A loud crash woke the entire hospital floor.The assassins leader burst into Lily room with a gun in his hand.Marcel woke up with a jerk but doesn't move fast enough, the leader predicts Marcel's move. He moved fast and pressed the cold barrel right against Lily throat."Nobody move," he shouted. "Or I blow her head off right here."Marcel jumped up from his chair, heart pounding. "Let her go. This is between us. She has nothing to do with this."Aurora stepped forward carefully. "What are you doing, this isn't your fight You know who waits inside the system. Cain will not like this. He wants Marcel alive for his own reasons. Put the gun down before you make things worse."The leader laughed but his hand stayed steady. "Lucifer Cain can wait. I'm done with this, I want him dead!""Why?" Aurora asked, surprisingly calm" I have waited long enough for you, Aurora."Nurses and doctors rushed to the doorway, faces pale with shock. One doctor raised his hands slowly. "Sir, please. This is

Marcel watched the numbers drop on his screen with cold satisfaction."Two companies down already," he said to himself. "Their stocks crashed hard. Boards are in panic mode. he sighed "Almost feels good."His phone rang again. Another interview request. He declined it quickly. "No more questions. I am not talking to those damn reporters."Olivia walked into his office carrying files. She kept her eyes down and her movements careful. The confident woman from before had disappeared completely. Fear showed in every step she took now."You wanted these reports," she said quietly. "The Ashford design and cotps is ready for the next phase if you still want to move forward."Marcel looked at her and felt a dark pleasure inside. He could see how scared she was. It satisfied something deep in him. "Good. Set them on my desk. You look nervous today, Olivia. Something wrong?"Olivia placed the files down and stepped back unsteady. "Nothing. I am just doing my job like you ordered."Marcel stood

Lily stepped out of the hospital doors with careful but steady steps. "This therapy place is really fancy," she said, looking around the sleek car. "I cannot believe I am finally out. The doctors say with the right exercises I will be walking completely normal in a few weeks. No more pain. No more worrying about falling." Marcel helped her gently into the back seat. "Only the best for you. I made sure the therapists are the top ones in the country. How does freedom feel after all those days in the bed?, soon you can get back to school" Lily settled in and smiled brightly. "Like a dream I never thought would come true. But Marcel, I have to ask. How did you afford all this? The private rooms. The best doctors. This car that looks like it costs more than most houses. You went from working three jobs and barely making rent to this in such a short time. Where did all this really come from?." Marcel sat beside her and closed the door. "It is hard work and smart decisions. I took opportu

Drake walked toward the lonely mansion sitting in the middle of nowhere.The wind howled around the old building like it knew what waited inside. Drake hands shook as he pushed open the heavy door. He stepped into the dark hallway and closed it behind him. For the first time in hours a small wave of relief washed over him. The place looked empty. Quiet. Safe. He found a chair in the main room and sank into it with a long breath."Just need a minute to think," he muttered to himself. "Catch my breath. Figure out the next move."A figure stepped out from the shadows. Lucifer Cain appeared like smoke taking form. Tall. Dark. His presence filled the entire room with cold heavy fear. Drake heart nearly stopped beating.Cain spoke slowly and softly. "Drake. You thought you could run here and hide from me."Drake jumped up so fast the chair fell over. Terror gripped him tight. "Cain. I did not know you were here. Please. I can explain everything that happened."Cain aura pressed down on him

Marcus stared into space speechless, the system hadn't spoken in weeks, now it wants him to claim Olivia. What does that even mean? Marcus looked at Olivia as she worked, it was exciting watching her, watching harken to his commands even if she didn't like it, acting had been her dream for quite a while, and it terrified Marcus he didn't feel bad for using that against her "Olivia" he called she raised her head to look at him her expression tired and uneasy. She walked up to him anyway Marcus smiled cooly, he slid his hand up her arm she jerked away "What us it?" "I was thinking, you're doing quite a good job" "Thank you. is that all" Marcel nodded. "Do you ever think about going back to the way we used to be?" Olivia didn't answer immediately "There's no going back, when you're not the same person" Marcus frowned "I'm so fucking tired of you playing victim all the time you started it, I worked my butt off to give you a life while you fucked that other guy, you dumped me! li