“Only if I fail to stop it.”The words didn’t come out as a loud declaration. They fell into the cold, sterile air of the sub-basement suite like a drop of heavy mercury, smooth, absolute, and chillingly final.Maximilian’s hand didn’t tremble against my waist, but the sheer, crushing intensity in his grey eyes made the floor beneath my boots feel unsteady.The silent air between us vibrated with the unspoken blood that would have to be spilled before those words could ever become a reality.“Then swear it to me,” I whispered, my fingers digging through his linen shirt, clutching the broad expanse of his chest where his heart beat in a calm, rhythmic thud. “Swear to me right now, Maximilian. Not as the head of Blackridge, not as the commander of a syndicate ... swear to me as their father.”Maximilian looked down at my face, his sharp jaw flexing as his thumb slowly brushed a tear from my cheekbone.The terrifying, unyielding mob boss dissolved, leaving behind a man stripped raw by hi
Last Updated : 2026-10-15 Read more