Tom Vinda shifted in his seat, the weight of the Greenes' presence pressing down on him like a boulder on his chest. The villa's grand meeting room had never felt this suffocating. Simone sat across from him with one leg crossed over the other, his jaw tight and his eyes burning with something that went beyond business. The old man beside Simone, patriarch of the Greene family, remained still as a statue, his fingers resting on the head of his cane.Tom cleared his throat and leaned forward, forcing a diplomatic smile. "I understand your family's interest in strengthening our alliance. But I must be honest with you. Mia has always been difficult to control. She is stubborn beyond reason."Simone's grandfather did not blink.Tom continued, wiping the thin layer of sweat forming on his forehead. "However, the Vinda family is not short of excellent granddaughters. My second son's daughter, Clarissa, graduated from Columbia with honors. She is obedient, elegant, and more than capable of f

Mia's mother stood in the middle of the hallway, her lips trembling and her eyes glistening with tears that seemed to appear out of nowhere. She clasped her hands together and lowered her head, her shoulders dropping as if the weight of the world had finally broken her."Mia, please." Her knees buckled slightly, and she reached for the edge of the wall to steady herself. "I know I have been terrible. I know what I did was unforgivable. The slap, the words, everything. I am not asking you to forget. I am just asking you to give me one chance. One hour. That is all I need."Mia watched her mother from the couch, her arms still crossed and her face showing nothing. Not sympathy. Not anger. Just emptiness.Her mother took another step forward and her knees almost touched the floor. "Do you want to see your mother on the ground? Is that what it takes? Because I will do it, Mia. I will get on my knees right here if that is what you need from me."Mia's eyes flickered. Something shifted behi

Alex was standing by the kitchen counter when his phone buzzed. He snatched it up before it could ring a second time."Talk to me, Jace."Jace's tone was sharp and urgent on the other end. "Sir, the vehicle carrying Mia and her mother is heading northeast on Interstate 87. Based on the route, they are not going to any pharmacy or pastry shop. The direction matches the Vindas family estate in Greenwich."Alex's grip on the phone tightened until his knuckles turned white. His entire body went rigid. For a second, he did not move. He did not blink. Then his jaw locked and his nostrils flared as the realization hit him like a freight train."How far are they?""Approximately twenty minutes from the estate at their current speed.""Get the car ready. Now. I want a full team on standby before I arrive.""Already on it, sir. I anticipated this possibility the moment you called earlier."Alex ended the call and grabbed his jacket from the chair. Mia's father looked up from the couch with a pu

Mia's mother stood on the side of the empty road, her phone pressed against her ear so hard that her fingers had gone pale. The ringing echoed endlessly. No answer. She tried again. And again. And again. Each failed call made her chest tighten further until she could barely breathe."Pick up, Tom. Pick up!" She pulled the phone away and stared at the screen. The call had been declined. She dialed once more. This time, it went straight to voicemail.Her legs wobbled as the reality started sinking in. Tom was not going to answer. Tom was never going to answer. Because Tom already knew exactly where Mia was."No. No, no, no." She pressed both hands against her temples and spun around on the empty road. "This was not supposed to happen like this. He promised me. He promised it would be gentle."The wind blew across the flat stretch of highway, carrying nothing but silence. She was alone. Her daughter was gone. And the man she had trusted to handle things had thrown her aside like a used n

The blindfold slipped from Mia's eyes and hit the marble floor without a sound. She blinked rapidly, her vision swimming through the blinding white of the chandeliers overhead. Shapes formed slowly. Faces became clear. And the moment she understood where she was and who was sitting before her, her stomach dropped like a stone thrown into a well.Simone sat in the center of the room on a high backed chair that looked more like a throne than furniture. His legs were spread wide and his arms rested on the armrests with the kind of laziness that only arrogance could produce. To his left, his grandfather sat upright with his cane planted between his knees, his ancient eyes watching Mia the way a hawk watches a field mouse stumble into the open.Tom stood off to the side with his hands behind his back, his face unreadable. Behind him, various Vinda family members filled the room like an audience waiting for a show to begin. Jefferson was among them, his casted hand resting on his lap, h