Wicked waited for it, the perfect time.He stepped down from his car instantly, eyes locked on Isla as she rose to her feet. The way she moved told him everything. She was tired of waiting for this supposed Jerome. The same Jerome his boss had hinted was working with them now. The thought lit a fire in him.Wicked widened his cheek into a smile, sliding his right hand into his suit as though he were adjusting something inside. He carried himself with the slow confidence of a man who had been waiting for this very moment.The moment he reached the Bamboo Crept building, he paused immediately. He calculated in his mind the risk, the eyes, the scene before him. Wicked was not someone who knew much about Velmoria. He knew Italy like the back of his hand, every alleyway and shadow where men like him thrived. But Velmoria was different. Here, he saw gentle people in luxurious attires stepping into the crept, holding the hands of their loved ones, staring at each other with quiet desires. Th

Isla gritted her teeth suddenly, her jaw tightening as if the pressure alone could keep her alive.“Ahhhh!” she screamed, the sound tearing out of her throat like a wild dog barking at its enemy, raw and desperate.She wasn’t going to give up easily. Not now. Not ever.Yes, she had made the mistake. She stepped out of the Giant Blazer when she shouldn’t have. That choice had opened the door for danger to swallow her whole. But she wouldn’t allow herself to die without a fight. Not here, not in the hands of a man like Wicked.Her heart pounded like a hammer striking steel as she lurched forward, her body surging on pure instinct. The breath burst out of her chest, harsh and ragged, as she reached for the wheel. Her palm itched to yank it from Wicked’s grip, to slam the gear into reverse and throw the entire car into chaos.She wanted to disrupt the driving, make the vehicle collide with something hard enough to stop them cold. Even if it meant the car flipping over, tumbling upside dow

Wicked bent to the ground and picked up the phone he had tossed to Isla, plucking it from her limp fingers as if her lifeless body meant nothing. The streetlight threw a sickly glow across the scene. He could feel the damp wind on his face. He could feel how small the moment was compared to what needed to happen next.He was going to do it himself. He would call him himself and force him to come down. But before that, there was one more thing to arrange. Wicked slid the phone into his pocket and, without haste, grabbed Isla’s body by the shoulder and hauled her into a sitting position. He eased her against the cold brick wall as though she had simply slumped down and fallen asleep. He straightened her head carefully, arranging it so she looked alive to anyone who glanced her way.His hand found his back pocket. He had kept what he needed there. A wide rope, rough and heavy, that could hide the signs and shape the story. He wrapped the rope around her mouth as if she were a real

Jeruel smiled.Hearing that Lucas had called David meant something. She already knew Lucas too well. When he moved quietly, it meant he had come up with a plan. A dangerous one. And she also knew he was not planning to go alone this time.“I’ll be back, dear,” Lucas said softly, winking as he stepped out of the room. There was a strange calm in his eyes, the kind that came before a storm.***On the other side of the city, Wicked sat in his car, his body leaning lazily against the driver’s seat. The air inside was thick with silence and smoke. His eyes kept flicking toward his wristwatch, the ticking sound almost louder than his breath.He knew it. Lucas would come. Not immediately, but the moment that picture reached him, he would drive straight here. Wicked planned to be waiting. He was not just going to kill Lucas; he was going to enjoy it.His mind drifted to the thought of Lorenzo and how the boss would celebrate him. How his name would echo in the mansion halls, whispered with r

Tires screeched loudly at the front of CBB, the sound slicing through the restless air like thunder.The atmosphere was thick and crowded. Media personalities filled the entrance, cameras flashing nonstop. The people of Vekmoria gathered in waves, raising cardboard placards, their voices hoarse from chanting for justice and answers. “Where is Isla Bowelo?”It had only been an hour since Jeruel had done it.She had made her move after seeing that her beloved, her other half, had gone with David to meet with the mysterious voice on the phone, the one claiming to hold Isla hostage. She knew it was risky, but she also knew one truth: if Isla’s disappearance became a loud public sensation, the police department would have no choice but to act. Questions would be asked. Searches would begin.Even if Lucas failed in whatever reckless mission he had gone on, at least his life would not end in silence. The police, already briefed, would track his phone or that of his assistant and bring him ba