It had been days since he locked me inside this room.
The maid were the only people I saw, coming in and out to bring me clothes, food, and whatever else I needed.
Since then, I hadn’t seen Keegan.
I spent most of my time staring through the window, watching the trees sway in the distance and the cars parked outside the mansion.
The silence had become unbearable.
Then my eyes shifted toward the tall shadow standing behind me.
“The maid will be sending your gown. Better change, Savannah. And don’t even think about trying to escape again.” It was Caspien.
I said nothing.
The door closed behind him with a soft click.
I slowly lifted my head toward the ceiling.
“Here it comes,” I muttered.
I headed into the bathroom and turned on the shower.
Cold water struck my skin, making me gasp.
I stayed beneath it anyway, letting the chill wake me from the numbness that had settled over me after days of confinement.
When I finished, I grabbed the robe and slipped it on before walking back toward the bed.
A deep-red, long-slit dress had been laid across the mattress.
Beside it were matching garments, a shawl, and a pair of burgundy stilettos.
I stared at them.
Questions continued to pile inside my head, but asking them wouldn’t guarantee that I’d receive the truth.
I put on the dress.
A few moments later, the door creaked open.
A woman stepped inside.
She wore casual clothes, and I was certain I had never seen her before.
Was she a guest?
She smiled.
“I’m Daliah. I’ll be doing your makeover.”
Confusion crossed my face, but before I could ask anything, she pointed toward the edge of the bed.
“Sit.” she said.
There was barely any furniture in the room, so I did as she said.
She opened a case and began applying makeup to my face.
Foundation, powder, and several other products followed.
I rarely bothered with makeup, so sitting there while she worked felt strange.
I remained silent and let her do whatever she needed.
An hour later, Daliah finally stepped back.
She had finished my makeup and styled my hair.
I gave her a small nod before standing.
The moment I stepped outside, the familiar sight greeted me.
Men stood at every corridor.
They were the same associates I had noticed whenever I’d attempted to escape.
I expected Keegan.
Instead, it was Caspien was waiting for me.
He escorted me out of the mansion and toward his car.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“To the ball,” he replied.
His voice was quieter than usual.
I sighed and climbed into the car.
Once he started driving, I noticed how pale he looked.
Dark circles rested beneath his eyes, and his expression seemed exhausted.
“Where’s your boss? I haven’t seen him for days.”
Caspien glanced at me through the rearview mirror.
“What? Did you miss him?”
I scowled and kicked the back of his seat.
“Shut up. Nobody misses that asshole.”
A small smile appeared on his face.
“Don’t worry. You’ll see him soon.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“What exactly is happening?”
He didn’t answer immediately.
The silence stretched between us until he finally spoke.
“He needs someone to accompany him to the business party he’s attending.”
I scoffed.
“Accompany my ass.”
I muttered it under my breath, but he still heard me.
“Shh, woman. You should avoid cursing him tonight unless you want to make things worse for yourself.”
His teasing laugh only irritated me further.
I leaned my head against the headrest.
“You’ve been obedient these past few days,” he said.
“Where’s that scowling Miss Savannah?”
“None of your business.” He looked at me through the mirror again, his brows drawing together.
“Don’t plan on running again. I barely managed to keep you safe that night. He almost killed me.” The source of this chapter is g.com.
I narrowed my eyes.
“You’re his consigliere, aren’t you? Why would he kill such a loyal dog like you?”
Caspien scoffed.
Then, for the first time, I saw him roll his eyes at me.
I almost laughed.
“It’s because of your stubbornness!” he snapped.
His teasing expression disappeared.
I looked away.
“Whatever.”
╰┈➤
A tall iron gate opened as we approached.
Beyond it stood a massive, ancient mansion with a classical appearance.
A fountain stood at the center of the courtyard, surrounded by tall light posts.
Rose gardens lined the pathways, their deep-red flowers almost matching my dress.
Caspien stepped out and opened my door.
“Come on.”
He escorted me toward the entrance.
Several maids stood waiting for our arrival.
The tall double doors opened, revealing a crowded hall filled with guests.
Men dressed in suits stood beside women in elegant gowns.
Conversations filled the air while music played somewhere in the background.
Caspien guided me toward the staircase.
We climbed to the upper floor before entering one of the rooms.
The atmosphere changed immediately.
The room was dim, and the faint smell of cigarette smoke lingered in the air.
Then I saw him.
Keegan was impatiently looking at me his gaze was still under the madness and impulsiveness he was.
He sat at the far end of the room on a dark couch, his eyes fixed directly on me.
Before I could react, someone pushed me forward.
I turned around.
Caspien was already walking away.
“Seriously?”
I glared after him before turning back.
Keegan’s voice cut through the room.
“Savannah. Come over.”
I hesitated.
Then I noticed the objects scattered across the table.
There are knives, abaseball bat, daggers, tactical blades, chains, a razor, garrote wire and a silenced pistol.
My stomach tightened, my face went into a terror.
I knew what those things were.
I had seen similar equipment during missions.
My gaze returned to Keegan.
He looked pale and exhausted, his expression colder than I remembered.
“What—” I didn’t get to finish.
He caught my arm and pulled me down beside him.
I immediately tried to move away, but his grip tightened around my waist.
My heartbeat jumped.
The smell of cigarette smoke clung to his clothes, mixed with the faint scent of alcohol.
“Behave, little queen,” he warned.
I glared at him.
Before I could answer, the door opened.
Keegan’s expression immediately darkened.
A tall man entered, followed by several others.
“Hey, miss. Could you give us some privacy—”
The man stopped when Keegan spoke.
“Who demanded you to take control whoever I invited in Riego?”
His voice silenced the room.
Riego looked at me, then gave a crooked smile.
“Oh. You never mentioned you had someone accompanying you for tonight.”
The table suddenly shifted.
It struck Riego’s knees.
He stumbled back with a curse, while the men behind him immediately reached for their weapons.
“Put those down!” Riego ordered.
The men slowly lowered their guns.
“Fuck you, Keegan.” He snorted while still wincing in pain.
Riego straightened himself and glared at him.
Keegan didn’t respond.
An envelope was handed to Riego.
But before he could speak, Keegan reached for my hand.
His voice dropped low enough for only me to hear.
“Pick one of those, Savannah. I’ll kill you with it if our confidential meeting gets out.”
His warning sent a chill through me.
Instead of showing fear, I smiled.
“Sure. Is that a deal?” I turned toward the table.
My fingers closed around the silenced pistol.
I picked it up and handed it to him.
“Then kill me with this.”
His expression hardened.
Riego stared at us before letting out a scoff.
“Hey, Keegan. Don’t scare our guest. If you’re tired of her, you can hand her over to me.”
Keegan’s eyes immediately turned cold.
He raised the pistol toward Riego.
“Dare to say that again?” He announced.
The soldiers instantly raised their weapons.
“Fine,” Riego said, raising both hands.
“I’ll stop. Can we get down to business instead?”
He signaled his men to lower their guns.
The tension in the room remained.
“Our families demanded an alliance,” Riego began.
He looked directly at me.
“The Salvadorian Mafia Familia wants you to marry my sister. And you already proposed to her and will get down to the arrangement.”
My eyes widened.
What?
“I reject it,” Keegan said.
His voice was firm.
Riego stared at him in disbelief.
“What? You just proposed to my sister, didn’t you?” His voice thundered through the room.His expression twisted with anger.
He grabbed one of his soldier’s guns and pointed it toward me.
“Is this woman the reason behind your sudden change of mind?”
I felt irritation rise inside me.
I stood up looking at him.
“What the hell does your alliance have to do with me?”
Keegan’s hand suddenly caught my arm.
He pulled me back toward the couch.
The next second, he launched himself at Riego.
The room erupted into chaos.
The soldiers immediately aimed their guns at them as Keegan and Riego exchanged blows.
Riego struck Keegan across the face, sending him stumbling backward.
Keegan steadied himself.
And his jaw tightened.
He rushed forward again and landed a hard punch before forcing Riego backward with a kick.
Riego crashed against the wall with a heavy thud.
He pushed himself upright, his eyes burning with anger.
Keegan wiped at the corner of his mouth and stepped toward him.
Then I saw it.
Riego had picked up the gun again.
He raised it toward Keegan’s back.
My heart stopped.
Without thinking, I rushed forward.
I grabbed Keegan’s arm and pulled him toward the couch.
A deafening bang exploded through the room.
Everything froze.
Keegan’s eyes widened.
He caught me before I could fall.
Pain shot through my body, and my vision blurred.
“Savannah!” His voice sounded distant.
I could barely hear the panic in it.
His hands held my face as he tried to keep me conscious.
I blinked slowly, fighting against the dizziness.
Tears blurred my vision.
Not him.
You won’t die by his hand.
Because I’ll be the one to take your life.
My thoughts became slower.
The voices around me faded into an indistinct noise.
There was only one thought left in my mind.
I’ll be the one to kill you, Ciffarelli.
Would you catch the bullet to save your enemy?