Her voice carried a strange kind of freedom—the freedom of someone who'd lost everything and therefore had nothing left to fear. "So there's nothing to lose. You can take away the Vinda name. You can cut me off financially. You can destroy my social standing. Do all of it. At most, I'll become a normal person again. And you know what? Having a normal life isn't a bad thing at all."She smiled, and this time it was almost genuine. "In fact, it might be better. Being normal means being free. Being able to make my own choices. Being able to love who I want to love. Being able to live for myself instead of for a family that sees me as nothing more than a business asset."The study erupted in shocked whispers and gasps. Several family members looked at each other with expressions that suggested they thought Mia had lost her mind.Mia's parents—Vivian and Thomas Richardson—stood frozen, their faces showing complete disbelief. They looked at their daughter like she'd become a stranger, like

She grabbed Mia's shoulders, her eyes pleading. "Don't throw it all away for pride! Don't sacrifice everything for some romantic notion of freedom! Just apologize! Marry Simone! Live the comfortable life you were meant to have! It's not perfect, but it's good! It's secure! It's more than most people ever get!"Thomas added his voice. "We didn't care about whether we're being used or not anymore. Because even if we are—even if every word you said is true—we still have things that matter! We're still Vindas! We still have status and wealth and security! And that's worth more than some abstract concept of being valued for ourselves!"Mia felt something break inside her chest. Not her resolve—that remained intact. But the last tiny hope she'd been clinging to that maybe her parents would choose her over comfort. That maybe they'd see the truth and want something better.But they didn't. They'd chosen. And they'd chosen the cage over freedom.Mia smiled bitterly, the expression carrying pr

Even now, broken and beaten on the floor, Mia was trying to protect him. Trying to convince him to save himself instead of her.Alex's expression softened slightly as he looked at Mia, but his voice remained firm. "You're not fine, Mia. And I'm not leaving without you."He took a step into the study, his presence commanding despite his injuries. "There's nothing the Vindas can do to me that will make me abandon you here. Nothing they can threaten me with that matters more than getting you out of this house."Mia wanted to argue, wanted to tell him he was being foolish, that he was underestimating the Vinda family's resources and willingness to use violence. But looking at his face—at the absolute certainty there—she realized he wasn't going to be convinced.He's bragging again, Mia thought with a mixture of exasperation and affection. Acting like he's invincible when he's just one man against an entire family.She shook her head weakly, wincing at the pain the movement caused. "You do

"I'm not implying anything," Alex said calmly. "I'm directly stating that you should probably try to contact your Elite Force leader. Right now. Before this conversation continues. Just to... verify they're available to handle me the way you're planning."Tom stared at Alex for a long moment, trying to determine if this was a bluff, a distraction, or something else. The calm certainty in Alex's voice was unsettling. Wrong. Like he knew something Tom didn't."Fine," Tom said finally, pulling out his phone. "I'll indulge your little game. And when my Elite Force confirms they're ready to eliminate you, we'll see how confident you are."He dialed the leader's number—the man who'd led the team sent to retrieve Mia and kill Alex. The man who'd reported successful extraction of the target.The phone rang.And rang.And rang.No answer.Tom's expression shifted slightly. He ended the call and tried again.Still no answer."Perhaps he's busy," Tom said, though uncertainty crept into his voice

Jefferson's voice became more forceful. "The people we should REALLY fear are the Greenes! THEY have legitimate power! THEY have connections that span continents! THEY are the ones who could actually destroy this family if we cross them!"He turned to Tom directly. "Grandfather, the Greenes are definitely on our side! They want this marriage alliance as much as we do! They have resources that dwarf whatever this firefighter has scraped together! They'll support us against any threat!"Tom's expression shifted, uncertainty being replaced by renewed determination. Jefferson was right. The Greenes were the real power in this equation. And the Greenes wanted Mia married to Simone, wanted the alliance to proceed, wanted Alex Carter eliminated as an obstacle."You're right," Tom said, his voice regaining its authoritative edge. "The Greenes will support us. Will help us deal with this... this upstart who thinks defeating one security team makes him untouchable."He looked around the study a