Semua Bab The CEO’s Unwanted Wife: Bab 41 - Bab 50

RaineThe hum of the SUV's engine is the only thing keeping me from screaming. My nails burrow deep into the seat's leather as the city whizzes by outside the windows, neon lights blurring into streaks of color.Cassian turns to me, elbows on knees, staring at the floor as though if he just lifts his head, the whole night will disintegrate. Malik's driving, jaw set, glancing into mirrors every three seconds."Speak to me," I said finally, my voice slicing as glass.Cassian doesn't lift his head. "What about?""About how we shut her down. No more half-truths, no more damage control—how do we finish Sierra?He looks up then, and the darkness in his eyes makes my breath cease. "Killing her is not the problem at all," he said quietly. "It's what she's willing to bury to get through to us.""She's already burned everything," I fired back. "The safe house, the board, my life. Julian. What else is there left to be burnt?"His lips twist, a half-hearted attempt at smiling, but there's no humo

RaineThe road is a black ribbon under Malik's tires; every mile is a countdown we can’t afford to waste.The red light on his dash GPS indicates the location of the container, with the small, flashing dot creeping incrementally closer to the Ravenshore docks.Cassian advanced from the back seat. "How old is that ping?""Thirty minutes," Malik says without taking his eyes off the road. "And it's moving. Could be a truck heading straight into a ship."I glance back at him. "Which means if we miss it, we lose him to international waters."Cassian's face tightens. "And Sierra gets her way.""She's not going to get away with this," I said.He glances at me in the rearview mirror, and I can see it — that mix of hope and disbelief he saves just for me. "You keep saying that. You better mean it.""I do." I face away from the windshield. "Because this is no longer just her game. It's mine."The smell of salt from the sea meets us before we can even see the water. The air is cold here, cutting

RaineThe red heartbeat of the tracker shines like a pulsing organ on the table between us.Three seconds away.Steady.Unblinking.It's the only sound in the safe house aside from the rain hitting the roof—slow, soft, almost teasing.Cassian didn't look away from it. "You left it on purpose.""I didn't leave it," I snap. "I planted it."He finally looks at me, with gritted jaw. "So you're admitting you're trying to get them to us?""No," I replied, leaning in, my voice low. "I'm getting someone. And they're not Sierra."Pandora, lounging in the back of the room with her arms crossed, lets out a quiet laugh. "Great. We've already got one psycho stalking us, and now you've invited another one with engraved invitations?""Not another one," Malik snarls, his eyes sliding over the rain-slashed window. "Worse."Cassian's eyes narrow at me. "How much worse?"I look at him. "The kind of worse you don't see till your throat's already sliced."The words hang between us like smoke.Cassian leans

RaineCassian's eyes rolled back.For one heartbeat, my world froze.Not the poetic kind people use to describe—no soft hush, no movie-like slow motion. It was vicious, as if the air in the room had been sucked out, and my body had forgotten how to function.The second coin dropped out of my pocket as if it had waited patiently for the perfect moment to tease me, twirling once before lying on the cold floor. The weak emergency light reflected off the silver edge, casting the etched letters of his name glowing back at me like some twisted prophecy.My fingers shook as I pressed them hard to the side of his neck. I wanted to feel that heavy, solid thump of his pulse. There was nothing."No—no, no, no…" My voice shattered so hard it tore my throat raw. I shook him by the shoulders. "Cassian! Wake up!"The door seemed to close in around us. I heard every sound—the faint whine of dying ventilation, the far-off, rhythmic patter of water, and high above us, a slow, metallic groan that sent s

RaineThe ground shook beneath my feet.Not a gentle quiver—this was a raw, heavy shiver that shook right up to the top of my spine and slammed my teeth together. The walls of the alley groaned, dust spilling from cracking brick as if the very city itself was damning us to run.But we couldn't.In front of us, the stranger was already fighting with the SUV men, battling like they were bred to the chaos—each glint of their knife precision, each swing lethal. Behind us, more boots approached closer. The trap was closing, and I was in the center of it all, supporting Cassian on one arm and holding the stranger's coin in the other.Thirty seconds. That's how long they'd given me.Cassian shifted against my back, his breath tickling my neck. "Raine….""I'm here," I breathed, but my gaze was roving over the alley, hunting for any potential exit. Fire escape? No. Too open. Side door? Locked up tight with chains. Dumpster? Too big to be pushed out of the way in time.The rumble grew louder. A