Russia was as cold as I remembered—probably colder than my eyes as I looked at Nikolaev. The cold seeped through the thick layers of clothing and settled deep within my chest, making me feel as if I’d never felt the warmth again. I never liked Russia, and that was the reason why I avoided doing business with Nikolaev. I couldn’t stand the weather.But just like last time, here I was, and this time, with ulterior motives.The moment it was inveterate Sadie was kidnapped, I felt my body numbing, it was a kind of reaction that left Micah stunned too. I wasn’t screaming, I wasn’t yelling, yet a chill ran down my spine, for the first time in several years. Something I have never felt after my mother died—I swallowed. Not dead. She was still alive.It should have brought warmth to my chest, yet all it brought was coldness, the glacial embrace of the past and memories I thought I had forgotten.“Maybe you should reconsider your plan.” Nikolaev’s voice interrupted my thoughts. For a moment I

Silas stormed through the cemented hallways, his impatience radiating like a storm about to break loose. His finely tailored suit seemed incongruent with the turmoil churning within him. His piercing gaze quickly caught the guards standing at the end. His speed quickened as he stormed towards them.The guard looked up, his eyes widened at Silas. He could feel the anger radiating off him in waves. "Who brought him here?" Silas growled, his voice cutting through the stillness like a blade. He grabbed the guard by the collar of his shirt, his grip firm and commanding. The guard was caught off guard by the sudden onslaught, trembled under his' grip."I-I... I don't know, Mr. Anderson," the guard stuttered, his words escaping in a nervous stammer. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he struggled to maintain composure under his penetrating gaze.Silas tightened his grip, frustration simmering beneath his composed exterior. Silvio couldn’t be here. It would ruin everything, every sin

“Don’t worry, I’ll change that.” He whispered, his lips pressing a chilling kiss against the back of my neck. Tremors ran through me, a foreboding sense of danger lingering.He moved away, wiping the blood from his nose, and a crazy glint danced in Silas's eyes. Panic gripped me, and I shot up. "Where are you going?" I pleaded, the chains rattling. He walked to the door, limping yet he held the power to twist the fate. Something terrible was going to happen.His eyes wild and crazed turned to me. "You said love can't be controlled, just trying to prove you wrong." His hand twisted the doorknob, and anxiety pulsed through me."Silas!" I screamed, thrashing against the stiff chains. What was he planning? And he looked over his shoulder at me and winked before shutting the door behind him.My heart stopped beating, the silence engulfed me. He wouldn’t harm anyone, would he? A few minutes passed in silence, and I waited.Footsteps echoed outside, accompanied by groans. The door burst open

The thick tension was suffocating him. This was not the plan. His mother was not supposed to be here. How did Alejandro get his hands on her? Silas contemplated, looking between his mother and then his father. The stakes were high but not higher than the plan in his head. His eyes took in his mother’s frame, a living dead body, a mere shadow of the woman she used to be. His jaw clenched. He couldn’t leave her here, with his father, with the man who’d kill her any moment. He was a cruel man, ruthless.Taking a deep breath, he met his father’s scrutinizing gaze. “Let her go.” His voice was as cold as the wind, he paused for a moment and then said. “I’ll give Sadie to you.”Alejandro narrowed his eyes. “No games.” There was an underlying warning in his tone.Silas took another look at his mother and met his father’s gaze unwaveringly. “There will be none.”Alejandro looked at him briefly silently daring him to defy him, and then with a bob of his head, he took a step back. “Bring Sadie h

A rush of relief flooded through me as I saw Dante standing there, battered but alive. With hurried steps, he limped into the room, swiftly shutting the door behind him. In one fluid motion, he dragged the unconscious Silas inside, his movements decisive and firm. He threw Silas to the side before swiftly grabbing nearby wires and tying him up with electric cables."Are you alright?" His gruff voice rumbled through the tense air as he turned his gaze towards me. His sharp jawline was shadowed by his buzz cut, and specks of blood marred his once-clean face. Despite his intimidating presence, there was a familiarity about him, a sense of protection that surrounded me whenever he was near. From the moment I first laid eyes on him, I knew there was no denying the aura of violence that clung to him. Yet, at this moment, as he stood before me, I felt a bond with him that transcended mere kinship. He was like the brother I never had, a steadfast ally in the cruel world that surrounded us. I