Chapter 3: Blood And Betrayal

“I’m at the Vane estate, Uncle Marco,” I say into the receiver, my voice trembling. “I had nowhere else to turn.”

There is a sharp, jagged silence on the other end before Marco’s voice returns, now laced with a cold, biting anger. “What are you doing there, Ria? You aren’t supposed to be with them. You’ve walked into the dragon’s breath. They are our enemies.”

“How do you have my father’s phone, Marco?” I demand, ignoring his warning. “Tell me how you got it.”

“I just found it, Ria. In the chaos, I found it on the floor of the study. Now tell me exactly where you are so I can—”

The phone is suddenly ripped from my hand. I gasp as Simo snatches it away and aggressively ends the call. He doesn’t even look at the screen before he shoves the device into his pocket.

“What are you doing?” I scream, lunging toward him. “That was my uncle! He’s the only family I have left!”

“I don’t have time for your stupid, sentimental calls,” Simo growls, his eyes flashing with a dangerous light. He steps into my space, his presence overwhelming. “Marco is a snake, and you’re a fool for answering. Now, give me the shipping codes. If you don’t, you can pick up your things and walk out those gates right now. I’m done playing games with you.”

I stare at him, the weight of my isolation crashing down on me. I have no army. I have no home. If I leave, I die. “Fine,” I whisper, my heart heavy. “I’ll give them to you. But only because you said you need them to protect my father’s assets. Don’t make me regret this.”

I take his phone from the table and quickly text the encrypted sequence of numbers—the keys to the eastern ports—into his private messages. Once the ‘delivered’ notification pops up, I hand it back to him like a surrender flag.

Simo looks at the screen, a dark satisfaction settling over his features. He turns to his right-hand man. “Vance! Get the boy ready. We’re moving out in ten.”

Vance nods and disappears instantly to follow the order. Simo doesn’t say another word to me. He turns on his heel and begins walking toward the grand staircase, his strides long and full of purpose.

I don’t stay behind. I follow him, my pulse racing as we head deep into the private wing of the house. We reach his bedroom the place he said I’ll be sleeping and the heavy doors swing open, revealing a space that is as cold and beautiful as the man who owns it.

As the bedroom door shuts behind us, Simo turns to me and says, “Now that I have the codes, let’s see if you’re actually worth the trouble I’m about to go through to keep you.”

I stand in the center of his bedroom, the air thick with the scent of cedar and expensive smoke. I don’t care about the luxury; I care about the fire burning in my chest. “You’re going to include me in this mission, Simo. This is my revenge, not yours. You don’t get to sideline me while you play soldier with my father’s legacy.”

Simo scoffs, throwing his jacket onto a leather chair. “Stay in your lane, Ria. You’ve never pulled a trigger in your life. You’d be a liability the second we hit the street.”

“A liability?” I step closer, my voice rising. “I know those docks better than you ever will. I know the hiding spots, the blind spots of the cameras—everything. You’re just a scavenger with a bigger ego than my father ever had. Is that why you’re keeping me here? Because you’re too afraid I’ll show you up in front of your own men?”

He turns, his eyes dark and dangerous. “Watch your mouth, Princess.”

“Or what?” I provoke him, my heart hammering against my ribs. “You’re just like the rest of them. You act like you’re protecting me, but I see the way you look at me when you think I’m not watching. You look at me like you want to take what isn’t yours. Like you want to rape me.”

Simo’s expression shifts instantly, a predatory focus settling over his features. He takes two long strides, closing the gap until I’m trapped against the edge of his massive bed. “I wouldn’t do that,” he growls, his voice dropping to a low, lethal vibration. “But you are becoming a temptation I didn’t plan for. You think you can provoke me and walk away unscathed?”

Before I can blink, his hand is on my shoulder, and he tosses me onto the bed. I fall back against the silk sheets, the momentum causing his long shirt to flip up, revealing the lace of my black lingerie. He pins me down, his heavy frame hovering over mine, his knees locking mine in place.

“Get off me!” I protest, pushing against his rock-hard chest. “Simo, stop!”

He doesn’t stop. He pins my wrists above my head with one hand, his strength absolute. His other hand traces a slow, agonizing path down my stomach, the heat of his palm seeping through the thin lace. Then, with a sudden, forceful movement, he dips his finger inside me.

I gasp, my entire body shocking at the intrusion. My knees buckle against his hips, and a strangled sound leaves my throat. I’ve never felt anything like this, the sheer size of him, the way my body reacts instinctively to his touch.

“Why are you so wet, Ria?” he teases, his voice a dark caress against my ear. “So wet for a girl who claims to hate me. And so tight. It’s like you were made for me to ruin.”

He moves his finger slowly, testing the resistance of my body, and I can’t help the soft whimper that escapes me. My head falls back into the pillows, my breath coming in shallow hitches.

“If I wanted to have you, I would,” he whispers, his eyes boring into mine. “But I won’t. Not like this. I’m going to make you beg me to fuck you. I’m going to make you scream for it.”

He pulls his finger out, leaving me cold and aching. I watch, my heart throbbing violently in my chest, as he brings his hand to his face and slowly licks the wetness from his finger, his eyes never leaving mine.

Suddenly, a sharp, deafening gunshot echoes through the estate, followed by the sound of breaking glass.

Simo is off me in a second, his movements blurred by adrenaline. He grabs his gun from the nightstand, his expression turning into a mask of cold, professional violence.

“Stay here,” he orders, his voice like iron. “Don’t move from this room.”

He walks out, the door slamming shut behind him. I lie there on the silk sheets, my chest heaving, my body still trembling from the sensation of his finger inside me for the first time in my life. The shock is a physical weight, pinning me down more effectively than his body ever could.

The chaos in the hallway is a blurred roar of shouts and heavy boots, but through the ringing in my ears, I hear it. A voice…strained, ragged, and hauntingly familiar, calling my name from somewhere outside.

I don’t listen to Simo’s order. I scramble off the bed, my legs still trembling from the heat of his touch, and sprint out of the room. I tear through the mansion, past the guards who are too busy looking for threats to stop me, and burst out into the pouring rain.

My heart nearly stops. There, slumped against a stone pillar near the gates, is Leo. He is covered in mud and blood, his face a ghostly shade of white. He was shot in the shoulder, the red stain spreading rapidly across his shirt.

“Leo!” I scream, rushing to him. I drop to my knees in the dirt, ignoring the way the cold water soaks into the silk shirt I’m wearing.

“Ria…” he wheezes, his eyes struggling to focus on me.

“What are you doing?” Simo’s voice booms behind me. I don’t even have to look to know he’s standing there with his weapon drawn, his eyes narrowed in fury.

“Let him go!” I shun him, my voice cracking with desperation. I pull Leo’s head into my lap. “He’s bleeding, Simo! He’s dying!”

“Who is he?” Simo demands, stepping closer, the rain lashing at his dark hair.

“He’s my dad’s trusted royal ally,” I snap back, my eyes fierce as I look up at him. “He’s loyal. He’s the only person I have left that I can trust.”

Simo’s face hardens into a mask of stone. He looks at his men and jerks his chin toward the gate. “Throw him out. I won’t have another enemy in my mansion. I don’t harbor Ambrose soldiers.”

“No!” I shout in pure frustration, standing up to face him. The rain is blinding, but I don’t blink. “I need him! What else do you want from me, Simo? I gave you the codes! I’m staying in your bed! I have done everything you wanted!”

I look down at Leo, who is losing consciousness, his blood mixing with the puddles at my feet. I turn back to Simo, my pride crumbling into a raw, painful plea. “Please. Save him. If he dies, I have nothing.”

Simo stares at me for a long, agonizing beat, his jaw tight. Finally, he lets out a sharp breath. “Vance! Get him to the medical wing. Now.”

Back inside the living room, the atmosphere is suffocating. After an hour of waiting, Simo leads me down a separate corridor toward a guest bedroom.

“Your guest will be staying here,” Simo says, his voice flat and devoid of emotion. He doesn’t look at me. “I am doing this for you, Ria. Don’t make me regret it.”

“Thank you,” I whisper, the relief washing over me now that I know Leo is being medicated and stitched up.

Simo doesn’t say a word in response to my thanks. He simply turns on his heel and walks out, the heavy thud of his boots echoing until he disappears around the corner.

I step into the room, exhausted and drained. It’s a beautiful space, but something feels off. The air feels heavy, like I’m being watched. I scan the room, my eyes landing on the ornate wooden headboard of the bed.

There, tucked deep into the intricate carving, is a tiny, glinting circle of glass.

My blood runs cold as I realize what it is. A hidden camera lens, staring directly at the bed.

“What the hell?” I whisper.

 I realize in that moment that Simo didn’t just give Leo a room, he gave him a cage, and every move we make is being recorded