Katy P.O.V
People think fear comes with warning signs.
Shaking hands.
Racing heartbeat.
That sick feeling in your stomach.
They're wrong.
Real fear comes quietly.
Like the moment you realize the story you're chasing might be chasing you back.
I stared at the screen of my laptop, the dim light from my desk lamp was the only thing keeping the darkness of my apartment away. The clock on the wall ticked loudly behind me.
2:13 AM.
Normal people were asleep.
But normal people weren't trying to prove that James Bron was a murderer.
My fingers hovered over the keyboard as I scrolled through the files again. Police reports. Missing person records. Closed investigations that didn't make sense.
A lady.
Died within the same period as Richardo trip away.
Different neighborhoods are in danger. Different lives. No connection.
Except one.
James Bron.
His name appeared in each file,but only briefly. Always as a witness. Always questioned once. Always released.
Clean.
Too clean.
I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my tired eyes.
There was something wrong about him. I could feel it in my bones. Every instinct I had as a lawyer screamed the same thing.
He was hiding something.
And I was getting close.
The rain outside tapped softly against my window as I opened another folder. A blurry security photo stared back at me.
A tall man standing near a parking lot.
The image quality was terrible. His face hidden by shadow.
But the timestamp matched the night the lady vanished.
My heart started beating faster.
"Come on…" I whispered.
I zoomed in on the photo, adjusting the brightness.
The figure shifted into clearer view.
Broad shoulders.
Long coat.
A hand resting against the car door.
Then—
Tgere was a knock.
I froze.
My apartment was silent again.
The knock was soft. Almost polite.
I slowly looked toward the door.
2:19 AM.
No one visits at this hour.
Maybe I imagined it.
I turned back to my laptop.
My phone buzzed on the table.
It was a text message.
Unknown number.
I frowned and opened it.
Stop looking for things that don't belong to you.
My blood turned cold.
Another message appeared instantly.
Curiosity kills people.
My throat went dry.
My fingers hovered above the screen as I typed.
Who is this?
Three dots appeared.
Then disappeared.
Then appeared again.
Another message arrived.
You should close your laptop, Katy.
Every muscle in my body locked.
Slowly…painfully slowly…my eyes drifted toward the window beside my desk.
The curtains were slightly open.
Outside, the street was dark.
Empty.
Or at least…it should have been.
A car was parked across the road.
Black expensive car with engine off.
Headlights dark.
But someone was inside.
I could see the outline.
The person seemed to be watching.
My phone buzzed again.
You're getting close.
My chest tightened.
Too close.
Another message.
Evidence can disappear.
Then the final one.
People disappear faster.
The car's engine suddenly started.
The headlights flicked on, blinding me through the window.
I jumped to my feet as my heart kept hammering.
The car pulled away slowly…disappearing down the street.
My hands trembled as I stared at my phone.
Another message appeared.
Next time…
I won't just watch.
The screen went dark.
I stood there in the quiet apartment, my pulse pounding in my ears.
For the first time since starting this investigation…
I understood something terrifying.
James Bron knew who I had found the root of his doing.
And somewhere out there—
A man whose face I had never seen…
Was already deciding whether I should be the next person who disappears.
Laurel P.O.V
Morning inside the penthouse didn't feel like morning.
The sun poured through the massive glass windows, flooding the marble floors with gold light. From outside, the city looked peaceful. Quiet. Alive.
Inside…it felt like a palace built for wolves.
I moved carefully through the living room, holding the silver tray the housekeeper had forced into my hands earlier. Coffee. Crystal glasses. A bottle of something dark and expensive.
My new job.
Alpha's maid.
The thought alone twisted something bitter in my chest.
I set the tray on the long marble table and stepped back, keeping my head lowered the way the other servants had silently instructed me. No eye contact. No questions. No mistakes.
From the hallway, footsteps approached.
Heavy ones.
Three men walked in.
Alpha first.
Behind him were two others I had never seen before—but the moment they entered the room, the air changed. The kind of presence that made even powerful men stand straighter.
These weren't just visitors.
They were Dons.
Men who ruled entire countries with whispers and bullets.
I kept my head down, pretending to wipe the table while listening carefully.
One of the men was tall and thin, dressed in an expensive grey suit. His hair was silver at the temples and his eyes were cold in a calculating way that reminded me of snakes.
The other man was shorter but broader, his beard trimmed neatly, his fingers heavy with gold rings.
Alpha sat down.
"So" The silver-haired Don said smoothly, leaning back in his chair. "Your Underboss has sent something"
A thick envelope rested on the table.
My heart skipped.
Richardo.
Alpha opened the envelope slowly, pulling out a single sheet of paper. The room grew silent as he unfolded it.
Then he began reading.
His deep voice echoed through the luxurious room.
"Alpha"
"You know I do not write letters unless the situation demands it. The woman you hold was never part of this war. She was a mistake made in the middle of chaos"
My breath caught in my throat.
He was talking about me.
"Release her"
The word hung in the air like a blade.
Alpha paused.
The silver-haired Don chuckled softly.
Alpha continued reading.
"If anything happens to her, understand that you are no longer punishing a spy,you are declaring war on me. And if war is what you want…then I promise you this will be the most expensive mistake you ever make"
My heart pounded.
Richardo…
He was threatening the Don.
For me.
Alpha finished the letter slowly, his expression was unreadable as he folded the paper again and placed it back on the table.
Silence filled the room.
Then one of the Dons spoke.
"This is more than a threat"
The man with the rings leaned forward slightly, his eyes narrowing.
The silver-haired Don gave a quiet laugh before replying.
"Io vedo amore"
(TRANSLATION: I see love)
Even though I didn't understand the language fully, I recognized the word.
Amore.
Love.
My stomach twisted.
Alpha tapped the letter against the table thoughtfully.
"So the Underboss is willing to burn the world for the spy" He said calmly.
The Don with the rings smirked.
"That makes her valuable"
My hands tightened around the cloth I was holding.
Valuable?
The silver-haired Don's eyes drifted toward me.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Like a collector studying a rare object.
My skin crawled.
"She is beautiful" He said casually. "More beautiful than the rumors suggested"
I forced myself to keep my head down.
But I could feel their gazes crawling across my body.
Predatory.
Calculating.
The ringed Don leaned back in his chair, grinning slightly.
"You know" He said lazily, "if the Underboss loves her this much…keeping her alive might hurt him more than killing her"
Alpha didn't reply.
Instead, he poured himself a drink.
The silver-haired Don tilted his head thoughtfully.
"Or" he added slowly, "she could belong to one of us"
My heart stopped.
The ringed Don laughed.
"That might start a war between us instead"
Alpha finally looked at me.
And for the first time since entering the room, I understood something terrifying.
They weren't looking at me like a prisoner.
They were looking at me like property.
The silver-haired Don rested his chin on his hand.
"I wouldn't mind having her" He said quietly. "She would make an interesting companion"
The ringed Don snorted.
"Companion?" He repeated. "Let's call it what it is"
His gaze moved slowly over me.
"A toy"
My stomach turned violently.
Suddenly the room felt smaller.
Colder.
Dangerous in a way I had never imagined before.
I wasn't just trapped.
I was being auctioned without a price tag.
Alpha remained silent for a long moment.
Then he spoke calmly.
"The spy is still under investigation"
The silver-haired Don smiled faintly.
"Then investigate quickly"
Their conversation shifted after that—talk of territory, shipments, alliances, but I barely heard any of it.
My thoughts were spinning.
Richardo had sent the letter to save me.
But instead…
He had revealed how much I mattered.
And that had made me even more valuable to monsters.
My chest tightened as another realization settled into place.
This fight wasn't only about escaping anymore.
It wasn't just about Richardo.
Or survival.
It was about something bigger.
Something darker.
If I didn't fight back—
These men would decide the rest of my life.
And somewhere inside this golden prison…
Abigail was suffering because of me.
My fingers curled slowly into fists.
For the first time since arriving here, something inside me hardened.
I wasn't just running anymore.
I was planning.
Because if the Dons thought I was a helpless toy…
Then they had no idea what kind of war they had just started.