Home / Mystery/Thriller / Desperate Measures / Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

All Chapters of Desperate Measures: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

36 Chapters

CHAPTER 11: THE FIRST CRACK

Aldo stood in his study, his gaze lost in the fireplace while the rain beat heavily against the windows and roof. The whiskey in his hand was barely touched as he recalled what he had said to Liya and he felt like kicking himself in the leg. He remembered the hurt on her face and concluded that he was such a jerk. He didn't mean to blurt out what he had said to her but she was tearing down walls that had been erected for a long time with so much ease that she barely noticed and he didn't want that or did he?His thoughts however shifted to what he had been trying to ignore, the reason why he seemed so lost. Despite locking up the past, some ghosts still slipped through the cracks, and the night was one of those nights.The door to his study opened and he knew only one person could enter his study unannounced. Liya. He didn't turn around, ashamed to face her after what he said in the Library.“I knew I'd find you here,” Liya’s voice was soft when she spoke. He'd expected her not to bot
last updateLast Updated : 2025-03-06
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CHAPTER 12: LIAM IN TROUBLE

Liya was up early the next morning even though she barely slept after her conversation with Aldo. She still couldn't believe he had told her something so personal and though it wasn't much, it was an improvement in their relationship— she would take whatever she could. It wasn't every time he let his guard down.And then the electricity in the room had changed when he grabbed her hand. Even now she could still feel his light touch on her wrist but she did what she knew best— she left before she could make a fool of herself. She didn't want them to blur lines seeing as what they had was only an arrangement, a marriage in name and paper only. Besides he had told her she wasn't there to stay so she didn't want to get attached. That didn't stop them from having a cordial relationship while they lived together.She was standing by the window, going over her thoughts when her phone rang. When she saw the number on the screen, her heart stopped and she wished he wasn't in trouble. She didn't
last updateLast Updated : 2025-03-13
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CHAPTER 13: His Plan

The house was very quiet after Aldo left to make his call. Liya couldn't stop pacing the room as she felt so restless and uneasy about the situation. She didn't exactly feel good that she just had to wait while Liam was out there, in danger with the one person she tried to stay clear of. How could he be so stupid to get involved with him again? Didn't he learn from the last time? He had to grow up because she wasn't always going to be there to get him out of his mess.Aldo had asked her to trust him— at least that he could bring her brother back. And if there was anyone she had little faith in, it was him. She finally took a seat on her bed when she got tired from her movements. Many thoughts were running through her mind. She wondered why Damian was after Aldo so badly. Why was he on their necks? There was definitely more to it than the surface game they were playing but she didn't know how deep it was. There was no way to find out.She thought back to how broken Aldo had looked whe
last updateLast Updated : 2025-04-07
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CHAPTER 14: His Associates

“Looks like they roughed you up a little,” Aldo said while his expression changed. “It's good to see you too, Marino,” Liam let out as he stepped inside.Liya immediately turned and rushed to him. She was filled with worry as she took in his appearance. His clothes were twisted and his shirt was missing some buttons. His face had a bruise on it and this made Liya both concerned and angry. “Liam. Are you okay? What happened to you?” her voice was filled with anxiety.“I'm fine. It's nothing I can't handle,” he said, brushing off her worry. His eyes fell on Aldo as he asked him. “I thought you had things under control.”“I did until you found yourself in trouble again. I thought you'd listen to your sister and stay away from him but it looks like I thought wrong,” Aldo said while putting his hands in his pockets.“I don't remember taking orders from you, Marino,” Liam challenged.“And I don't remember being paid to get you out of trouble every time Glensdale,” Aldo voiced out with a ra
last updateLast Updated : 2025-04-09
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CHAPTER 15: Warning Signs

Liya stared at her phone screen, the message blinking in the dim light of the SUV. Her heartbeat drummed in her ears. Be careful. You don't know who you married. The words wrapped around her thoughts, suffocating her brief moment of calm.She tilted the phone, hoping the message would somehow vanish, like it had been a mistake. No such luck."Something wrong?" Aldo's voice was calm, but that subtle undertone of control sent chills down her spine.She quickly turned off her phone screen. "No, just... spam. You know how it is."His eyes flicked to her for half a second, and though he didn’t press, she knew he’d sensed the tension. He always did. The rest of the ride passed in a heavy silence. Not awkward, not forced but anticipatory, like the universe itself was holding its breath.When they arrived at the mansion, Aldo’s guards resumed their posts like shadows. Liya stepped into the large space, but it felt smaller tonight. Like the walls had secrets. Like the floors remembered footste
last updateLast Updated : 2025-04-19
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CHAPTER 16: Smoke and Mirrors

Liya stood on the balcony, barefoot, the silk hem of her nightgown brushing her ankles as the moonlight painted shifting shadows across the marble floor inside, but her gaze stayed fixed on the darkness far below. Her thoughts were too loud to be silenced by the muffled sounds of insects. The house was very quiet as she decided to wait for Aldo.Her phone vibrated on the table behind her, the sound loud in the otherwise silent house. She turned, grabbed it, and stared at the screen which showed another message that left her confused.Unknown Number. “They’re watching.”That was the third message that week. All anonymous. All vague. But every one of them had made her feel like she was drowning in unseen eyes. She locked the screen and stared at her reflection in the glass door. The woman staring back didn’t look like her anymore.The sharp sound of unlocking behind her startled her. She turned quickly, heart in her throat, but it was only Aldo. He looked like he’d fought a war and lost
last updateLast Updated : 2025-04-21
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CHAPTER 17: Strange delivery

Liya didn’t realize she’d fallen asleep until knocking on the door shook her. It wasn’t loud, more like a soft tap meant to disturb without causing alarm. Still, in the dead silence of the early morning, it was deafening.She sat up, the blanket slipping off her shoulders. She glanced at the clock. 5:42 a.m. Odd. Too early for housekeeping or whoever it was.A moment passed, and then the knock came again. This time, a single tap. Then silence. She rose cautiously, wrapping her robe around her body as she approached the door. “Who is it?” she asked, her voice firmer than she felt.No response.She opened the door just a crack, peeking into the hallway. Empty. No sound, no movement. Just the numerous paintings on the wall. Her room was at a good distance from the main quarters. No one wandered here unless they had a reason.Her eyes dropped to the floor. A small parcel lay at the foot of her door. Wrapped in plain brown paper, no ribbons, no stamps. No handwriting on the outside. Like a
last updateLast Updated : 2025-04-21
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CHAPTER 18: Brother in the rain

The rain hadn’t stopped since dawn as Liya sat in the library, a blanket wrapped tightly around her shoulders. The fireplace crackled low, adding warmth but not comfort. There was a stillness to the house today, the kind that makes silence feel louder. Outside, the guards were posted under the arches of the front gate, unmoving, rain dotting their coats. No one came in. No one left. Not that anyone could, not without Aldo’s permission.The message still haunted her. Two of them now, from the same anonymous number. Military-grade encryption, Mason had said. The kind of thing that could get someone killed just by tracing it. But what haunted her more was that lingering sense that the sender wasn’t a stranger.The way they wrote… it felt personal.She hadn’t spoken to Aldo since after their walk in the garden. He’d disappeared again. His absence left the mansion hollow in a way that didn’t make sense, considering it had always been too large for two people.Liya tucked her legs under her
last updateLast Updated : 2025-04-21
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CHAPTER 19: Partial Truth

Liya walked back to the mansion as she wrung her hands together. She still couldn’t make sense of the fact that Liam was there, trying to talk to her and then he was gone in a flash. The fear was obvious in his voice. Maybe if he hadn’t shown her how stupid he was, she might have believed him and trusted him to take care of himself. She was fighting a silent battle, trying to see if she wanted to tell Aldo about everything that Liam had just told her. But he specifically asked her not to trust Aldo. Not yet at least. Just as she was about to walk into the mansion, a blaring sound went off immediately, making her flinch and panic. It was the alarm. She hurried inside before any of the guards could come and see her outside. She looked around as she made her way up the stairs. She waited for Aldo to show up at any minute. Things were extremely unpredictable when it came to the man.Liya hurried to her room, changing her clothes which were now soaking wet. Just as she tied the comfortabl
last updateLast Updated : 2025-04-22
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CHAPTER 20: An attack

Liya woke up and she could instantly tell that something was wrong before she even properly opened her eyes. Her blanket slowly slipped off her shoulders as she stood up. She hurried downstairs to check where Melinda and Aldo were but everywhere was quiet. She didn’t want to panic. She hurried back to her room, bracing herself to call him and ask where he was. She didn't know why but she had a strong feeling of danger.Liya walked into the room just in time to hear the phone ping. Cautiously, she picked it up. She was slightly relieved when she saw that it was just a text from Melinda. That meant they were fine, right?Stay inside today. It’s not safe. The text said.Liya had to roll her eyes. Like it was ever safe at the house. They were always assuring her that the estate was safe and secure but somehow, someone always managed to breach the security. Going past the gates, going past the guards, making it through the alarm sensor, and sometimes, even crossing the electric fence. The
last updateLast Updated : 2025-04-22
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