Semua Bab Owned By My Best Friend's Father: Bab 221 - Bab 230

JEREMY'S POV The sound of a car engine wakes me up. The couch beside me is empty. I sit up fast, my head spinning and scan the rooms. The kitchen is dark and the hallway empty. The door to Emily's room hangs open. Damien's is the same. I bolt for the back door and yank it open just in time to see taillights disappearing around the corner. They didn't wake me. They didn't wait. "HEY!" I shout into the cold night. "Where the hell are you going?!" The car doesn't slow down. I'm sure they didn't hear me. It vanishes into the blackness. "Son of a bitch." I spat. Running back inside I grab whatever my hands can reach jacket, keys not bothering to lock the door or kill the lights. I start my car and floor it, pushing the engine hard through the empty streets. The engine roars to life, and I pick up my phone and dial a number. Almost immediately the call connects. "Hale. What's going on?" "I need to back up the industrial district on Old Port Road. They went in without me." A sho

DAMIEN'S POV The night air tasted like blood and gunpowder. I half-carried, half-dragged Vivienne through the darkness, her weight heavy against my side. Elric and Victor supported her from the other side while Leah clutched Sophie close, the little girl still whimpering “Mom” under her breath every few seconds. My heart hammered harder than it had in years. Every step felt like a miracle and a curse at the same time we were out but it cost a little too much. “Keep moving,” I growled. “Don’t stop.” Behind us, sporadic gunfire still cracked in the distance. Samson’s men were disorganized but still dangerous. Jeremy or Hale, whatever his real name was, had bought us precious seconds by throwing himself into the fight like a madman. We finally reached the cars. Stefano was already there, engine running, eyes scanning the shadows ready to fire at anyone who followed us. “Emily!” I shouted. She burst out of the back seat she’d been waiting for this exact moment. The second she saw

UNKNOWN POV The phone sits silent on my desk. I have been staring at it for the past hour hoping it rings but nothing happens. I try Samson’s number again, but it goes straight to voicemail. The secure line yields nothing. Each failed attempt tightens the knot in my chest. I stand and walk to the window. The city sprawls below me in a glittering sea of lights, completely indifferent to the storm brewing in my world. Somewhere out there, Samson’s compound should be preparing for Damien Cross. The trap I spent years perfecting should be closing around him. Instead, this heavy silence tells me everything has gone wrong. I dial Isabella. She answers after three rings. “Tell me you have news.” “Nothing,” she says, her voice tight with worry. “I have been trying to reach Samson for over an hour now.” “Something is wrong.” “I know. What do you want me to do?” “Stay where you are. I will handle it.” “If Cross has taken Samson—” “I said I will handle it.” My voice is flat and col

DAMIEN'S POV The taillights disappeared into the darkness. The yard felt colder than before. I stood frozen in place for a long time. My gun felt heavy in my hand. I kept staring at the empty road like Cassian might suddenly turn around and come back. My ribs screamed with every single breath I took. Blood kept dripping slowly from the deep gash on my forearm onto the concrete below. I barely noticed the pain anymore. Stefano limped closer to me. His own leg looked bad but he ignored it. "Damien. We need to go right now. You are hurt worse than you think." I did not answer him at first. My mind kept going back to that night. The fire. The thick black smoke. The screams. The moment I grabbed Rose's hand and ran. The moment I left Cassian behind to burn. "He was supposed to be dead," I said quietly. My voice sounded strange even to me. "Yeah well he is not dead," Stefano replied. He looked at me with clear worry in his eyes. "And from the way he talked, he looks like he wants yo

ETHAN'S POV The drive to my father’s estate takes forty minutes. I spend every second of it rehearsing words I never wanted to say. I haven’t asked him for anything in years. Not since I walked away and swore I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of needing him. But Leah is out there somewhere, and I can’t find her alone. Not against people like Damien Cross. I punch in the gate code. The long driveway feels longer than usual,. The house still looks cold. Empty. The same as it always has. I sit in the car for a full minute after killing the engine, staring at the front door. Then I force myself out and walk inside without knocking. My father is in his study, tablet in hand. He glances up, expression unreadable as ever. “Ethan.” He sets the device down. “This is unexpected.” “I need men,” I say without preamble. “People who can move quietly. People with no connection to Damien Cross.” He leans back, eyebrow raised. “Why?” “I can’t tell you that.” “Then I can’t help you.” “Fat