Chapter 71

Sir, it’s bad,” Hale said immediately. “The media’s gone wild. We’ve got half the city thinking you’re dead. Even your father’s assistant called me twice asking for confirmation. What do you want us to do?”Roman’s lips curved faintly, darkly. “Nothing. Let them believe it.”A pause. “Sir?”Roman’s gaze drifted back to Elena. “The longer they think we’re dead, the safer she’ll be. It’ll buy us time to move.”“Understood. But, sir…” Hale hesitated. “Dante’s gone underground. Vargo too. No trace of their men.”Roman’s eyes darkened. “Then they’ll crawl out soon enough. And when they do..” He glanced down at Elena again, voice dropping into something dangerous. “...we’ll finish what they started.”Hale understood the tone instantly. “I’ll alert the teams.”Roman ended the call without another word.For a while, he sat in silence, his thoughts spiraling like smoke. He could still taste the metallic edge of the drug in his blood, still feel the tremor of helplessness when his body had refu

Last Updated : 2025-10-27

Chapter 72

Roman’s breath hitched. His eyes snapped up to her face as her lips parted again, this time forming not his name, but a quiet, trembling word that shattered him completely.“…you came here.”Roman exhaled a shaky breath that sounded dangerously close to a laugh. “I never left, sweetheart.”Her eyes didn’t open yet, but the faintest hint of a smile touched her lips.And for the first time since the crash, Roman felt the tightness in his chest ease just a little.She was alive.She was fighting.And she had said his name.The room smelled faintly of antiseptic and something sharper, Roman’s cologne, faint on the sheets, on her skin.Elena’s eyelids fluttered again, the light stabbing through the haze like thin blades. Her throat felt dry, her body heavy. Every breath reminded her of pain, her ribs, her arm, even the tips of her fingers, but somewhere through all that ache was warmth.A hand holding hers.Strong. Steady. Familiar.“Roman…” she murmured again, her voice a rasped whisper.

Last Updated : 2025-10-27

Chapter 73

Jace had read the headline once. Then twice. Then again, until the words stopped making sense.BILLIONAIRE HEIR ROMAN THORNE AND NEW BRIDE REPORTED DEAD AFTER LATE NIGHT AMBUSHNo.No, that couldn’t be real.His phone was slick in his hand, his pulse pounding so hard he could hear it in his ears. He had been up half the night waiting for Elena’s messag, she was supposed to call after the party, after checking something with “the husband.” Her exact words. She’d even sent him a winking emoji like she always did when she was being reckless.But then… nothing.The silence had stretched on and on until dawn, and now, this.He scrolled through the endless flood of posts. News clips. Forum threads. Grainy photos of a wrecked black Maybach, half crumpled into the guardrail, police tape glowing under the flashlights. Anonymous sources claiming gunfire, others saying explosion. Every version somehow worse than the last.He didn’t even realize he was shaking until the phone slipped from his

Last Updated : 2025-10-28

Chapter 74

The faint clink of crystal against metal went silent as he leaned forward, eyes glinting in the halfvlight. “You’re certain?”Dante shook his head, hands twitching. “I’m not certain of anything right now. But the tone, hell, the fear, in that man’s voice… It wasn’t staged. He didn’t even know who was calling, Vargo. That was real panic.”Vargo’s lips curled into something unreadable, half amusement, half calculation. “So, both of them?”“Seems like it,” Dante muttered, running a hand through his hair. “Every news outlet says they’re dead. Car totaled, bullets found near the wreckage, engine torched. No one’s made an official statement, and no bodies have been photographed yet, but…”He trailed off, glancing toward the floor to ceiling windows that overlooked the city skyline. It was a beautiful morning, all glass and gold and serenity, and yet Dante’s gut twisted like it was soaked in acid.“…our men aren’t reporting in,” he finally said, voice low. “Not one of them. Every line’s dea

Last Updated : 2025-10-28

Chapter 75

Three of the guards immediately raised their weapons, not aiming, but sharp enough to make him freeze.“Hands visible,” one barked. “State your name.”Jace blinked. “What the hell...? I’m her friend. Jace. I’ve been calling her all night. I need to know if she’s alive. The news...”“State your reason for being here,” another interrupted, cold, expressionless.Jace laughed nervously, running a hand through his hair. “Reason? Are you serious right now? The news said they were dead! I’m not leaving until I see her...”A third guard stepped forward, massive, silent, his earpiece flashing faint green. “Sir, you need to stay calm and remain by your vehicle.”Jace’s chest rose and fell fast. His mind was racing. He wasn’t just scared anymore, he was angry.He’d driven halfway across the city, heart in his throat, praying the rumors were wrong, and this was the welcome he got?He took a step forward, and immediately three rifles were raised.“Back. Away,” the lead guard ordered. “Now.”Jace’s

Last Updated : 2025-10-29

Chapter 76

The SUV rolled through the gates and the mansion loomed larger in the distance, Roman didn’t look back.He was silent, unreadable, his thoughts a storm.This man, this Jace Morrison, knew things about Elena. Spoke her name like it meant something more than friendship. And Roman couldn’t shake the instinct that the pieces he’d been searching for were finally moving.He didn’t want Elena to know about this meeting.He wanted to see how much Jace would give him before she realized he’d started hunting.His voice was calm as he gave the order to his driver.“Take him to the main building. Not the medical wing.”He smiled faintly to himself, a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.“Let’s see what kind of man my wife keeps close.”Jace was practically vibrating with nerves as the heavy gates of the Thorne estate sealed shut behind him.The air inside was suffocating, sterile, expensive, and dead quiet. The kind of quiet that made his pulse sound too loud in his ears.Two guards escorted him th