All Chapters of REBEL IN MY HEART : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

‎For a second, I honestly thought I misheard it.‎Another note?‎With my full name?‎‎My stomach didn’t just drop it fell straight through the floor and kept going. I stared at Zayden like he was quoting a horror movie or something.‎‎“What… what do you mean my full name?” I finally managed, my voice cracking like old wood.‎‎Zayden didn’t answer right away. He didn’t have to. The look on his face… yeah, it told me enough. Something in his jaw tightened, and he gave his guy a small nod like, Alright, bring it.‎‎“No,” I whispered, stepping forward, “show me. I want to see it.”‎‎“Vivienne” he started.‎‎“No.” I held up a hand, my whole body trembling even though I tried to play it cool. “Don’t sugarcoat anything. Don’t hide anything. I’m not a child.”‎‎He sighed, and there was this tiny flash of… I don’t know, guilt? Worry? Something that made my chest tighten because I wasn’t used to seeing that expression directed at me.‎‎One of his guys, a tall one with a badly healed eye

‎For a second, I didn’t even breathe.‎I think my brain just… blanked. Stopped. Like the word “house” didn’t register until the silence after it punched me in the chest.‎‎“My… my house?” I whispered, even though I’d heard him clearly.‎‎The guy holding the phone nodded, swallowing hard. “Yeah. We, they hacked into one of our old surveillance channels. Someone’s streaming a live feed right now. From your property.”‎‎My legs almost gave out.‎‎Zayden stepped in front of me instantly so fast I barely saw him move his hand hovering near my arm but not touching. Just… there. Close enough to catch me if I fell.‎‎“Show me,” he demanded, his voice tight.‎‎The guy handed him the phone. Zayden’s eyes narrowed immediately, jaw clenching so hard the muscles jumped. He angled the screen toward himself, but I leaned forward, trying to see too.‎‎He shifted it away.‎‎“Zayden,” I hissed, grabbing his arm before I could stop myself, “show me the damn phone.”‎‎He hesitated for maybe half

‎‎The second I heard that whisper“ She’s here” my whole body locked up. My brain didn’t even catch up. It was like my heart moved before anything else could. Behind me, Zayden went completely still, like someone had hit pause on him.‎‎Then, without warning, he pushed me back gentle but firm right behind the stack of crates again.‎‎“Stay,” he whispered, barely audible.‎‎I didn’t even get the chance to argue. He moved like a damn shadow, slipping out into the darkness, silent in a way no human being should be. I pressed my hand against my mouth because my breath was loud everything inside me was loud.‎‎Voices came from the entrance, low and rough, like they didn’t care who heard. The thud of boots followed. My pulse was trying to jump out of my throat. And then‎‎A crash.‎A grunt.‎Something like metal falling.‎‎Zayden’s men burst in from the back corridor, and the whole shop exploded into chaos. I couldn’t see much from where I was, just the flashes of movement in the dark

‎“Please don’t say it’s my father.”‎‎The words slipped out of me like a prayer. Weak, stupid, desperate. I didn’t even realize I’d said them until the silence on the other side of the bathroom door swelled and felt enormous.‎‎Zayden’s breathing was slow. He had that edge to his voice like it was been scraped raw, like saying the name hurt him. “It’s not him.”‎‎Something in me unclenched a tiny bit. Relief tried to swoop in, but it was a cautious, skeptical relief like the kind you get when you finally find your phone after thinking you’d lost it forever.‎‎“Who, then?” I asked. My voice was small and high and embarrassing. I scrubbed my face with the heels of my hands like that would fix the shaking.‎‎A pause. A breath. “It’s someone in my club.”‎‎Okay. My stomach flipped like a bad rollercoaster.‎‎“In your club?” I echoed. “One of your men? You mean”‎‎He didn’t answer right away. I could hear him moving, maybe pacing. The muffled tone of his voice changed to something

‎“Don’t come to the dock. He’s not alone.”‎‎Those words kept fumbling in my head like they’d been glued there. They refused to go. They wouldn’t let me sleep. They were wrong and clinging, hanging in the motel room like cigarette smoke.‎‎‎But we had to do something. It was not an option to sit and stare at messages, pictures, and fake screenshots. Marcus had provided us with a location and a time. At dawn, he desired the pier. He promised no tricks. He pledged not to kill the hostages. He made many promises that, when you hear them over the phone, you don't believe.‎‎Zayden folded his hands, like he was folding a map in his mind. “We don’t go alone. We don’t go straight there. We set watches. We cut off exits. We make him think he won.” He said it like it was a checklist and not a prayer.‎‎“You keep saying ‘we.’ Who exactly is ‘we’?” I asked, because I needed to name my fear. Naming felt less like drowning.‎‎His lip twitched, almost like a smile, but tighter. “My p