Yvonne didn’t look up from her glass. She swirled the water once, watching the bubbles rise and disappear. “Yes,” she said calmly. “I reached out.”Margaret’s fingers tightened around her napkin. “After blocking his line for a few weeks?” she pressed. “What excuse did you use?”Yvonne’s lips curved, slow and deliberate. “I told him I was kidnapped,” she replied. “I said I was held briefly and then released by security operatives.”Margaret’s head snapped up. Her eyes widened in shock. “You told him you were kidnapped?” she repeated. “Yvonne, how did he react?”Yvonne finally looked at her mother. Her expression was composed, almost proud. “He panicked,” she said. “He wanted to come to Verdanis immediately.”Margaret inhaled sharply. “And you let him?”“No,” Yvonne answered without hesitation. “I insisted he shouldn’t come until after a week.” She leaned back slightly. “I told him I was undergoing therapy and that seeing him too soon would spark emotions within me. I said it could ruin

Yvonne’s whisper, “A bounty?” sounded smaller than her pride, and that scared her more than Ethan’s eyes ever could.Ethan’s mouth curved into a calm, quiet smile that didn’t carry warmth. He stood beside their table like he belonged there, even in plain clothes, even with everyone watching. His cheek still held the faint mark from her slap, but he didn’t touch it. He only looked at her like a man watching a lie crack.“Yes,” Ethan said, steady. “A bounty. And the longer you stay here and do your dealings in Verdanis, you put yourself in danger.”Yvonne forced a laugh, but it came out thin. “You’re lying,” she snapped. “You’re trying to scare me because you’re desperate and each time You see me here it causes you pain, because you know fully well that I am usually accepted in places that are usually characterized by opulence, wealth and class.” She lifted her chin, trying to rebuild her crown in public. “Don’t mess around with me, Ethan. I still have what it takes to destroy you.”Ma

The words, “Lounge 42 is in flames,” hit Yvonne like a punch to the throat.She froze with the phone still at her ear, eyes wide and empty. The alarms overhead kept crying out, but her mind went quieter than the cafeteria. In her head she saw the lounge door, the wardrobe, her bags, her documents, her passport copies, her jewelry case, the things that made her feel like she still had control. Fire didn’t care about control. Fire ate everything.“What… what did you say?” Yvonne asked, her voice breaking.The hotel authority on the line sounded rushed. “Madam, please remain calm. There was an explosion in the building. Your lounge is affected. Lounge 42 is in flames right now.”Margaret’s fingers dug into Yvonne’s arm. “Ask them if it’s being handled,” she whispered. “Ask them if it’s a mistake.”Yvonne swallowed and tried to breathe. “Is anyone inside?” she asked, suddenly terrified of the answer. “My things—my bags—my—”“Madam,” the voice said again, “please it seems you are not affe

The condition came out of Ethan’s mouth without hesitation.“You will pay me nothing less than twenty million dollars before I help you.”The words landed heavier than the alarms.Yvonne stared at him like he had just spoken a foreign language. Her lips parted, then closed, then parted again. “Twenty million dollars?” she repeated, disbelief flooding her face. “Why does it have to be that much?”Ethan didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t rush his answer. “Because we are talking about saving your stinking, lying, wicked life,” he said evenly. “A life that cost me my livelihood and almost cost me my mind in Brookhaven.”Margaret sucked in a sharp breath. “Watch your mouth,” she snapped.Ethan’s eyes flicked to her for a brief second. “You should have watched hers years ago.” His gaze returned to Yvonne. “That money is the barest minimum of what I deserve compared to the profits you accumulated after your so-called success.” His tone hardened. “I mean we are talking about success built on

Ethan laughed again, louder, as if the whole thing amused him. “You’re standing here celebrating,” he said with a voice that was thick but controlled, “and you don’t even realize you’re about to be cheated.”One of the gunmen stepped closer, annoyed. “Shut your mouth.”Ethan lifted his chin, eyes sharp. “You’re not the only hunters in this building,” he said. “The first set of assassins—the ones in all black—are inside searching room to room. They will not let you kill her and take the prize.”The new leader’s smile faded. “What first set?”Ethan nodded toward the staircase. “The ones your men didn’t see. They came first. They have her photo. They were ordered to bring her out.” He tilted his head as if thinking. “And the bounty gets paid to one group, not two.”A murmur moved through the new set. Several men glanced toward the stairs, uneasy. The leader’s jaw tightened, but he tried to hold authority.“We can still do it,” he said. “We kill her now and leave.”Ethan’s laugh softened