All Chapters of OWNED IN THE DARK: Chapter 201 - Chapter 210

MATHEW I'd pushed the truck hard for hours, but the silence bothered me more than the endless stretch of frozen highway.The road ahead disappeared into a curtain of grey mist, cutting through forests stripped bare by winter. The utility truck rumbled beneath us, its diesel engine vibrating through the floor and into my bones. Behind us, forty tons of Yukon gold rolled along in the trailer, chained down tight enough to survive an earthquake.Louis drove without saying much. He rarely did. His hands rested lightly on the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the road, though I noticed he checked the mirrors every few seconds.Ever since Arthur had put a bounty on Ciara, the quiet had become suspicious.He was never this patient.A sharp beep broke the silence.Louis glanced at the dashboard.His expression hardened."Mathew."I looked over."The motion sensor at the secondary entrance just went off.""The maintenance road?"He nodded."Not wildlife."He tapped another screen."Someone for

MATHEW The North Shore estate was unnervingly quiet when we finally pulled into the underground garage. The armored truck rumbled to a stop, and as the engine died, the only sound left was the steady ping of hot metal cooling beneath the hood. It echoed through the concrete bay like a clock counting down.I climbed out before Louis had finished parking. I didn't bother checking the security reports or asking for a status update. There was only one thing on my mind.Collins.He was waiting near an unmarked sedan by the side entrance.He looked terrible. His tie was loose, his suit wrinkled, and the dark circles beneath his eyes suggested he hadn't slept in days. A thick manila folder was tucked under one arm, and he held it so tightly it looked less like paperwork and more like armor."Mathew," he said as I approached. His voice was calm, but I could hear the urgency underneath it. "We got a hit from Zurich."I stopped in front of him."What did you find?""A private mint in Vancouver

CIARA The morning light spilled through the tall arched windows of the North Shore library, washing everything in a pale golden glow that made the room feel more like a museum than a home. It illuminated the rows of old books, the polished wood shelves, and the portraits of long-dead men who had built their fortunes without leaving behind much worth remembering.I sat curled into one corner of the leather sofa with a mug of herbal tea cradled between my hands. The tea had gone lukewarm a long time ago, but I hadn't taken more than a few absent-minded sips. I simply held it because it gave my hands something to do.For the first time in days, the house was quiet.Across from me, Mary and Carlista occupied matching armchairs near the fireplace. Neither of them seemed eager to break the silence. We all looked exhausted. Forty-eight hours of nonstop fighting, chasing leads, sleepless nights, and impossible decisions had left marks on every one of us.Mary finally closed the tablet balanc

CIARA The basement processing room felt colder than usual.The white lights overhead buzzed softly, washing everything in a harsh white glow that made the concrete walls seem even more lifeless. I stood beside Mathew, my hand resting lightly against the curve of my stomach. Ever since my memories came back, nothing had felt simple anymore. Every thought carried another secret. Every answer uncovered a deeper lie.Across the room, Carlista lowered herself carefully into a chair, one hand instinctively cradling her own growing belly. Detective Collins stood beside the computer terminal, his tired face more solemn than I'd ever seen it.He didn't waste time."It's Eleanor," he said quietly.The words stole the air from my lungs."Eleanor?" I repeated.Collins nodded. "The correctional facility was blown up by a random wire connecting wrongly. Unofficially..." He shook his head. "None of us believe that."Silence settled over the room.Then he plugged a flash drive into the computer."Be

CIARA The lace veil resting over my hair didn't feel like something a bride should wear.It felt like armor.I stood in front of the full-length mirror in the master suite, staring at my reflection as the morning light spilled through the tall windows. For a second, my breath fogged the glass before the room's climate system cleared it away again.The white silk gown had been tailored to perfection. Elegant. Timeless. It skimmed over my body, carefully disguising the slight curve of my stomach that only Mathew and I knew was there. Three months. Our little secret.Instead of delicate heels, I wore soft leather flats beneath the dress. They were comfortable, practical, and stable enough to carry me over the stone steps outside if I needed to move quickly.Old habits didn't disappear just because you put on a wedding dress."The last guest just came through the gate."Carlista's voice pulled me away from my reflection.She leaned against the bedroom doorway, one hand supporting the cur