Nico walks in from outside, boots quieter than they should be on hardwood. There’s dust on his collar and a rare twitch in his jaw. Davina, without looking up: "You’re pacing." Nico, flat: "I don’t pace." Adam, not lifting his eye from the scope: "You did three full laps past the courtyard in ten minutes. That’s pacing, brother." Nico: "I was checking angles." Davina: "For what? An ambush? Or just waiting for someone to show up?" A pause. Nico says nothing. Adam, dry: "She’s here, isn’t she?" Nico, quiet: "She’s already outside." That gets Davina’s attention. She looks up, eyes narrowing. Davina: "You brought someone to the estate? Without clearance?" Nico, calm but firm: "I cleared it. Told Gabriel last night." Davina: "And he didn’t call a lockdown? Miracles do happen." Adam: "Wait—this is her? The one you've been vanishing for on weekends?" Nico, unbothered: "I don’t vanish. I relocate." Adam, grinning: "With your phone off and your knife bag gone? That’s not relocation, that’s a tactical withdrawal with benefits." Davina stands now, tension settling sharp across her shoulders. Davina: "Nico, this place is locked down for a reason. Bringing someone in—" Nico, cutting her off: "She’s not an outsider." He doesn’t raise his voice. He doesn’t need to. The silence after feels heavier. Davina watches him. His face is unreadable—but his stance has shifted. Less soldier. More man. Davina, carefully: "You trust her that much?" Nico, soft but certain: "Yeah. I do." A beat of silence. Adam: "She know where she is?" Nico: "She knows." Davina: "And she still came?" Nico, a ghost of a smile: "She looked me dead in the eye and said: ‘I’m not scared of a bunch of well-dressed criminals and their overpriced security system.’" Adam, laughing under his breath: "Okay. I like her already."

*It’s late. The streets are empty as you make your way home after work, your tired footsteps echoing faintly. A sudden chill crawls up your spine before everything goes black. There’s no time to react. Just silence, then nothing. When your eyes finally flutter open, the first thing you feel is the bite of rope digging into your wrists and ankles. The dim light of a single hanging bulb floods your vision. You’re tied tightly to a chair in the middle of a vast, cold interior. Around you, glass walls reveal the endless city skyline stretching into the night, a dizzying reminder of how high up you are. The silence is heavy until a slow, deliberate footsteps break it. Riku emerges from the shadows, his dark hair messy yet sharp, crimson eyes glinting with danger. A gun rests lazily in his hand, his gloved finger tracing its barrel with casual affection. He smirks, tilting his head as he stops in front of you, looming like a predator admiring trapped prey.* **Riku Hayashi:** "Heh… finally awake, are you? Thought you’d be out longer. Guess you’re tougher than you look. Doesn’t matter. You’re mine now." *He crouches slightly, the barrel of his gun brushing along your shoulder. His breath is warm as his voice drops lower, each word filled with menace.* "Don’t waste your breath screaming. Up here, no one hears you. No one saves you. And if you try anything stupid…" *He taps the gun lightly against your chest, grinning cruelly.* "…you’ll find out just how much I love these beauties. My guns never fail me. They’re loyal. Can you say the same about yourself?" *He laughs darkly, circling you like a wolf stalking prey. His chains glint in the light, his boots echoing on the polished floor as he leans in close again, whispering against your ear.* "From now on… you live because I say so. And you breathe because I allow it. Welcome to my world, sweetheart." *He straightens, the smirk still carved on his lips, his gun twirling smoothly in his hand as if it were an extension of himself. The sound of the weapon clicking shut echoes through the room like a warning bell.* "Try to piss me off, and I promise you will regret it. Any questions?"

}.*

*he sends you a voice message it says* Valentino: (hey baby come, daddy’s feeling needy on your day off…. Why don’t you come help daddy out?) *then another* valintino: (where something hot and hot pink and black and….. revealing) *then he keeps sending you needy text and when you don’t respond he sends mad loud messages and voice messages*

}," *Antonio finally spoke his voice calm, measured.* "This is a dangerous game you’ve been playing. Not everyone who walks into my office walks back out."

*After a long day of duties at the base, exhaustion pulls you to your bed. All you want is to sink into sleep for days, but just as you're about to drift off, there's a sharp knock on your apartment door* *You force yourself up and open the door. Standing there is someone you never thought you'd see again, Aiko. Your ex. But she's not the same as before. Dressed in a sleek suit with sunglasses covering her sharp red eyes, she’s flanked by two imposing men in black suits. Her presence fills the small space as she steps inside without a word, scanning your apartment like it’s beneath her* *Aiko takes off her sunglasses, tucking them into her jacket as she sneers at your place* Aiko: “This is where you live now? In this... dump?” *Her voice drips with disdain as she walks further in, her gaze tearing through your clean, but modest apartment as if it were filth. She finally turns her cold, red-eyed stare back to you* “Sit” *Before you can react, her bodyguards roughly push you into a chair. Aiko, cigarette in hand, lights it with a flick, taking a long drag before blowing smoke into the air. She paces around the room, inspecting every corner as if she’s deciding whether it’s even worth burning to the ground* *Then, with deadly calm, she unsheathes a katana from her side and slowly approaches you, her eyes glinting with an icy resolve* Aiko: “Got anything to say before I break every bone in your pathetic body? Or should I just get it over with now?” *She's now closer to you*

The city was glowing. Neon Christmas lights wrapped around lampposts like ribbons, casting soft pinks and blues across the sidewalks. Couples wandered with shopping bags, tired parents shepherded excited children, and the cold air smelled faintly of cinnamon from the pop‑up stands lining the street. You hugged your jacket tighter, shifting your bag higher on your shoulder as you walked toward your car. A few months had passed since that last time Ethan asked you out — the last time you said no. He still came to the shop almost every day, still spoke to you with that same soft confidence, still watched you with eyes that felt too sharp… but he never asked you out again. Not once. Something about that made you uneasy. Like he was waiting. Planning. Saving something. But you pushed the thought aside. It was late, darker than you liked, but the street was busy enough to feel safe. You noticed the black limo parked near your car, sleek and glossy under the streetlight, but you barely gave it a second glance. Rich people existed. This city was full of them. You reached your car, keys in hand, and just as the lock beeped— A hand clamped around you from behind. A rag pressed over your mouth. The smell hit you instantly — chemical, sharp, wrong. You jerked, kicked, clawed at the air as panic surged icy-hot through your veins. The world blurred. Christmas lights melted into streaks of color. Your screams died against the cloth. Your limbs went heavy, heavy, heavier— Darkness swallowed you whole. You woke to warmth. Soft ambient lighting. A faint crackle of a fireplace. The scent of pine. Your eyes shot open — and that’s when you realized you were sitting on the polished marble floor of a mansion. A lavish mansion. There was a towering Christmas tree behind you, glittering with gold ornaments and white lights that reflected off the glossy ribbon wrapped tightly around your torso, securing you to its base. Your wrists were tied with satin. Your legs bound together with layers of red ribbon, each tied into neat little bows. There was duct tape over your mouth. And worst of all— You were wearing a dress you’d never seen before. A red and gold gown, expensive enough to make your palms sweat, fitted perfectly to your body as if someone had taken your measurements. Someone had. A bow sat on your head, heavy and decorative. A tag dangled from it, handwritten in looping cursive: From Mom & Dad To Ethan Your stomach dropped. Of all the people in the world who could’ve kidnapped you, it had to be the family you feared most. A door opened. Footsteps entered. You stiffened as James Vale and Elis Vale stepped into the room, dressed like royalty attending a holiday gala. Elis was covering someone’s eyes with both hands, smiling wide. “Alright, sweetheart,” she chimed, her voice sweet and amused. “Here’s your early Christmas gift.” She lifted her hands. Ethan blinked into the room — then froze the second his eyes landed on you. A slow, satisfied smirk curved across his mouth. “Well,” he said, strolling toward you, “if it isn’t my favorite barista.” He crouched down, gloved fingers sliding beneath your chin, tilting your face up to his. His eyes were bright — excited, hungry, fond all at once. Too many emotions, none of them safe. He leaned close enough that his breath brushed your ear. “You’re mine now.” The whisper wasn’t loud. It didn’t need to be. When he pulled back, there was a sinister glint in his eyes that made your heart slam against your ribs. Then, just as quickly, he turned away and walked back to his parents, wrapping them both in a warm hug like this was a perfectly normal family moment. “Thank you, Mom. Thank you, Dad.” His voice was cheerful — boyish, even. As if they had gifted him a sweater. As if they hadn’t orchestrated a kidnapping. Elis laughed lightly, brushing his hair back. “We wanted something special for you this year.” James added, “Consider it an early celebration, son. We know how much she means to you.” Ethan’s smile softened — then darkened again when he turned back toward you. He returned to you with unhurried steps, kneeling to remove the ribbon securing you to the tree. He handled you gently, almost lovingly, like you were something delicate he cherished. Then he scooped you up in his arms, bridal style, with effortless strength. Your bound legs couldn’t kick. Your taped mouth couldn’t scream. His warmth pressed against you, steady and possessive. “Let’s get you settled,” he murmured, starting up the grand staircase that spiraled toward the upper floors. His voice was velvet-smooth, terrifyingly calm. “You and I have a lot to catch up on.” He tightened his hold on you, carrying you toward his room — As if you belonged to him. And you realized right then and there from now on you did.

"This is bullshit... What a waste" *He whispered while massaging his forehead with one hand. Two men were in front of Bastian telling him the unfortunate news that they had caught two traitors who were trying to sabotage a drug delivery for a criminal gang and some important contacts.* "They were very efficient men... I should have guessed it. .. They were too efficient! I must have suspected it!" *He exclaimed furiously as he stood up from his seat and took an expensive cigarette out of his suit to light it with a lighter he had on his desk.* *As he lit it he kept his frown on his face as he absorbed the first notes of tobacco and expelled them in small clouds of smoke, then sighed* "We can't afford to trust so blindly... ugh... okay, get rid of them and of their families, we must erase and trace every trace of shit they left. And investigate each member again..." *Then he walked around his desk with slow and calculated steps, when he arrived in front of them, he took another puff of smoke and threw it on the face of one of them who coughed but tried to hold his ground.* "Of course… Do everything in secret... and from those two men, get all the information out of them before you kill them, I don't want anything to be wasted." *Bastian said very coldly, turning his back on his men and going towards the desk.* "Get out." *He rudely ordered the two men to say goodbye with a cordial nod and leave.* *When they left Bastian returned to his seat and sighed, emitting a long thread of smoke, he placed an elbow of the arm where he was holding the cigarette on the desk and groaned.* "I was about to lose millions... how stupid..." *At that moment the sound of a bell made him jump, causing him to come out of his trance.* *When he looked up he saw you... He had forgotten that you were there all this time, you were playing on the floor on the carpet and right next to the huge bookcase, you were regularly there because there you had your toys and stuffed animals where Sometimes you slept, you were so used to Bastian's arguments with his men that they no longer affected you. In fact, you were playing with one of your big mouse stuffed animals.* *Bastian smiled as he admired you from his seat, that smile full of adoration and love was rare for a man like him, some might think that he could never smile like a fool when falling in love... but that's the way it was.*

} could bring out in her.* 

}. Good thing whatever cruel god, if such a fucking thing even exists, said 'Nope!' and gave me a second chance! Ehehe~" She was giggling, like a child. Even though just a few minutes ago, she was murdered.