All Chapters of HEIR OF PAIN: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

Arden woke up the next morning with a long, tired yawn. He stretched his arms and rubbed his eyes, still half asleep. When his hand reached out to the other side of the bed, he felt nothing but the cool sheets. His eyes fluttered open instantly. The space beside him was empty. Ryder was gone. He sat up, blinking the sleep away. “Where did he go so early?” he mumbled softly. He rubbed his messy hair and looked around the room, half expecting Ryder to suddenly walk out of the bathroom. But the silence in the room told him otherwise. He sighed and reached for his phone on the nightstand. He pressed the power button and the screen lit up..Then his eyes widened. “What?!” Arden jumped up from the bed, the phone slipping from his fingers and falling onto the sheets. “Oh no, I’m late!” His heart raced as he glanced at the clock. He had overslept. Badly. Without wasting another second, he rushed into the bathroom, almost tripping over his slippers on the way. The sound of running w

This is my place,” Xavier said simply. “Where did you expect to wake up? A five-star hotel?” One of the guards behind him let out a low laugh, but Xavier raised a hand slightly, and the room immediately went silent again. Arden’s breathing was sharp and fast. “What do you want from me? Why did you bring me here?” Xavier chuckled, bringing the cigarette to his lips. A guard came forward, carrying a chair, and placed it carefully in the room. Xavier walked over, sat down, and folded his legs. “What do I want? What exactly do I want?” He shook his head as he smoked and blew the smoke into the air. “If you had accepted to be with me back then, things would have been much easier for you. But you chose to run away… and now, you’ve been kidnapped again. Just when I thought I would use Ryder Black to finish you off, they start to favor you.” Xavier shook his head, eyes narrowing as he turned toward Arden. “You have quite the favor, huh?” He smoked more. “What then do you want? Why d

Arden sat on Ryder’s lap while facing him, his entire body shaking lightly as he held on to Ryder. His arms were wrapped tightly around Ryder’s neck, fingers curling into the back of Ryder’s shirt. His cheek rested against Ryder’s shoulder, warm breath brushing lightly against Ryder’s skin. Ryder held him steady, one arm wrapped around Arden’s waist and the other rubbing slow circles on his back. He could feel every tremble that ran through Arden’s body. He didn’t rush him. He didn’t force him to talk. He let Arden cling to him as long as he needed. Ryder’s chest rose and fell slowly, his breathing calm—trying to pass that calmness to Arden. Arden’s eyes were closed, his forehead resting against the side of Ryder’s neck. Every time he inhaled, he caught Ryder’s familiar scent, and it grounded him a little. His heartbeat, which had been racing earlier, slowly started to relax. But even then, there was a heaviness pressing on his chest—something he didn’t want to face yet. Ryder loo

Ryder stood up from the stood up as soon as he was sure Arden was asleep. His expression didn’t change, but the tension in his jaw tightened. He walked out of the room and headed straight to his home office The moment he stepped inside, he didn’t bother switching on all the lights—only the small lamp on his table illuminated the space. He perched on the edge of the desk, one leg crossed over the other, and brought out his phone. He dialed a number without hesitation. It rang once and connected immediately. “Update,” Ryder said, voice calm but sharp. “Sir…” the person on the other end said, sounding nervous, “…we found his body at the side of the river. His tongue and… his parts were cut off.” Ryder’s eyes narrowed slightly. His voice dropped lower. “We are not the only ones after him.” “Yes, Sir. We also suspect the person who picked him up that night might be the one who did this. But… something still feels wrong. It doesn’t match their usual method.” “I don’t need suspic

Arden’s hands were trembling as he stared at the phone screen, the words burning into his eyes. His heart was still racing from the shock, but he forced himself to take a deep breath. He wiped his palm on the blanket and quickly tapped the screen. He deleted every single message without hesitation. His chest felt tight, but he didn’t stop. He clicked the number again and blocked it. A shaky breath escaped him. His body slowly relaxed—just a little. His pulse was still fast, but the immediate terror reduced. He dropped the phone back on the lamp stand, turned it face down, and lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. A faint sound came from the bathroom door. Arden immediately wiped any expression from his face and lay properly, turning to one side like he had been resting the whole time. A moment later, Ryder stepped out of the bathroom. His hair was still damp, and a towel was tied around his waist. Water droplets slid down his chest as he walked toward the walk-in closet