All Chapters of THE CEO'S STOLEN SECONDS : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

That silver flash drive dug into my palm so hard, it actually cut me, but honestly, I couldn't care less. I could barely breathe."The federal agents are leaving the perimeter with Mr. King," Marcus said, his voice slicing through the sterile room like a bullet. He didn't bother to look at me. His eyes stayed fixed on the cracked window, fingers flying over his secure phone. "The media already blocked the hospital exits, Sierra. The story leaked in under a minute. King Global stock is dropping three points every five minutes.""Let them talk," I managed, my voice coming out pathetically small—so unlike me—in the quiet recovery ward.I spun around, my bare heels slipping on the polished linoleum as I rushed back to Leo's bedside. My hands shook so badly I could barely straighten the white sheet over his tiny chest. He looked so peaceful, his face relaxed under the soft green glow of the monitors. Beep... beep... beep... His heart was safe for now. The rest of our world? Burning."Marcu

The boardroom’s heavy glass wall blew apart, shards flying everywhere, after a flashbang grenade ripped through the high-rise window. Just pure chaos, white-hot and blinding.“Get down! Cover the corporate ledger!” Marcus yelled, slamming his arm into my chest and throwing me under the big obsidian table. My head hit the metal frame hard, and suddenly my mouth tasted like blood and metal. Sirens wailed from all sides—shrill and frantic—blending with execs’ terrified shouting as the thick, choking gray smoke swallowed what little light was left. The air felt poisonous. Everything smelled of burning rubber and chemicals.“Sierra! Don’t move!” Marcus bellowed, his bulk sheltering me while three security guards opened fire at the shattered window. The gunshots—it was like thunder in my bones, shaking through the floor and right into my ribs. I lay curled up in the dark, fingers digging into my low hair bun as shards rained down on my tailored black blazer. My heart drummed wildly, and jus

The concrete floor shook under my feet as the young guy in the sharp suit slammed his hand on the silver sports car’s horn, the noise blasting through the underground garage—loud, almost like a gunshot.“Get in the car, Sierra! Right now!” Julian shouted. He didn’t sound cool or professional like usual; his voice was cracked and frantic, the kind of panic that made my skin crawl.He dove across the short space between our cars, leather shoes slipping on a patch of oil as he seized my wrist. His fingers were cold, slick with sweat. My body went into full defense mode. I yanked my arm back, heels scraping against the rough concrete as I pressed myself against the black Suburban. My chest heaved so hard, the fabric of my damp blazer stretched at the seams.“Don’t touch me!” I screamed, voice shaking as I jammed the silver flash drive deeper into my blazer pocket. “You have the ledger, Julian! You gave Victoria those internal server signatures! You betrayed the agency!”“You think I wante

The moment the federal SUV stopped moving, Julian didn't quietly slip out—he launched himself into the pouring rain, tumbling across the airport tarmac until he smashed into a pile of empty luggage crates. "Julian!" I screamed, the force throwing me against the leather partition as the car swerved hard, trying not to hit him. I grabbed for balance—one arm hugging Leo’s sleeping body to my chest, the other clawing at the front seat. The SUV skidded and finally stopped, barely inches from the fence. Through the rear window, I watched Julian get up, drenched and wild, and run straight into the darkness of Hangar Three. "Let him run, Sierra," Christian said from beside me, his voice calm and terrifying—so steady it made my skin crawl. He didn’t chase after Julian. He didn’t even bother to watch him go. He just shifted his giant frame across the seat and slammed the door, shutting out the storm. In seconds, we sat in suffocating silence, the air thick with leather and that faint, metal

The steady beeping of Leo’s heart monitor suddenly exploded into chaotic, screaming alarms.I dropped the leather folder. The unsigned freedom papers scattered across the floor as I lunged toward the bed. Leo’s tiny chest heaved under the white sheets, his fingers curled into tight, frantic claws, and his face turned a terrifying ash-gray."Christian!" I screamed, grabbing my son’s shoulders as his small body started shaking violently. "Something’s wrong! He’s not breathing!"Christian moved so fast it was like he flew across the room. He slammed his hand down on the red emergency call button. "Code Blue! Room 412, now!" he yelled into the intercom. His deep voice cracked with panic, and the sound hit me hard.The big wooden door burst open, and medical staff flooded in, their rubber-soled shoes squeaking like crazy on the linoleum. A doctor pushed me aside, checked Leo’s airway, and two nurses fiddled with the IV lines. Their faces were tense and grim in the harsh fluorescent light.