LOGINMaya’s POVI sat in the dim corner of the safe house with the laptop screen glowing on my face, my fingers hovered over the keys while Damien rested on the small bed nearby. Elena stood behind me, her hand rested light on my shoulder. The hidden bank account waited on the screen, my name at the top with rows of numbers that made my stomach twist. I took a slow breath and clicked enter, the page loaded slow.“This feels wrong,” I said quiet, my voice barely above a whisper. “My name on all this money. Havisham put it here to trap me, I know it. Elena, watch the screen with me. Damien, are you awake enough to help if something pops up?”Damien shifted on the bed, his swollen face turned toward us. “I am here,” he replied, his words slow but clear. “Type careful, Maya. Look for transfer history first. Sarah marked some accounts in her notes. We need dates and amounts to connect it to Havisham.”I scrolled down, my eyes scanned every line. Large sums appeared, all linked to companies I re
Maya’s POVI helped Damien lean against the wall in the small safe house room, his bloody face twisted with pain while Elena brought clean cloths and water from the kitchen area. My hands shook as I pressed the cloth to his cut lip, the red stain spread fast across the white fabric. Damien winced but kept his eyes open, watching me close.“You should not have come here alone,” I said soft, my voice catching a little. “Those men from Havisham almost killed you last time. Let me clean this cut first, then we talk about the files.”Damien tried to smile but it looked more like a grimace. “I had to warn you,” he replied, his words slow and broken. “Liam is not who he seems. I found more papers before they beat me. Sarah left hidden files on an old drive. We need to open them together, Maya. Elena, you have the laptop ready?”Elena nodded quick and set the computer on the low table, her fingers moved fast across the keys. “It is here,” she answered. “I connected it to a secure line. No one
Maya’s POVI stood frozen in Julian’s penthouse with the video image of Liam handing Sarah over still burning in my mind, my legs felt heavy and my chest tight. The children slept peacefully in the next room but their safety now felt like part of a bigger trap. I turned to Julian slowly, forced a small smile across my face, and stepped closer to him even though every part of me wanted to run.“You showed me that to break me,” I said in a low voice, my fingers traced his arm light. “But I am still here, offering myself. Tell me more while I please you, Julian. I need to understand everything if I am staying with you.”Julian watched me careful, his eyes narrowed for a moment before he pulled me against his chest, his hands rested on my lower back. “You are full of surprises, Maya,” he replied. “Most women would cry or scream after seeing that. Yet you kiss me and ask for more. Come to the bedroom, show me how much you want the truth.”I followed him down the short hallway, my bare feet
Maya’s POVI stood outside Julian’s tall penthouse building with my heart racing fast, the night wind brushed my face and made my dark curly hair move. My hands felt cold as I adjusted the simple dress I wore, nothing too fancy but enough to catch his eye. The children needed me, their small faces flashed in my mind and gave me strength. I took a deep breath and walked through the glass doors, the guard at the front nodded after I gave my name. The elevator ride up felt long, each floor made my stomach twist more.The door to the penthouse opened before I could knock. Julian stood there in a black shirt with the top buttons loose, his handsome face showed a knowing smile. He stepped aside and let me enter, the large room had soft lights and city views through big windows. I walked in slow, my legs shaky but my mind clear.“Julian, I came alone like you said,” I told him with a steady voice. “The children, where are they? I will do anything to get them back safe with me.”Julian closed
Maya’s POVI ran beside Liam through the dark city streets with my heart pounding hard in my chest. Sirens sounded far behind us. Mr. Havisham’s men had found our last safe spot. Lights from passing cars flashed across our faces. My legs burned but I kept moving, Liam held my hand tight. His grip felt strong and sure.“Stay low, Maya,” Liam said quick. “We cannot stop now. The old hotel is two blocks away. It is empty and hidden. We will be safe there for the night.”I nodded fast. My breath came short. “They are getting closer,” I replied. “I heard footsteps. What if they catch us? The children, Liam. We cannot let them win.”Liam pulled me into a narrow alley. Trash bags lined the walls. We pressed against the cold bricks. “They will not catch us,” he answered. “I know these streets better than them. Breathe slow, we move when it is clear.”We waited a moment. The sound of running feet passed the alley entrance. My body shook against his. Liam kissed my forehead quick. “You are brav
Maya’s POVI ran through the pouring rain with my clothes sticking to my skin, the alley smelled of wet concrete and old trash. Water ran down my face mixing with my tears as I spotted Liam waiting under a broken street light. His messy dark hair clung to his forehead, his sharp eyes looked worried when he saw me. I stopped a few steps away, my chest rose and fell fast from running.“Liam, tell me the truth right now,” I said, my voice shaking with the cold and the pain. “Elena showed me the hospital papers. Sarah’s baby. It was yours. Not Havisham’s. You never told me. All this time you held me and promised to protect me. Was that a lie too?”Liam stepped closer, rain dripped from his jacket as he reached for my arm. “Maya, please listen,” he replied, his hand felt warm even in the storm. “I did not know at first. Sarah and I had one night before she got deeper with him. She told me about the baby later. I tried to get her out but Havisham found out. I never meant for any of this to
Maya’s POVThe room felt frozen. Julian held the gun steady against the little girl’s head. Her small body pressed tighter into my side. I could smell the fear on her skin. Liam stood a few feet away, knife still in his hand, eyes dark with rage. Victoria’s brother wiped his hands and smirked like
Maya’s POVI held the little girl close to my chest. Her small body shook against me. The old house by the river felt too small for all the people inside. Richard Cross stood in the middle like he owned everything. Victoria and Isabella glared at each other. Their men pointed guns at us. Sarah kept
Maya’s POVThe old house by the river felt cold even with the lights on. Victoria stood in the middle of the room. Her men watched every move we made. The little girl held my hand tight. The boy stayed close to Sarah. I felt my stomach twist. We were trapped again. I thought, I ran so far to keep t
Maya’s POVThe gunshot echoed across the dark river. I waited for pain but none came. Julian stood frozen on the other side with his gun still raised. Blood appeared on his shoulder, he dropped to one knee. Alexander Cross stepped out from the trees with a rifle in his hands. His face looked calm b







