Ethan’s POV The calm I’d been clinging to for days shattered, and my mind switched to full-on war mode. No more hesitation, no more second-guessing. I wasn’t going to wait for the situation to resolve itself. I was going to make sure it never happened again.Zara stood next to me, her hands trembling slightly, but I could see the fire in her eyes. She was trying to stay strong for Elias, for everything. But I knew she was terrified, just like I was.I gripped my phone tightly, my knuckles turning white as my dad's words replayed in my mind. He wanted to use my son, our son, as leverage. A bargaining chip. He thought he could control us with that boy. But he was wrong. So goddamn wrong.“Ethan,” Zara said, her voice quiet but firm. “You have to let me come with you. I can’t..”“No,” I interrupted, my voice sharp, colder than I intended. I turned to face her, not because I didn’t want her with me but because I needed her to stay safe. “You’re not coming. It’s too dangerous.”She blinke

Ethan’s POVI sat in the dimly lit room of the penthouse, my mind racing with a thousand thoughts and strategies. The walls felt like they were closing in on me as I paced back and forth. Lisa and Elias were still out there somewhere and Leonard was the one pulling the strings. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest with every second that ticked by. I wasn’t going to let him get away with this. Not after everything that had already happened.I knew I couldn’t do this alone. I needed every connection I had in my underground network, every favor I had ever called in, and every person who owed me something. Leonard thought he could trap us, manipulate us, but he had underestimated the power of the people I had in my corner. I wasn’t just a businessman, a powerful heir, I was someone who could move mountains when the situation demanded it.“Ethan,” Veronica said from the doorway, her voice breaking through my haze of frustration. I didn’t look up, but I could feel her eyes on me, asse

Lisa’s POV The walls were starting to feel like they were closing in.I’d been counting the cracks in the ceiling again. It was all I had to do after another failed attempt to pick the rusted lock on the door. The air was damp, heavy with the stench of mold and something else I didn’t want to name. Elias lay curled up on the floor, his face pale, his breathing shallow. He hadn’t touched a bite of food in two days. I was scared and terrified, really but I couldn’t show it.I had to be strong for him.“Elias,” I whispered, crawling over to him. “You need to eat something. Please.”He didn’t respond. His eyes were half-lidded, distant, as if he was somewhere else entirely. I brushed his dark curls away from his face and gently cradled his head.“Don’t leave me, okay?” My voice cracked.He blinked, sluggishly. “I want… Mama.”A dagger twisted in my heart. “We’ll find her. I promise.”It was a promise I’d made before, and one I wasn’t sure I could keep. But what else did I have?The gua

Zara’s POVEthan sat across from me, his head buried in his hands, frustration radiating off him in thick waves. The failed attempt had shaken him.. no, it had haunted him. But it had also lit something in me.He looked up slowly, eyes dark and tired. “They were gone, Zara. We were this close… and they disappeared like smoke.”I placed my hand gently over his. “Then we don’t go in like a soldier, Ethan… we go in like royalty.”He raised a brow. “What does that even mean?”I leaned in, lowering my voice. “My engagement party. It’s already being planned. Everyone will be there, including my father. All his key men. It’s the one day he’ll feel invincible.”Ethan sat up straighter, interest flickering to life.“I’ll be surrounded by guards, yes,” I continued. “But he won’t expect a war to break out during a celebration meant to bind our families in alliance. His arrogance is his weakness. He’ll lower his defenses.”“And you want me to crash the party?” he asked, a dark smile tugging at hi

Ethan’s POVThe music blasted through the speakers like a heartbeat that matched my adrenaline. Crystal glasses clinked, laughter echoed across the hall, and everywhere I turned, someone was congratulating me on the rescue, the business deals, on being the man who brought Leonard Windsor to his knees.But none of that compared to the look on my sister’s face when she held Elias in her arms again.That was the real victory.I stood at the center of it all, my tailored suit sharp, glass of whiskey in hand, pretending for one night that the war was over.But it wasn’t, I knew better.Still, I let myself enjoy the celebration. Just for a while.“Boss,” Marcus, my head of security, leaned in close. “Paparazzi are surrounding the gates. They want a statement.”I nodded, brushing him off. “Tell them we’re celebrating family. That’s all they need to know.”He hesitated. “There’s more…”“What?”“Someone leaked information about the boy.”I stiffened. “You mean Elias?”He nodded grimly. “Not ju