Amanda had been in darkness for only a few seconds, but it felt endless. Her heart hammered like it wanted to break free from her chest.Think, Amanda, she whispered to herself. Why are you here?!As if answering her own question, a rusty creak echoed, followed by a flash of light stabbing her eyes. She instinctively shut them, squinting against the brightness.“Who the hell are you? Do you want me blind?!” she snapped, trying to pry her eyes open again.“She’s in good condition, as you can see,” a male voice said calmly.“I only need her kidneys. Both of them,” a cold female voice added, like a line straight out of a twisted movie.Amanda froze. She tried to move. Wait—she could move.“How much are you going to pay? She’s way too valuable to sell just her kidneys. Someone already bid two hundred million for her. She’s a celebrity,” the male voice said, treating her like merchandise.This has to be a joke, Amanda thought, panic tightening around her throat.“If her blood type matches,

They handed Cole some books in a high-end shopping store—the kind where you’d pick clothes if money wasn’t a concern. Amanda’s body tensed as she watched him choose. Would he pick what she liked? How would she pretend to like it if she hated his taste? Was this even the right thing to worry about after he’d just saved her from a near-death experience? And…how the hell did he get all that money? A loan? A lot of it? She shook her head, trying to push the thought away. Some of the store’s workers kept casting glances at Cole. Well, they could look all they wanted—he already had a place in someone else’s heart, she reminded herself. Even though she couldn’t name what she was suddenly feeling or thinking. Time slipped by without her realizing it. She looked up and saw herself, a little touched-up with makeup…too late for makeup, actually. Where was Cole taking her? “You can come out, ma’am,” one of the workers said. Her stomach fluttered with a nervousness she couldn’t describe, the

Amanda looked around, feeling heat creep up her neck, then slowly stepped into his arms. She was supposed to be the one giving comfort, hugging him for “fixing,” or whatever ridiculous thing he just said. Instead, she felt reassured. Safe. Protected. She hadn’t realized he was this huge until now.“I thought this should be for the rooms,” a familiar voice interrupted behind her. Amanda tried to turn.But Cole didn’t let go.“Tyler, guess what?” Cole said casually. “My wife is pregnant. Just found out. Two months along.”Amanda froze. Wait…what?“I’m going to be a father soon,” Cole added, finally letting her go. Amanda stared at him in shock.Tyler blinked, then instinctively glanced at Amanda’s stomach.“That has to be the biggest joke of your life. Cole, you can’t joke like that. We’re not on the same league,” Tyler said, irritation dripping from every word.“Exactly my thought, Tyler. My wife is pregnant. I’m going to be a father. We just need to tell the matriarch, and who knows—m

Amanda shook her head. She wasn’t handing the girl over. Whatever Cole was planning, this child wasn’t guilty—not part of the war he was waging.Her eyes flicked to the nanny lying on the sofa.“She’s not dead,” Cole said quietly, as though he had read her thoughts.Scarface’s voice came through the phone, low and urgent. “Sir, Matteo already got word. His men are heading your way.”“Let’s move,” Cole ordered, guiding Amanda gently toward the car.They arrived at Amanda’s apartment minutes later. Bella was out of the question now—Matteo would be expecting that. If he had half a brain, he already knew where she lived, and Cole wasn’t about to gamble with Bella’s life.He stationed a group of his men discreetly around Dora’s compound. “If anything feels wrong—anything—take action,” he instructed, voice like steel.Amanda carried the little girl inside and laid her carefully on the bed. For a moment, she just stared, shocked that the child hadn’t woken once through all the chaos. It made

“We call him Wright. You’ll need to be on good terms if you want to survive longer in New York. Want info on how your predecessors ended up in prison? He’s the one.”Cole’s jaw tensed.“I’ve given you everything I have. Let’s end this. I’ve got a bad feeling,” Matteo hurried.“I don’t lean on words,” Cole said softly. “Desperate men can spin the worst stories to save themselves.”Matteo froze.“I’ll take my leave, then,” Cole said, standing slowly.Matteo’s hand shot to the gun in his jacket.Cole didn’t flinch. The gun was now aimed at his stomach. Calmly, he dialed Scarface on a video call, tossing the phone onto the table. Matteo’s daughter’s face appeared.“You wanna say hello to her?” Cole asked, his voice ice-cold.Matteo’s hand trembled around the gun. His knuckles whitened as he stared at Cole, terror leaking into his eyes.“Your daughter?” Cole said quietly, almost bored. “Sharp girl. Brilliant, actually. She told us plenty last night—her school, her favorite food, her teache