyone looked at her like a hero, all she felt was a strange emptiness.Maddox didn’t push her.He waited.Outside, Max was coordinating the final cleanup of what was left in Las Vegas. Dax was training the new allies with a seriousness he had never shown before. And Lev… Lev was resting more peacefully. Her pregnancy was progressing well, and peace was reflected in her eyes every time Max came near. There was
The sun had just begun to tint the edges of the windows with gold when Amalia woke up. Not from exhaustion, but from the intensity of the thoughts that wouldn’t let her rest. The day had come.The operation against Project Phoenix would begin that very night.She went down to the living room and found it empty, though it still smelled like freshly brewed coffee. Max was on the terrace, speaking softly with Lev. From a distance, Amalia noticed the gentleness of his smile and how Lev looked at him with a mix of admiration and curiosity. A silent connection that seemed to grow without words.Dax appeared with a folder under his arm.“We already have the internal blueprints of the Cosmopolitan. Maddox wants us to review them together before noon,” he announced, placing the documents on the marble table.Amalia nodded, taking a quick glance. Internal corridors, emergency exits, evacuation routes, and most importantly, the camera blind spots. Dax’s work was clean. Precise. And that gave her
The morning light filtered through the curtains, bringing with it an unusual calm. Amalia was in the kitchen, making coffee, when a soft knock at the door made her turn around."Who could it be at this hour?" she thought, drying her hands with a towel.When she opened the door, the world seemed to stop. Standing in front of her were June and Kari, her lifelong friends—those she had believed lost forever."Amalia?" June whispered, tears in her eyes.Without a word, Amalia hugged them tightly, feeling overwhelmed by emotion."I thought I’d never see you again," she said between sobs.After a few minutes, they sat down in the living room, still processing the reunion."What happened to you? Where have you been all this time?" Amalia asked, searching for answers.June was the first to speak:"After that night when everything changed, we were kidnapped by a group looking for information about you. They kept us separated, interrogating us constantly."Kari nodded, adding:"We managed to esc
The night fell like a sigh over the quiet neighborhood, so different from the chaos I had grown used to. My mother's house, with its scent of cinnamon and aged wood, felt more like a memory than reality. Everything was silent, except for the soft murmur of trees swaying in the wind.Maddox stood by the window, his silhouette outlined by the warm light inside. He was still wearing his black shirt, though it was no longer fully buttoned. His gray eyes, as intense as ever, were fixed on the darkness beyond the glass."You're not going to sleep?" I asked softly, pausing at the threshold of the living room.He didn’t turn at first. He only answered after a long second."Everything here feels... too quiet. It’s strange."I walked closer. The sound of my steps was nearly inaudible on the handwoven rug. He tensed slightly when I stopped beside him, but didn’t pull away."It’s not strange," I said, looking at the same point he was. "It’s peace. Something we don’t know how to hold for too long.