61. Where do I Start?

“Good,” The man said. He stood up slowly and stepped closer to Charlie.“My name is Adrian Voss,” the man said.Charlie did not react. He had no idea who this man was. “Never heard of you,” he said.Adrian’s mouth curved faintly. “That’s alright. You were not supposed to.”Charlie tilted his head slightly. “Then how about a proper introduction?”Adrian smiled. “I am not much different than River Foster. Merely a rival syndicate,” he explained.Charlie leaned back just a fraction, easing his stance again, letting the conversation feel less like a standoff and more like…something else. He didn’t know what exactly. The rival part was obvious. It wasn’t like River’s best friend would try to kidnap Sky. “Alright,” he said. “Why are you trying to kidnap Sky?”Adrian’s gaze sharpened just slightly, like he had been waiting for that question too. “Because she’s the only one who isn’t trained,” he said.Charlie raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”“You know what I mean,” Adrian went on, calm

62. Who Told?

River stood by the window, hands clasped loosely behind his back, staring out at the empty stretch of land beyond the glass. From the outside, it would have looked like he was calm and composed. Inside, something far colder had already settled in his chest.Someone was knocking on the door, but he did not turn. “Come in,” he said gruffly.The door opened. One of his men Stew, stepped inside, posture rigid, careful. “We found something,” he said.River looked at him. “Start talking,” he said impatiently.“Sir…there may have been a leak,” Stew said nervously.“Explain,” River said.Stew swallowed. “The cabin location was compromised before the attack. Communications were cut too clean. Too early. They knew where to hit and when.”River’s gaze sharpened. “That is not an explanation. How did this happen?”“Yes, sir,” Stew said quickly. “We traced internal communications. One of the men assigned to outer rotation sent a signal before the breach. Encrypted, but not well enough.”The room we

63. Can’t Save Her

Sky paced back and forth in her room because she didn’t know what else to do. It has been over 48 hours since the attack and still no news of Charlie.Her phone was still in her hand. She had not realized she was gripping it that tightly until her fingers started to ache. The word did not sit right in her head. It kept slipping. Like her brain refused to hold onto it for too long.“No,” she muttered. “I can’t believe this is happening.” The door opened quietly behind her, but she did not turn around. A tray was set down on the small table near the window.“Miss,” the guard said carefully. “You should eat something.”“I’m not hungry,” she snapped. “Just leave it,” she added.He nodded and left.Silence again.Sky turned her head toward the table. The food sat there untouched. Steam curled faintly from the plate. It smelled warm and delicious. She stared at it like it offended her.He could be hurt out there and they expected her to eat?She turned away again and resumed pacing, faster

64. I Told Him

Sky did not go without a fight. The entire time they dragged her through the house, she twisted, kicked, and shoved against the man’s shoulder, her hands clawing at anything she could reach. She did not care if it hurt him. She wanted it to hurt him.“Put me down!” she shouted again, her voice hoarse now.He adjusted his grip like she was nothing more than an inconvenience. “You are making this worse for yourself,” he said calmly.“Good,” she snapped, struggling harder.They moved fast through the hallway. She caught flashes of chaos around her. One guard was down near the wall. Another was crouched behind a corner, weapon raised. Someone shouted. Another gunshot echoed, too close.Her heart slammed harder. This was real. This was actually happening.They pushed through the front door and the cold air hit her face hard, stealing her breath for a second. Snow crunched under boots. She twisted again, trying to throw off his balance.It did not work.“Hold still,” he said, his tone losin

65. Choosing Sides

Sky thought she must’ve heard it wrong the first time. Her brain refused to process the words. It felt like they had been said in another language. Something close enough to understand, but just far enough to not make sense.“What?” she asked.Charlie didn’t look away.“I told him where to find you,” he repeated.Sky shook her head slowly. “No,” she said. “No, you didn’t.” Her chest tightened painfully, like something was pressing down on it. “Say something else,” she snapped. “Say you’re joking. Say you’re lying. Say anything else.”Charlie sighed. “I am not lying. I told him where you were, and I am officially quitting my job as your bodyguard.”“What do you mean?” she asks, still not believing her own ears.Charlie didn’t flinch. “I said I’m done working for your father.”Sky let out a short, breathless laugh that didn’t sound like her. “No,” she said again, but it came out weaker this time. “No, you don’t just…say that and expect it to make sense.”“It makes perfect sense. You’re

66. Came to Check

Adrian studied Charlie for another second, then gave a small nod. “Your time to prove yourself is coming again.”“You expect River to attack soon,” Charlie observed.Adrian smiled faintly. “I’m counting on it.”Charlie tilted his head slightly. “And you’re confident you’ll win.”Adrian let out a quiet breath that almost sounded like amusement. “Confidence has nothing to do with it,” he said. “Preparation does. “That’s why you’re here. If you’re as useful as I think you are, this ends quickly.”Charlie leaned back just slightly, his posture relaxed but his attention sharp.“Go,” Adrian said after a moment. “Get familiar with the layout. I don’t like people operating blind in my house.”Charlie stood and walked out.~-~Sky heard footsteps outside of her room. Or should she say, her prison cell?Her entire body went still because for a second, she thought he might stop and come inside.But no one opened the door and came in. The sound eventually faded away.Sky stared at the door for a