Johnny’s grip tightened around the phone until his knuckles turned white. His eyes never left Mia, boring into her calm facade.“What the fuck are you playing at, Mia?” His voice dropped low, lethal and sharp. “Why are you doing this?”Mia didn’t even blink. Her expression remained smooth, entirely unbothered by his glare."You and I both know you're not pregnant." His voice cut through the candlelit quiet of the Royal Clam."But I am," she insisted, her voice soft but steady.Johnny let out a short, humorless bark of laughter. “Again, even if you were then there’s not a chance in hell it’s mine.”“It’s yours.” The way she said looking at him directly. Her eyes were clear and unwavering. Like she had never told a lie in her entire life.He stared at her a moment longer, trying to read the angles of her face. Something in her eyes pulled at him in a way he absolutely hated—it wasn't soft or warm, but steady and certain. And for a moment—just a moment—he almost believed her.He knew be

The call ended. Johnny stared at the shattered screen of his phone, and for a moment everything around him became strangely quiet — the restaurant, the people, the music, none of it mattered. All he could hear was Margaret's scream replaying in his mind. "Johnny… help…" Then—CRACK. Under the sheer, unnatural force of his grip, the phone bent completely out of shape, the glass fracturing into a thousand tiny shards that bit into his palm. He didn’t even feel it. He turned on his heel and walked back into the building. Mia was still seated exactly where he left her, completely calm, sipping her drink as she watched him approach. Johnny stopped right in front of her table. The expression on his face was unrecognizable now—cold, empty, and radiating a quiet, suffocating danger. “I’ve got to go,” he said shortly. Mia stood up quickly, her brow furrowing with rehearsed concern. “Is everything okay? Johnny, maybe I can help—” Johnny stopped and looked at her, really looked

Johnny's back hit the wall with Kira wrapped around him. Her legs locked behind his waist. Her arms circled his neck. Her mouth found his—hungry, demanding, tasting like wine and something darker. He kissed her back because he had no choice. Because his body had taken over. Because she was warm and soft and pressing against him in all the right places. But in the back of his mind, a timer was ticking. Margaret. Every second counts. Kira pulled back just long enough to breathe. "About time you stopped fighting it." She slid down his body until her feet touched the floor. Then she pushed his jacket off his shoulders. Her fingers worked the buttons of his shirt with practiced ease, and soon the fabric fell away, exposing his chest. Her eyes traveled down his body. She bit her lower lip. "You've been holding out on me, Johnny Steele." He didn't answer. He couldn't. She pushed him toward the bed. The silk sheets were cool against his back. Kira climbed on top of him,

Johnny stood dead center in the Crescent Bar's entrance hall, a heavy silence dropping over the room like a lead weight.In his grip, a cold steel barrel was pressed firmly against the temple of the first security guard he’d taken down.Around him, a dozen black-suited guards stood in a tense semi-circle, their firearms trained directly on his chest.Yet, Johnny didn't flinch. His gaze swept the room, calm and calculating, picking up on a subtle detail—several guards kept cutting their eyes toward a shadowed corner of the room.Johnny slowly tracked their line of sight. An older man stood in the dim light, watching the standoff with a cool, undisturbed composure that set him apart from the twitchy guards.Their eyes locked. Johnny didn't say a word; he simply pressed the gun a fraction harder into his hostage's skull.The message was clear. The older man nodded slowly, raising a single hand in a calm, authoritative gesture. Instantly, the guards lowered their weapons."Release him," t

"Then start talking." Johnny's voice was bone-chillingly calm. There was no explosive anger, no theatrical shouting—just a suffocating, crushing pressure that filled the room.Freddy was still on his knees, his face pale, his breathing unsteady. He looked up at Mia first, seeking permission. She gave a small nod."Before I tell you how," Freddy said slowly, "I need to tell you what the Black Circle actually is. So you understand what you're dealing with."Johnny's eyes narrowed into slits. "I don't have time for a history lesson.""I know!" Freddy nodded rapidly, sweating under the glare. "But if you go in blind, you're a dead man.""Alright, then." Johnny's jaw tightened.Freddy swallowed hard before speaking. Even saying the name seemed to make him uncomfortable."The Black Circle isn't just some street gang. It's a massive underground network. It's a syndicate built from the most powerful crime organizations in Pantheon Valley."He paused, lowering his voice as if the walls themsel