Chapter 4

My throat was painfully dry.

“Julian, my stomach...”

Before I could finish, Vanessa stepped between us, blocking me from his view.

“Julian, I remember there’s allergy medicine somewhere in the house. We need to give it to Mia right away...”

Her voice broke into sobs.

“If anything happens to her, I don’t want to live anymore!”

Crying softly, Vanessa pulled Julian toward the kitchen.

My vision went black.

The room spun violently around me, and my head pitched toward the table covered in industrial-strength adhesive.

Just before my face touched it, a burst of panic dragged me back to consciousness.

I desperately pulled my body away.

Rip—

My palms tore partially free from the glue.

Blinding pain reached my brain before I even saw the blood.

A cry escaped my mouth.

Then a violent pounding erupted against the villa’s front doors.

“Open the door!”

“Valenti Family security!”

Julian stopped searching for the allergy medicine and lowered Mia to the floor.

He frowned toward the entrance.

As he passed me, his expression darkened.

“Elena, did you call more people here?”

“Is this minor disagreement really worth dragging out again and again?”

Irritation flashed in his eyes.

Instead of opening the door, Julian took out his phone and made a call.

“I thought I told you this matter had already been handled.”

“Why are they still at my house?”

“You have ten minutes to make them leave.”

He delivered the order in an icy voice.

When he turned back, his brows were tightly drawn.

He stared at my face for several seconds, then slowly approached me.

“Elena, why is your face so—”

Before he could finish, Vanessa’s excited voice came from the kitchen.

“Julian, Mia’s awake!”

“Come here quickly!”

Julian didn’t hesitate for even a second.

He turned and rushed into the kitchen.

My vision blurred.

Through the haze, I heard Mia’s childish voice.

“Daddy, I almost never got to see you again...”

“Please divorce that evil Elena and marry Mommy again.”

“Then our family will never have to be separated!”

Julian didn’t answer.

Mia’s sobs grew louder.

Several seconds later, Julian’s defeated voice finally came from the kitchen.

“All right...”

A bitter smile touched my lips.

The stabbing pain in my abdomen suddenly intensified.

My entire body convulsed for several seconds.

Then blood began pooling beneath me.

“Brother...”

The word slipped from my lips in a broken whisper.

Through the fog clouding my mind, I thought I heard my brother shouting frantically.

But he was overseas at the Valenti Family’s headquarters.

How could he possibly be here in Harbor City?

I fought to keep my head from collapsing onto the adhesive-covered table.

The pounding outside grew more violent.

“Open the door!”

“If you refuse to open it, we’re coming in!”

The Valenti security team’s voices grew increasingly impatient.

Julian walked out of the kitchen again.

He frowned toward the entrance, annoyance flickering in his eyes.

He had just taken out his phone to call his assistant when it rang sharply.

The moment he answered, a terrified voice burst from the speaker.

“Julian, something’s wrong!”

“The unauthorized transaction on your wife’s account isn’t as simple as we thought!”

“With your position—no, even with the entire Harding Group behind you—we can’t stop them!”

Every panicked word from Liam Parker reached Julian’s ears.

Shock filled his face.

“How is that possible?”

But the line had already gone dead.

Clutching his phone, Julian looked frightened for the first time.

He turned and rushed toward the entrance.

Before he could reach it, the villa’s reinforced front doors crashed inward beneath a single powerful kick.

“Don’t move!”

“Stay where you are!”

Valenti security operatives stormed inside with their weapons raised.

Vanessa and Mia emerged from the kitchen and froze in terror.

“What are you doing?”

“This is breaking and entering!”

“I’m Julian Harding, head of the Harding Group—”

Julian stepped in front of them.

Before he could finish, the deafening roar of aircraft thundered outside.

Seven helicopters surrounded the villa, their searchlights flooding the property with blinding white light.

The largest helicopter descended.

More than a dozen highly trained men stepped out.

At their head was a young man with a severe expression and fury burning in his eyes.

“Julian Harding, I’ll only ask once.”

“Where is my sister?”