Dylan's mansion was tense with a new kind of silence—the silence before war explodes.
Every hallway was guarded. Every window secured. Heaven could feel it, even without being told. Something was happening, something big. But Dylan refused to tell her.
He hadn't come to see her in hours, and when she tried to visit Michael, she was met with two guards at the door.
"He's resting," one of them said.
"Move," Heaven ordered softly, her voice carrying more weight than before. She was tired of being kept in the dark. "He's my brother."
"Boss's orders," the other replied without meeting her eyes.
She clenched her fists but didn't argue. Instead, she turned and walked back to her room, her chest burning with frustration and helplessness.
---
DYLAN'S STUDY
Jayden slammed a file down on Dylan's desk. "We've confirmed the mole," he said. "It was Darius. The bastard's been feeding intel to Richard for weeks."
Dylan's jaw clenched. Darius had been with him for over four years. Trusted. Loyal. Or so he thought.
"Where is he now?" Dylan asked coldly.
"Gone. Disappeared right after the last hit. We're tracking him."
Dylan leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling. "This is getting out of hand."
Jayden hesitated, then added, "Heaven's been asking questions. She tried to get into Michael's room earlier."
Dylan sighed. He didn't want her involved. But her presence—her warmth—was the only thing keeping him from drowning completely in this darkness.
"Let her see him," he finally said. "And post an extra guard in her wing. Richard might try something."
Jayden nodded and left.
Dylan's hand went to his chest where he wore a chain—Samantha's ring still hung on it.
"You told me to move on, Sam. But I don't know how."
He pressed the ring against his palm and closed his eyes.
---
HEAVEN AND MICHAEL
Heaven finally sat beside Michael's bed, brushing his damp hair back as he slept. His fever was better now, but his breathing was still weak. The doctor had come and gone, leaving a mixture of hope and uncertainty in his words.
She whispered softly, "Hang in there, Micky. I won't let them take you from me too."
Her eyes burned with unshed tears.
Just then, the door opened behind her. She turned quickly—Dylan stood there, his expression unreadable.
She stood. "Now you show up?" Her voice trembled with a mixture of anger and something she couldn't name. "Where were you?"
"I've been handling things."
"That's not good enough," she hissed. "He's sick. Everything's falling apart and all you care about is war and revenge."
Dylan walked in slowly. "That war is to keep both of you alive."
She flinched.
He looked down at Michael, then back at her. "Richard wants to take everything from me. Including you."
Heaven's breath caught in her throat.
"He's planning to use you against me."
"I'm not a pawn," she spat.
"You are now," Dylan said quietly, his eyes heavy. "Because you mean something to me."
Heaven's heart skipped. She didn't know how to respond.
"I'll keep you both safe," he continued. "Even if it costs me everything."
---
RICHARD'S MOVE
At his underground base, Richard stood before a large screen showing live surveillance of Dylan's mansion.
A man approached. "We've located her room. She's alone most of the time."
Richard's lips curled into a smile. "Good. Begin phase one. But don't harm her—yet."
The man nodded.
Richard turned to face his crew. "Dylan thinks he's invincible because he has his empire, his girl, and that sick little boy. Let's see how strong he is when one of them disappears."
---
SOMEWHERE IN THE DARK
A figure moved in the shadows near the outer walls of Dylan's estate. A team of Richard's men began closing in—silent, precise, lethal.
But they weren't expecting the trap Dylan had set.
The first explosion hit like a lightning bolt—flames burst into the night sky as alarms blared across the compound.
In his room, Dylan shot to his feet. "It's starting."
Jayden ran in seconds later, gun in hand. "They've made their first move. But we were ready."
"Good," Dylan said, already moving. "Now we make ours."