Lahat ng Kabanata ng HIS LITTLE PLAYTHING : Kabanata 71 - Kabanata 80

MARKI woke up tangled in silk sheets, my muscles tight and my mind heavy. Alice was curled against me, her bare skin pressed to mine like she belonged there. My stomach twisted with disgust. I hated this—hated how easily she had crawled back into my life, how she knew exactly how to push me. But worst of all? I hated myself for letting it happen. For the small, dark part of me that didn’t completely hate last night…..that’s somewhat enjoyed itI slid out of bed carefully, grabbing my boxers from the floor. My body was sore, and the scratches on my back burned—fucking wench. Alice stirred behind me, but I didn’t care, I needed to get out of that room, away from her.I stepped into the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face. The man staring back at me in the mirror didn’t feel like me anymore. Where did I go? When did I become the kind of man who played along while the woman he loved was locked away, suffering because of my mistakes?Sage.My chest ached at the thought of her—her s

I stood by the window, watching the clock tick down. Twenty-four hours. That was all she gave me. And now, the time is up.The city skyline stretched out in front of me, but I couldn’t focus on anything except the heavy weight on my chest. Sage. I had to get her back—no matter what.Behind me, my men worked fast, their voices low but urgent. Hector was on his laptop, fingers flying across the keyboard, trying to crack Alice’s security system. Nathan was on comms, giving orders to our snipers. Every single one of my guys was on edge, ready to move.“She’s not playing around,” Hector muttered, eyes locked on the screen. “The moment she feels threatened, she’ll push the button.”My jaw tightened. Alice always had a backup plan. Of course, she did. I should’ve known better than to think I could outplay her.Nathan turned to me. “Boss, we’ve found the bomb. It’s under the floor where she’s keeping Sage. Armed and ready to blow.”My heart slammed in my chest. The thought of Sage being that

MARKMy wrists burned from the rope biting into my skin. The room was quiet, too quiet, except for the faint hum of the wind outside. My shoulder throbbed where Alice had shot me, but the pain wasn’t the worst part—it was being here. Trapped. Helpless.She sat across from me in an old wooden chair, legs crossed, her gaze locked on mine. Her face was unreadable, but I could feel the tension in the air. The way her fingers drummed against her knee, slow and deliberate, like she was thinking too hard—or maybe not thinking at all.“You should’ve killed me,” I said, my voice low, rough.Alice smiled faintly. “I could’ve. But where’s the fun in that?”I clenched my jaw, yanking at the ropes again. No use. She knew how to tie a knot. I hated how weak I felt—how I couldn’t fight her, couldn’t even touch her. She did this on purpose. She always wanted control. Always wanted to remind me that no matter how strong I thought I was, she could break me.“You haven’t won this yet, I’ll bring you dow

MARKThe ropes fell away from my wrists, leaving my skin raw and burning. My shoulder throbbed where she’d dug out the bullet, but I barely felt it. All I could think about was getting out—getting free.Alice stood in front of me, watching with that maddening, unreadable smile. She was too calm. Too in control. I needed to change that.I shifted my weight subtly, muscles tensing. She didn’t react. Maybe I could—A gunshot exploded above my head. The wood paneling behind me splintered, raining down over my shoulders. My pulse thundered in my ears as my gaze snapped to hers."Don't," she warned softly, lowering the gun. "I’m not in the mood to chase you, Mark."I glared at her, swallowing down the surge of frustration. "You can't keep me here forever."Her lips curved in a slow, dangerous smile. "I don’t need forever. Just long enough to remind you where you belong."I clenched my fists, but she only turned and sauntered toward a door at the end of the hall. "Come," she called over her

Mark’s POVThe wind howled outside the small, isolated house, rattling the wooden panels like they were barely holding together. My wrists still burned from the rough rope Alice had tied me with, but I kept working at the knots, slowly loosening them while she watched from across the room.She sat in a chair, legs crossed, twirling a knife between her fingers like she had all the time in the world. Like she knew I wasn’t going anywhere.I kept my expression neutral, but inside, my mind raced, calculating every possible move. The moment I got free, I’d take her down and find a way back to Sage. I just needed one opening.Alice tilted her head, smirking. “I can hear you thinking, Mark.”I didn’t answer. I kept my eyes on the floor, pretending to be defeated. It was what she wanted—she wanted me broken, desperate. But I wasn’t giving her that.Not now. Not ever.Minutes ticked by in tense silence.Then Alice stood, stretching as if she had just woken up from a peaceful nap. She walked ov