Damian didn't even seem to hear what the manager said. He just nodded and walked straight into the rain. It had slowed down now, just a light drizzle, but he didn't care. All he could think about was surprising Megan. She was probably still at home right now, busy taking care of his grandmother. He wanted to see her face when she opened the gift. That's why he bought it. That's why he rushed through work today just to get home early.He couldn't wait.He hopped on the public bus, and before long, he was standing in front of his apartment building. It wasn't much. Just a normal rental. Nothing fancy. Nothing special. But it was home.Then he noticed the car parked out front.It was expensive. The kind of car that screamed money. Whoever owned it was rich. Really rich. But that wasn't his business. His business was getting inside and seeing Megan.He walked up to the door and reached for the handle. It wasn't locked. That was strange. Megan always locked the door. Always.His stomach ti

The rain started coming down harder. Damian could barely keep his eyes open. Everything hurt. His vision kept fading in and out. He'd lost too much blood.The car stopped.The guards yanked him out and dragged him toward the edge of a bridge. The river below was dark and moving fast. They tied his hands together. Then his legs. The rope cut into his skin, but he didn't have the strength to pull against it.One of the men leaned down close to his face. "In your next life, you'll know when to quit. You'll know some things are only meant for the rich."They picked him up.And then they threw him over the edge.Damian's body hit the water hard. The cold swallowed him whole. He couldn't swim. Couldn't move his arms or legs. The current pulled him under immediately. Water filled his nose, his mouth, his lungs. He tried to hold his breath, but there was nothing left in him to hold.He was sinking.His mind went to his grandmother. Lying in that hospital bed. Waiting for him. She had no one e

Nathaniel's jaw locked tight. That letter would kill any chance he had of fighting this in court later. It would seal the deal permanently. But even if he tried to fight it, the video would still destroy him.He had no way out.He grabbed a piece of paper and started writing. His hand shook the entire time. When he finished, he threw the pen down and shoved the letter across the bed.Damian picked it up, read it, then folded it carefully and put it in his pocket along with the signed contract."Good. Now we're done. You can have her. I'll take what I want. And we'll go our separate ways."He turned toward the door.Megan's voice cracked behind him. "So this is what I mean to you? After everything? You're just going to throw me away like I'm nothing?"Damian stopped. He didn't turn around. Just looked at her over his shoulder."Oh." His voice was flat. Empty. "You don't even know what's coming for you. This is just the beginning."He looked at Nathaniel next. "A betrayer gets what they

Damien's jaw tightened, but he didn't say anything yet. He just listened.Nathaniel continued, his voice getting darker with every word. "Right now, I'm standing at the graveyard where your mother is buried. And you know that both your parents are placed together in that same spot, along with your younger sister. I'm standing right here, Damien, looking at their graves, and I'm giving you just five minutes to bring your stinking self over here. Five minutes. Not six, not seven. Five. And you better bring those documents I asked for along with you, because if you don't show up in time, everything here is going to be destroyed. Yes, destroyed. I'm going to ruin this place. I'm going to crush every stone, break every marker, dig up every inch of ground. Not just that, even if there are skeletons remaining, I will crush those too. So you better get here within five minutes and bring those documents with you, or everything your parents left behind, everything they rest in, is going down. Y