All Chapters of BENEATH THE COLD CONTRACT : Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Chapter 71:Gina's POV “I hope you’re not still sulking,” Diane said sweetly, strutting into the candle-lit hall like she was walking a runway instead of a villain’s lair.“I’m not sulking,” I muttered, arms crossed, watching her fix her lipstick in a compact mirror like we weren’t in the middle of planning someone’s destruction.“You’re frowning. That counts.”“I’m thinking.”“Mm. Dangerous.”I didn’t answer.She shut the compact with a snap. “I need you alert tonight. We’re making our move.”My gaze lifted. “Already?”Diane turned to face me fully. Her eyes — steel blue and cold as hell — glinted like polished knives. “Robertson’s death changes everything. We can't afford to wait. Reynolds is panicking. Jayson’s pretending he’s not, but you know how boys get when they lose their toys.”“So what’s the plan?”A slow smirk spread across her face. “We hit where it hurts. Not just Kane. Everyone close to him. Friends, allies, secrets… including Kelly.”My heart skipped. “Kelly?”She nod

Chapter 73Kane's POV“I still don’t get how you managed to untie yourself,” I said, tossing my jacket onto the armrest as Caroline stepped into the living room.She gave me a look. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe the sheer will to not die a horrific death?”“Fair,” I murmured.She flopped down onto the couch like she’d just run a marathon. Which—emotionally—she had.“You okay?” I asked, crouching in front of her. My fingers brushed her knee.She hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah. Just… still processing. One minute I was tied to a chair about to bite someone’s junk off—”“Successfully, I might add.”She smirked. “—and the next, you and Kelly burst in like angry Avengers.”“Well, you didn’t exactly make it easy for us to find you.”She narrowed her eyes. “You trying to blame me?”“No. I’m trying to distract you.” I grabbed her hand. “Because if I stop talking, I might start yelling. Or pacing. Or punching something.”Her lips parted, and for a second… I saw it. The weight, the fear. All swimming

Chapter 75:Caroline's POVThe door clicked shut behind Gina.Silence.I didn’t move at first. Just stared at the space she’d been standing in seconds ago.The hug still lingered on my skin, like old perfume I couldn’t wash off.Kane stood a few feet away, arms crossed, face unreadable. But I knew him. He was a hurricane holding his breath.“She’s lying,” he said.I turned to him slowly. “Maybe.”His eyes narrowed. “You don’t believe her.”“No,” I murmured, walking back to the living room. “But I wanted to.”I sat on the edge of the couch, her pen—that damn silver pen—still clutched in my palm. It felt heavier now.“She cried,” I said quietly.Kane didn’t answer. Just stalked to the corner of the room and began checking the cameras on the monitor wall.“She didn’t shake when she hugged me,” I continued. “She didn’t hesitate either. And her breathing was wrong.”He glanced over his shoulder. “You scanned her?”“Every second.”He came closer, crouched in front of me. His hand brushed mi

Chapter 77:Diane’s POV"She dismantled the pen."Gina’s voice was quiet over the encrypted line, but I heard the frustration beneath the surface.Of course, Caroline dismantled it. Of course, Kane helped.I leaned back in my chair, legs crossed, one manicured finger tapping against the rim of my wine glass. The room around me was dim, the lights low, a single monitor casting a pale glow across the black marble table.“Did they confront you?” I asked, eyes still on the screen showing a paused image of Kane’s apartment.“No,” Gina replied. “Not directly. But Caroline’s already withdrawn. Kane’s being… Kane.”“That’s fine,” I murmured. “It means they know you’re a threat again. That’s leverage.”“But not control,” she bit back.I smiled faintly. “Control is earned in layers.”There was a pause. Then:“You’re not angry?”I swirled the wine. “No. They were supposed to find the bug. It was never meant to last. Only to confirm Gina was accepted back in.”She fell silent on the line.“They l

Chapter 79Kane’s POVDiane Ross died at 3:42 AM.I didn’t need confirmation from the encrypted message on my phone. The moment the screen lit up, something cold settled in my bones. A silence inside me that hadn’t existed since the last time I buried someone I hated and still didn’t want dead.Caroline was already dressed, pulling her hoodie over her shoulders, zipping up the duffel bag with quiet efficiency. No wasted motion. Just survival instinct kicking in.“She’s really gone?” she asked, eyes not leaving the zipper.“Yeah,” I replied, voice low. “Confirmed twenty minutes ago.”There was no victory in it. Diane might’ve been cruel, manipulative, obsessive—but she was predictable. Strategic. Alive, she was a chess player. Dead, she left a void. And chaos loved a void.“I thought we’d have more time,” Caroline muttered.I walked over to the corner of the room, checking my gear. “Time was never on our side. Raymond made his move. He’s not playing anymore. He’s hunting.”Caroline sta