My blood went cold as I read the message, my heart racing with a mixture of dread and disbelief. I looked down at Lily, sleeping peacefully in my arms, her small form rising and falling gently, then glanced again at my phone... Below the initial message, a second text appeared, chilling me to the bone: "The threat originates from the Voss Network.""General Voss sends his regards."The name struck like a blow! General Marcus Voss. My former rival, the only man who had ever matched me on the battlefield, the man I thought had been buried in the past when I walked away from the military... He had found me.I closed my eyes, my mother's voice echoing in my head: "Be ordinary, Ethan... Be ordinary." But ordinary men cannot protect their daughters from men like Voss, he literally drinks blood for a living! With trembling fingers, I typed a single reply: "Acknowledged," then deleted the message, kissing Lily's forehead, and sat in the dark, my mind racing as I planned how to deal with

Derek spotted me by the door, his face lighting up with that special kind of pleasure he reserved for my humiliation, I was his favorite punch bag, an overly used condom he, and only him of the Harrington family can discard into the abyss.“Ethan! Come here... Do not be shy,” he called, his voice roaring across the room.I walked to the center, feeling the weight of two hundred pairs of eyes following my every step. “Ladies and gentlemen,” Derek continued into the microphone as a smile appeared over his ugly face. “I want to introduce you to the Harrington family's greatest investment... This is Ethan Cole, my sister's husband, he is so special because he does not work, he does not earn and does not contribute but he eats our food, sleeps under our roof, and breathes our air... I call him the family pet... What do you think?” He said pointing his microphone to the crowd.Laughter erupted around the room, a chorus that stung my ears, the embarrassment hurtful but my character unshake

Behold Madam Harrington!My mother-in-law, stood before me... A mere five foot two of pure concentrated venom wrapped in a Chanel suit that cost more than most people's annual salary. She walked like she owned every building she entered, and in most cases, she did. Two nurses scrambled out of her way, a young resident nearly dropped his clipboard, his eyes wide with alarm as he spotted her."There you are," she declared, halting three feet from me, her gaze sweeping over me as if I were something stuck to the bottom of her shoe. "Sitting here like a beggar!" She abused."Do you have any idea what you have done?"I stood up slowly, drawing in a breath."Lily needed emergency treatment and I got her treatment." I said fearlessly to her."You called the military?" she spat! The word dripping with disdain, as if it were a profanity, her body posture assuming billionaire mother inlaw came in to save the day destroyed by her pathetic poor son inlaw."You brought soldiers into a civilian

We will find Voss - Boss!"And we will kill him!" Drake said."He is not yours to kill! He's mine!" I replied."Understood." I asked."Understood Sir..." The voice on the line said, urgency lacing each word he said."Now what's your report?" I asked."Werner talked... He was hired through a cutout in Dubai and his payment was 200,000 dollars, paid half up front and half on confirmation.""But sir... He said there is a second team.""Not Blackridge.""Local... Four men, They are not targeting Lily."I felt the blood drain from my face as I asked."Then who?""You, sir!""They are targeting you." "And they are already inside the hospital." He added.I hung up, my heart racing, and turned to Victoria. "Take Lily to the second floor, Room B7, Lock the door and do not open it for anyone except me or a man named Drake... He’s tall, with a scar on his left jaw, military bearing... Do you understand?" I asked."Ethan, you are scaring me," she replied, her voice a tremor of fear."Good! Bein

I fell silent for what felt like an eternity, the fluorescent light above us flickering ominously."If I tell you," I finally said, my voice low."Everything changes... There is no going back and you will not be able to pretend you do not know because your family... your father... they are involved in things that will destroy them when it comes out.""And it will come out, Victoria." I said to her."I am going to make sure of that." I smiled.Her chin trembled, the weight of my words sinking in. "My father hired people to hurt you tonight.""Did he not?" She said."Yes." I replied."And the sniper.""The one pointed at Lily's room.""Your father's business partner arranged that.""A man named General Marcus Voss.""Your father has been working with him for at least six years according to my findings." I said."Six years," she whispered, closing her eyes as if wishing the truth away. "Since we got married.""Since before we got married... Victoria, your father did not approve of our m