Novels by Naya Glad

"Are you certain both hooks have been swallowed completely, Ethan?" Thomas asked, his voice low and calm as he stared through the tinted window of the safehouse at the sprawling skyline of Valmoria fading into twilight.Commander Ethan stood beside the high-tech tactical console, his fingers flying across the glowing keyboard as streams of data scrolled down multiple monitors. He paused, turning his head with a sharp, respectful nod."Positive, General," Ethan replied, his voice steady. "Our digital intercepts confirm that both independent factions have taken the bait. They are moving faster than we anticipated, completely unaware that they are running into the exact same trap."High up in his luxurious mountaintop fortress, Jack Hill sat in his leather armchair, swirling a fresh glass of scotch while staring coldly at his private desk phone. The failure of his mountain hit squad had stung his pride, but Jack was a master of statecraft and shadow politics; he knew that raw muscle was

Inside the study of his mountaintop mansion, Jack Hill stared at the digital tablet on his desk, his old hands trembling with a mixture of disbelief and cold, burning rage.The report from the mountain road was short, brutal, and utterly impossible: all fourteen mercenaries of his personal hit squad had been found unconscious and broken across the asphalt, their weapons scattered, without a single scratch on their target."Fourteen seasoned veterans... wiped out in under two minutes by a single man," Jack muttered, his breath hitching as he gripped the edge of the antique desk so hard.He had spent decades ruling the underbelly of Valmoria by crushing his enemies with overwhelming force, but this situation was entirely different. Sending ordinary street thugs or private mercenaries after Thomas Green was clearly like throwing stones at a brick wall; the boy possessed a terrifying, unnatural combat capability that standard violence could not break."If raw muscle cannot stop him, the

"Open your eyes, Jack. Twenty-six years is a long time to live on borrowed breath," a quiet, bone-chilling voice cut through the stillness of the study.Jack Hill froze, his hand stopping midway toward the crystal glass of aged scotch resting on his desk.The private estate of Jack Hill stood at the highest ridge of the eastern hill.It was surrounded by electric iron fences, motion-sensor floodlights and armed private patrols. To the city of Valmoria, Jack Hill was a respected philanthropist, a retired business tycoon, and a pillar of high society.To Thomas Green, the mansion was a monument built on stolen blood, echoing with the ghosts of his murdered family.Minutes earlier, two perimeter guards in vests had walked their patrol route along the western gravel path, carrying automatic rifles and talking quietly about the weather.Before either man could blink, a dark shadow had dropped silently from the low-hanging branches of a tree directly behind them.Thomas had moved with the

"Let us ignore that pathetic beggar, darling. The band is ready, and our guests are waiting to see us cut the cake," George Smith said, forcing a bright, confident smile back onto his face as he offered his arm to Alice.Alice took a deep, shaky breath, pushing the cold wave of dread out of her chest. She nodded, smoothing the front of her white gown. "You're right, George. Thomas is just a ghost from the past. He can't touch us."The soft classical string music began to play again, floating gently across the magnificent ballroom. The high-society guests exchanged nervous whispers for a few moments, but the tension quickly dissolved as waiters poured more champagne and laughter filled the room.William Johnson raised his glass, loudly declaring that minor disruptions could never shake the mighty foundation of the Johnson and Smith families.Just as George reached for the silver knife to cut the three-tier wedding cake alongside Alice, the doors of the ballroom suddenly burst open fo

"Call the police and tell them a lunatic ex-con is trying to ruin my sister’s wedding reception." Edward roared, his face flushing as he pointed a trembling finger at Thomas standing at the entrance of the Grand Valmoria Hotel.The two bodyguards stationed by the glass doors instantly stepped forward, pulling thick iron batons from their waistbands with sinister grins. "You heard Mr. Johnson, boy. You picked the wrong night to play a tragic hero in front of high society."Thomas did not even blink. He took a single, slow step forward, his heavy leather boots crushing the wet gravel as he stepped directly onto the stairs leading into the lobby."I told you your time was coming, Edward," Thomas said, his voice quiet, steady, cold, and cutting through the damp night air like a razor.The guard on the right swung his iron baton with full, brutal force, aiming directly for Thomas’s temple to put him down instantly. Thomas did not dodge backward or flinch. He stepped straight into the s

Thomas drove quietly through the empty streets of Valmoria. Next to him in the passenger seat, Mia sat wrapped in a thick, warm blanket. She held a warm cup of tea with both hands, her fingers still shaking from horror. The swell on her left cheek had turned purple, but the bleeding had stopped completely. Every few seconds, she glanced sideways at Thomas, as if she was afraid he would vanish into thin air if she closed her eyes for even a second."Are we really safe now, Thomas?" Mia whispered, her voice tiny in the quiet car. "The cruel men in that warehouse...they said high-society people bought me. They said normal people like us cannot fight against rich men in this city. They said money rules everything in Valmoria."Thomas pulled the car into the underground garage of a private, high-security apartment building on the quiet side of town. The building belonged to a secure network controlled secretly by Ethan. No one in Valmoria knew this place existed. Thomas parked the c