RYANThe third day after the attack was when the adrenaline finally ran out—and the fear crept in.I sat alone in the restaurant, fingers tapping the table, trying to calm the nerves that wouldn’t settle.This wasn’t like the other times Seraphine and I talked.This… felt like the beginning of something real.And for the first time in a long while, I wasn’t just thinking like a scientist or a desperate father.I was thinking like a man who needed a second chance at life.If Jasmine wakes up and she will, I want her to have someone kind around her. Someone who won’t treat her the way Rachel did. Someone who respects what life is worth.Seraphine is that type of woman. Beautiful, but it’s not the kind that makes you stare—it’s the kind that makes you breathe easier.She carries herself with a dignity that feels rare in this world.I checked the time again. She was late by only a few minutes, but my nerves made it feel longer.Then I heard it—the sharp, confident click of heels on tile.

RYAN POVI stretched out on the couch, the TV flickering in front of me. For the first time in days, my mind wasn’t racing. Just dumb comedy. I actually laughed.My phone buzzed.Julian.I sighed and picked up. “Julian, I’m finally resting. What is it?”“I need you to come to the house,” he said.“No,” I answered immediately. “I told you already—I’m not joining politics in Cassian. I don’t want anything to do with that world.”“I know what you said,” Julian replied, calm as always. “But listen—it’s just a small dinner. Nothing formal. The family wants to see who is leading them now.”“I’m not leading anyone,” I muttered. “And I’m not interested.”“You don’t have to be interested,” he said. “But you need to show face. It protects you. And I’ll be there. You’re not going in alone.”I rubbed my forehead. “Julian, you keep promising you’ll protect me. But these people are insane.”“That’s why you need allies. Come. Eat. Sit. Leave. Ten minutes if you want.”I stared at the TV, but the jok

MARCOThe forest was quiet, the kind of quiet that made every breath feel loud. I pushed through the undergrowth, branches brushing against my coat, and tugged my mask off. The cold air hit my face. It felt…cleaner than I deserved. Maybe that’s why I hated it.I kept walking, feeling the earth shift under my boots. My thoughts were louder than the forest.I’m so happy Ryan will finally taste what I tasted.The words burned through me. Not joy. Not victory. Something darker. Something shaped like payback.He brought Aegis Pharma down with that one stunt. One expose. One moment of righteousness. And suddenly, I was the villain of the world. He revealed my gambling debt, dragged my name into the mud, made sure every screen, every headline, every whisper carried my shame.I had nothing after that. Nothing but the weight of what people thought I was.I stepped over a fallen log and kept moving, brushing dirt from my hands. Good, I told myself. Let him feel this. Let him drown in it.It was

RYANI woke to the familiar ache in my wrists, the ropes biting into my skin.Darkness pressed in from all sides.The only thing I held onto was the cure—my daughter’s lifeline. I clutched it tight, squeezing until my knuckles turned white. Jasmine. That was all I could think about.Mark. I thought of him, lying dead somewhere because of this.My failure. Every choice I had made, every step I had taken—they had led to this moment. A door creaked. My head snapped toward the sound. Footsteps.“Looks like it really is him,” Marco said, stepping into the dim light. His grin was slow, smug. “The one who brought me down. Took everything from me.”A shadow moved behind him—the kidnapper—hulking, silent.“That’s why the boss put you as leader,” the man said, his voice low, almost amused. “He’s going to make you a big meal for us.”Marco’s grin widened. “The boss… might keep him alive. Or I don’t know what they plan. But I’ll make sure he feels it first.”The words hit me like a punch, wrappi

SERAPHINEI sat quietly outside Julian’s office, my hands clasped so tightly in my lap that my knuckles had gone pale.Four days. Four whole days, and still no word from Ryan. The silence felt heavier than the walls around me.Every hour that passed, every report that ended with nothing yet, made the anxiety knot tighter in my chest.What is going on? Where is he? Why hasn’t anyone found him yet?The questions circled endlessly, scraping at my nerves.I lifted my gaze to the glass wall of Julian’s office. He stood inside, speaking with senior security personnel, his expression sharp, focused, unreadable. He always looked composed, always looked like he was in control… and yet something inside me whispered that I shouldn’t trust him fully.Not him. Not this family.This was the second attack—second time Ryan had been targeted since stepping foot into this empire.Too much to be coincidence, too strategic, Too silent.I pressed a hand over my mouth, trying to slow my breathing.Julian s