Novels by Aiko

RACHELI stayed inside the warehouse, my body pressed against the cold metal wall, my hands clutching the money case like it was the last thing keeping me alive. Machines hummed all around, their lights flickering across the dark, sterile space. I watched the scientists work on Jasmine—blood, wires, needles, and machines intertwining with her fragile little body. They moved quickly, efficiently, like she was nothing but a project, an object to be measured and tested.And I watched. I couldn’t look away. My daughter. My blood. Lying there, helpless, while they tore into her like she owed them something.“She should bear it,” I muttered under my breath. “All of this… it’s his fault.”His face flashed in my mind—Ryan, with that impossible arrogance, always thinking he could control everything. He caused this. Every scrap of misery in my life, every sleepless night, every humiliation—it was because of him. And now… now Jasmine was here, floating in a tube, enduring experiments no child sh

SERAPHINEWe stood in the dim hospital corridor, the harsh fluorescent lights buzzing above us. Nurses whispered at a distance, still shaken from the Cassian security storming through earlier. Mary paced back and forth, rubbing her hands together, thinking fast and dangerously.“We should call Marco,” she said suddenly.I blinked. “What? Why?”“He has a son here,” she said sharply. “We tell him his boy is dying. That they need him. He will come running. And if he comes—he’ll lead us straight to Ryan.”I stared at her, stunned. “Mary… that’s wrong.”“It’s effective,” she countered, her eyes blazing. “And we don’t have time for morality. Ryan is missing. Your boss is missing. Every second we wait, he gets dragged further away.”I shook my head, stepping back from her. “We’re talking about a child. A real child. We can’t use him like bait.”Mary stopped pacing and faced me fully. “You think I care about Marco’s feelings? Or the feelings of a man who helped kidnap Ryan?” Her voice rose, h

RYANMarco dragged me out of the car with one hand gripping the back of my shirt, the other pressed to the gun tucked at his waist. His breathing was ragged, tense. I could feel the desperation radiating off him like heat.“Marco,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “You need to calm down. Listen to me. You know fully well—I will save your son.”He didn’t slow his pace. Didn’t look at me. His grip tightened.“You’re just as evil,” he muttered. “All of you. You pretend you’re righteous, but you’re not. I always knew it. I always knew you were hiding something dark.”I swallowed, forcing myself to keep walking. “When have I ever claimed I was righteous?”His jaw tightened.“I’m trying to save my daughter,” I continued. “Does that make me righteous? No. It makes me a father. Same way you’re trying to save your son.”Marco stopped for half a second. His shoulders rose and fell with a heavy breath. I could see the conflict in him—anger, fear, guilt, pride, all fighting at once.But he

SERAPHINE The car sped down the road, the tires humming beneath us as the lights of the city blurred past. I sat rigid in the passenger seat, my hands clenched so tight my knuckles were white. The hospital… Jasmine… Ryan… everything felt like it was closing in at once.Mary kept her eyes on the road, jaw tight with determination.“If we find Ryan,” I said quietly, staring out the window, “I’ll tell him to reject the heir title. Maybe that’s the only way this stops.”Mary let out a short, humorless laugh. “That won’t solve anything.”I turned sharply toward her. “Why not?”She shook her head. “Because the day they realized Ryan was alive, he became a threat. Rejecting it won’t erase bloodlines. It won’t erase fear. The Cassian families won’t rest until they control him or erase him.”A cold wave rippled through me. “So even if he gives it up… they’ll still come for him?”“Yes,” Mary said simply. “He breathes, that’s enough for them.”My stomach knotted. I tried to steady my breathing,

RYANThe steady hum of the boat’s engine vibrated beneath me, a dull rhythm that blended with the ache in my bones.Cold air stung my face. Salt water misted my skin. That was what finally pulled me out of the haze.I opened my eyes.Dark water stretched endlessly around us, the moonlight slicing across the waves like silver knives.The night was quiet, too quiet—only the engine and the splash of water against the hull.I shifted, wincing at the soreness in my ribs. My fingers twitched automatically, feeling for the small bottle I had guarded like a second heartbeat.Still there.My chest tightened so hard my breath caught. How far was I from Jasmine now? How long had it been?, The distance felt infinite.Every time I blinked, I saw her face ,fragile, weak, waiting. I’d promised her I would cure her. I’d promised myself I’d never fail her again.And now I was drifting deeper into nowhere, a hostage on open water.Across the boat, Marco sat hunched over, elbows on his knees, his hands

RACHAELThe warehouse looked nothing like what I expected.The Cassians were known for marble floors and chandeliers, not… this.The building was dark, isolated, its metal walls towering like a prison. My headlights cut across the empty yard before fading into shadows. My hands were shaking so badly I almost dropped the steering wheel.But the money… the moneyq would change everything.And Jasmine—my daughter—was lying in the back of the car, unconscious, wrapped in hospital sheets.I inhaled sharply and stepped out, pulling my jacket tighter around myself as the cold air bit through me.The giant metal doors groaned open.Mrs. Elizabeth stood at the entrance.Elegant. Unbothered. Almost glowing in that cold, golden way of hers. Behind her, several men in white coats waited silently—scientists, tall and serious, not saying a single word.My heartbeat slammed against my ribs.“Bring her,” Elizabeth said calmly.Her voice echoed in the warehouse, swallowed by the shadows.I swallowed an