The polished brass handle of the heavy suite door turned with a slow, grinding scrape. Luke did not step back. He kept his boots planted firmly on the cold floor, his silenced pistol raised with steady precision.The heavy oak door swung open. The first tracker pushed inside with his weapon lowered. Luke did not wait. He stepped forward with blinding speed, his left hand catching the guard's collar and pulling him violently into his space.With a swift twist of his wrist, Luke drove his elbow into the center of the guard's throat. The man collapsed without a sound.The second tracker tried to raise his weapon, but Luke was already moving. He yanked the first guard's limp body forward as a shield, his boots sliding silently across the carpet.Luke's pistol coughed twice. Two quiet thuds echoed as the second and third trackers hit the floor. The final guard turned to run, but Luke lunged forward, his hand wrapping around the man's neck and dragging him back into the suite.The heavy doo

Zoe looked at Sarah's frozen, pale face, her small brow furrowing in deep confusion. She tilted her head, her voice full of innocent, quiet concern. "Why do you have that look on your face, Mommy?" Zoe asked softly. She stepped closer, clutching the heavy wool coat around her shoulders. "Don't you love my strong friend? He saved me from the bad men in the dark garage." Sarah's breath caught, her hands trembling as she looked up. She tried to speak, but the words felt locked in her throat. "I... I do love him, Zoe," Sarah stammered, her chest tightening. Before she could finish, Zoe reached out her small hand. She grabbed Luke's large, warm fingers and pulled them toward her mother. With a bright smile, she placed Luke's hand firmly into Sarah's. "See?" Zoe laughed, her bright eyes shining with pure joy. "Now you can hold hands and be happy." Sarah closed her eyes, the warm tears finally falling as the touch of his hand grounded her. She slowly dropped to her knees, her eyes loc

Luke stared into the dark wooden box, his eyes narrowing into cold slits. Resting inside, nestled against white silk, was the pale, blood-drenched head of Sarah's cousin, Marcus Quinn. The blank, lifeless gaze caught the warm light of the chandelier.At the bottom of the container, nestled in a thick pool of blood, lay a small, crumpled piece of paper. Luke reached down, his fingers untouched by the mess as he snatched the wet, red-stained note. He slowly flattened it against the edge of the dining table.Written in jagged, dark red letters was a brief threat: "Your daughter and husband are next. Soon."Beside him, Sarah lay collapsed on her hands and knees on the polished floor. Her face was completely white, her whole body shaking with uncontrollable heaves as she clutched her stomach. She looked up at him through her messy hair, tears streaming down her pale cheeks."Luke... why does this family want us dead?" she wept. "What are you hiding from me?"She grabbed his trousers, her f

The silver fork scraped loudly against the porcelain plate, the sharp sound echoing through the vast dining room. The Cross Patriarch sat at the head of the long mahogany table, his cold eyes watching his daughter.Only an hour had passed since the medical team had finally brought her back from her deep, drug-induced sleep.Isabella sat across from him, her cheeks flushed with returning color as she hungrily cleared her plate. She swallowed a mouthful of chicken before pointing her silver fork at his face. "Dad, I already told you I'm not getting married to Julian," she said sharply.The Patriarch did not flinch, his hands remaining clasped loosely over his dark velvet vest. He watched her tear off another piece of warm bread, her movements quick and full of returning energy."The alliance with the Pierce family is not a matter for your personal debate, Isabella," he replied calmly.Isabella reached for her glass of water, taking a drink to wash down her meal. She set the glass back d

Out of nowhere, the right engine of the private jet erupted in a massive fireball, a furious orange blaze that lit up the sky. The force of the explosion ripped through the metal wing, sending the high-end aircraft into a chaotic, wild shake. Suddenly, the entire luxury cabin pitched sharply to the left. The six elite family guards were thrown from their leather seats, their hefty bodies slamming against the wood-paneled walls. Alarms blared in the dark, red lights flashing like desperate SOS signals. Up in the cockpit, the pilot struggled fiercely against the deadened controls, trying to prevent the plane from spiraling into a freefall. "The steering is dead!" the pilot's voice crackled over the speaker, panic evident. "The controls are completely locked!" The Patriarch gripped his armrest tightly, feeling his skin turn cold as the plane nosedived. "Sir, our flight computer's been hijacked by a strong foreign signal!" his assistant shouted from the floor, scrambling towards him, h