Emma's eyes were wide with fear and urgency. "Don't you see? Josh doesn't just have his father's money behind him—he has official recognition from the university! He's practically an untouchable prince on this campus! Security won't touch him. Professors won't fail him. Administration won't discipline him. He can do whatever he wants, to whoever he wants, and there are no consequences!"Alessia felt her throat go dry. She'd known Josh was wealthy and connected, but this? This was something else entirely. This was institutional power combined with criminal resources."So please," Emma begged, her voice breaking. "Please, Alessia. Apologize. Beg. Do whatever he wants. Because if you don't, he'll destroy you. And the school will help him do it."Alessia swallowed hard, her mind racing. She'd thought Josh was just another entitled bully, the kind you stood up to and eventually they backed down. But if everything Emma was saying was true—if Josh really had that kind of backing—then resisti

Rough hands grabbed Alessia again, hauling her upright. This time they weren't gentle or professional—they were angry. Embarrassed that she'd managed to fight back at all.They slammed her against the wall, one bodyguard holding each arm, a third gripping her shoulders. The fourth stood directly in front of her, blocking any possibility of escape.Alessia's vision was still blurry from hitting her head. She blinked rapidly, trying to clear it, trying to think of another way out.Where's Emma? she thought desperately. How long has it been? Two minutes? Three?It felt like hours, but it couldn't have been more than a few minutes since Emma had run for help. And even if she found Aria immediately, it would take time for Aria to get here from wherever she'd gone after dropping Alessia off.Time Alessia didn't have.She tried to pull free again, but the bodyguards' grips were unbreakable now. They'd learned their lesson. They weren't giving her another chance."Nice try," Josh said, steppin

After leaving the medical center with nothing more serious than some bruises and a recommendation to ice her swollen lip, Alessia made her way to her next class.She was late now—the confrontation with Josh and the subsequent intervention by Principal Whitfield had eaten up nearly half an hour.She pushed open the door to the Business Economics lecture hall as quietly as possible, hoping to slip in unnoticed.Professor Anderson barely glanced up from his presentation. "Nice of you to join us, Miss Jackson. Please take your seat."Alessia nodded apologetically and scanned the tiered seating for an empty spot. Her eyes landed on Emma, who was sitting in their usual area, furiously taking notes as Professor Anderson discussed market equilibrium theory.What struck Alessia immediately was how... normal everything seemed. Emma sat there completely absorbed in the lecture, her notebook open, her pen moving across the page, her expression one of focused concentration.Like nothing had happen

The black SUV moved smoothly through the early morning streets, its windows tinted dark enough to hide the occupants from casual observation.In the back seat, Mack Richardson sat with a satisfied smile playing at his lips—a very different expression from the terrified, broken man he'd been just hours ago in that interrogation room."Beautiful work back there, Mack," said the driver, a heavyset man named Carl who'd been with Skyclub for eight years. "I've seen a lot of operatives in my time, but your performance? That was Oscar-worthy, brother.""Seriously," agreed the passenger, a lean operative named Travis. "When you were begging him not to hurt your family, I actually believed you. And I KNEW it was an act! The tears, the desperation, the way your voice broke—if I didn't know better, I'd have sworn you were really terrified."Mack's smile widened into a grin. "That's because I committed fully to the role. You can't half-ass something like this. Every micro-expression had to be gen

Jace stood in the doorway of Suite 7, surveying the carnage with the detached interest of someone reviewing a completed project. Four bodies. Blood everywhere. The scene was perfect—tragic, brutal, exactly what they needed."Wait," Jace said suddenly, holding up a hand to stop Derek from leaving. "I just had a thought.""Sir?" Derek turned back, curious."The family," Jace said, gesturing toward Rebecca and the children's bodies. "We don't actually need to dispose of them yet. In fact, they could be useful."Derek frowned. "How? They're dead, boss. Can't exactly use corpses as leverage.""No, but we can use them as props," Jace explained, his mind clearly working through a new angle. "Think about it. When the War God eventually tracks down Mack—either through investigation or by following the chip signal—what does he expect to find?""Dead bodies?" Derek guessed."Maybe," Jace said. "Or maybe he expects to find Mack reunited with his family, all of them being held hostage. That would