Chapter 56: The TradeThe secure media room felt like a war bunker. Maps glowed on large screens, red dots marking potential exchange sites. Lucian sat at the head of the long table like a king holding court, even with fresh bandages hidden beneath his black shirt and the slight pallor that betrayed his recent brush with death. I sat beside him, our hands intertwined under the table. Alexander paced like a caged lion. Bella leaned against the wall, arms crossed, her sharp eyes missing nothing.“We are not trading my wife,” Lucian growled for the third time, his voice low and final. “End of discussion.”“I’m not asking to be handed over like a sacrifice,” I countered, squeezing his hand. “I’m asking to be part of the bait. Controlled bait. We set the location, we control the perimeter, your best men in position. We get Maya out and hit them hard.”Alexander stopped pacing, hope flashing across his young face. “Mom… you’d really do that?”I
Read more