Seed of doubt Clara’s wrists were bound with a coarse rope that cut into her skin. The air in the room was damp, cold, heavy with the smell of burnt wood and mold. She could hear water dripping somewhere in the darkness. Every sound seemed amplified ,the creak of the door, the shuffle of boots on concrete, the pounding of her own heart.Then she saw him.Kane.He stepped into the faint light, his presence filling the room like a stormfront. Broad shoulders, dark eyes that glimmered with both charm and cruelty. He didn’t rush. He didn’t need to. Power oozed from the way he moved, deliberate and unhurried, like a predator savoring the hunt.Harris followed him in. Clara’s chest clenched at the sight of him. Harris, the man who’d sworn loyalty, the man Ethan had trusted enough to guard her.“Harris…” Clara’s voice trembled with equal parts rage and disbelief. “Why?”Harris shifted, guilt flickering in his eyes before Kane’s gaze pinned him like a nail. Whatever remorse he felt vanished

BlackoutThe warehouse plunged into total darkness. The air filled with smoke and the smell of burned wires. Shouts echoed, guns cocked, boots scraped concrete.“Stay close to me,” Ethan said sharply, grabbing Clara’s wrist.“I can’t see—”“Follow my voice Clara.”Somewhere in the dark, Kane’s voice carried, calm and cutting. “You can’t protect her forever, Ethan. One mistake, and she’ll be gone like the others.”Clara’s breath hitched. “Others? Ethan, what does he mean by that”“Not now,” Ethan snapped, dragging her behind a toppled shelf. “Quiet.”Clara whispered back, trembling. “You keep shutting me out. If we die here without you telling me—”“We’re not dying here.” His hand pressed firmly against hers. “Not tonight.”The crack of gunfire split the air. Sparks briefly lit the room as bullets ricocheted. Ethan shoved Clara flat to the ground.“Move west!” he barked to his men over the comm. “Draw fire away from the inner room. Keep Kane off balance.”Victor’s voice came in tight.

The BaitThe war room inside Ethan’s penthouse felt colder than usual. The glass walls overlooked the restless city, its nightlights flickering like a thousand unspoken secrets. But no one in the room was looking out at the view.Ethan leaned against the edge of the long oak table, arms folded across his chest, his sharp gaze fixed on the three people who mattered most in this new game—Clara, Harris, and Victor.“Victor has already made his choice,” Ethan began, his voice flat, controlled. “Kane owns him. That much we know. The question is: what do we do with him?”Victor shifted uncomfortably in his seat, feigning indignation. “That’s a bold accusation, Ethan. And dangerous. I’ve been nothing but loyal to this team.”Clara’s eyes snapped to him, unblinking. “Loyal?” She leaned forward, her tone biting. “You betrayed me, Victor. and you knew what that meant. Don’t sit there and act like you’re innocent.”For the briefest moment, Victor’s mask cracked, but he recovered quickly, shrugg

The InfernoSmoke clawed at Clara’s throat, bitter and choking. The floor vibrated beneath them as another blast tore through the east wing. Alarms screamed.“Move!” Ethan barked, dragging her up by the arm.“I can’t see!” Clara coughed, stumbling over broken glass.Ethan pulled his jacket over her mouth. “Breathe through this. Stay with me.”Behind them, Harris shouted through the haze. “Stairs are blocked! Debris collapsed the landing!”Victor coughed violently, voice ragged. “He’s trapping us in here!”“No,” Ethan snapped. “There’s another way.”Clara clung to his sleeve. “How do you know that?”Ethan didn’t answer, only shoved forward through the dense smoke. His silence gnawed at her worse than the fire.-They reached a locked steel door. Ethan fired three quick shots into the keypad, sparks flew, the lock released.“Through here!” he ordered.Clara squeezed past him into the corridor. Heat slammed her face, but the air was clearer. Harris and Victor followed, weapons drawn, th

The Trap TightensThe storm outside rattled the windows of the safehouse like an impatient hand drumming against glass. Rain streaked down the panes, catching the occasional flash of lightning. Inside, the room was heavy with silence, a silence that felt sharp enough to cut skin.Ethan stood at the head of the long oak table, arms folded across his chest, shoulders tense. The light above him buzzed faintly, swinging with each gust of wind. His face was hard, but Clara could see the strain beneath it — the endless nights, the weight of command, the gnawing suspicion that kept him awake.She sat beside him, close enough that her knee brushed his. Her hand rested lightly against his, not gripping, just… there. Steady. A reminder that he wasn’t alone, even when the room felt poisoned by doubt.Victor paced the floor, boots scuffing the wooden planks with each restless turn. His expression was a mask of irritation, but his movements betrayed nerves — too fast, too sharp, the way a man wal