Leah stepped out of her room, slipping her phone into her back pocket as she made her way down the short hallway. Her heart was still racing from the call with Tonia, but she tried to compose herself. She paused at Aunt Kate’s door, knocked lightly, and pushed it open.Aunt Kate was sitting on the edge of the bed, folding some clothes into a small basket. She looked up immediately, her expression warm but curious.“Aunt Kate,” Leah began, stepping inside. “I just wanted to let you know I’m heading out for a bit. I’m going to see my friend, Tonia.”Aunt Kate’s hands paused. “This evening? You know I don’t like you staying out too late.”“I won’t be long,” Leah assured her quickly. “It’s really important. I just need to check on her. I’ll be back before it gets too dark.”Aunt Kate gave her a pointed look. “Leah, I don’t want you getting caught up in anything. The city’s been tense lately. If something’s wrong, maybe you should wait till morning.”Leah sighed, then walked further into t

Scott scoffed and pulled out his phone again and dialed a number...his subordinate, Axel."Sir?" came Axel’s voice.“Axel, there are some people I’d like you to pick up immediately,” Scott said. “Sending you the location now.”He ended the call and sent the coordinates without another word, slipping his phone back into his pocket just as the front door of the apartment building creaked open.Leah stepped out with Tonia beside her. Both women halted in their tracks when they caught sight of the scene...five grown men sprawled on the ground, some groaning, others completely unconscious. Leah’s mouth parted in shock, her eyes darting from the bodies to her brother, who stood like nothing had happened.She ran to him and hugged him tightly. “Scott, are you okay?”“I’m fine,” he replied, his voice calm, almost too calm for the chaos around them. He pulled back slightly and gave her a look...half stern, half weary. “This is exactly what I meant, Leah. It’s dangerous for you to come here alo

EVENTS BY L.RCara had parked across the street, close enough to Lisa’s office building to keep an eye on the entrance without raising suspicion. From her seat in the car, she could see the two men in black drop Lisa off. They weren’t trying to be subtle, Benjamin’s men never were. She didn’t need to hear much to know that Lisa was agitated. But as she cracked her window slightly, Lisa’s voice carried across the parking lot."I won’t be going home early today," Lisa snapped, hoisting her bag over her shoulder. "I have an event to plan for this weekend. I told your boss already.""Doesn’t matter what you told him," one of the men said with a grin. "He said to take you back home at 4 p.m. sharp.""Then tell him to come by himself. Let him tie me up and drag me out of the office, and let’s see how well that works for him," Lisa retorted, her voice sharp with frustration.The second man laughed darkly, leaning against the hood of the car. “We don’t need him to do that. Just give us the w

While Laura was still standing there, struggling to gather herself after the confrontation with Scott, and Camilla's annoying statements, her eyes caught a movement across the parking lot...Her husband, Gale, was locked in a heated conversation with his team of lawyers. There were about nine of them, all dressed in black suits, standing in a semi-circle around Gale, who was clearly the center of the storm. His hand gestures were wild and impatient, his jaw clenched tightly as he spoke. The tension in his countenance was unmistakable, and Laura’s brow furrowed.She tilted her head, watching for a moment before muttering under her breath, “What the hell is going on over there?” She wanted to wait for him to finish and meet her, but she was too interested in whatever was happening over there to be waiting here. She began walking toward them in a hurry. The closer she got, the clearer the voices became...especially Gale’s, who was now raising his voice.“I’m not paying you outrageous am

The loud, repetitive sound of the doorbell broke the quiet of the morning like an unwelcome alarm. Scott groaned, rolling over in bed and dragging the pillow over his face as though it could muffle both the sound and the persistent reality that someone was at his door.Again.The bell rang again. And again.DING DONG!He didn’t need to guess, he knew exactly who it was. Only one person rang his bell like it was a game, with no remorse for the time of day or the fact that he might be asleep.“Leah…” he mumbled into the pillow, his voice thick with sleep.Still, he called out toward the door anyway, his voice louder this time. “Who is it?!”No answer came, but he didn’t need one. With a heavy sigh, he sat up, rubbing his eyes and cursing under his breath. His feet met the cold floor reluctantly. The weight of fatigue was still in his bones, but it was clear he had no choice in the matter.By the time he reached the door, he already wore the expression of a man who had been disturbed fro