Crisis of Control

The silence in the vast mansion is deafening, a stark contrast to the storm brewing within you.

Your hands, usually steady and commanding, tremble slightly as you grip the steering wheel, praying that Leonardo, your cousin, your only remaining family, hasn't completely lost his mind. He made a promise, yes, but his heart, you know, beats only for Neveah.

He would trade the world for her, and in doing so, he may have traded away the one person who made you feel anything at all. Cataleya.

You burst through the mansion doors, the familiar opulence now feeling like a tomb, and shout Leonardo's name. Silence. Only the rhythmic beeping of a discarded phone draws your attention, leading you to your office, where his phone lies abandoned. A chill snakes down your spine.

Upstairs, the scene confirms your worst fears. Marco, one of your men, lies unconscious in the hall, his gun still in hand. Cataleya's room, the one you locked her in for her own protection, is empty, the door brutally bashed open. Panic, cold and sharp, pierces through your carefully constructed control.

Downstairs, an unexpected figure squirms in a chair – Molly, who claims to know nothing but fuels your rage with her defiant tone. You need answers, and if she won't give them willingly, you'll take them. But even as you threaten her, the desire in her eyes is a stark reminder of the one person you truly want, the one person you may have just lost.

Then, the front door creaks open, and he stands there. Leonardo, with Neveah by his side. He did it. He went behind your back. He gave her away. The rage you felt before pales in comparison to the fury that consumes you now. Your hands find his jaw, and you strike, again and again, the need to punish him for his betrayal overpowering everything else.