The Blackwood Estate – Sophia's Desperation
Sophia's hands trembled as she stared at her phone screen.
Nathaniel's words echoed in her mind like a nightmare she couldn't wake from.
> "You have twelve hours… Don't keep me waiting."
Her heart pounded as she clutched the phone to her chest. Liam. Her little brother.
The thought of him being held captive, scared and helpless, was enough to make her stomach churn.
She had to act—now.
Sophia forced herself to breathe, trying to suppress the panic threatening to consume her.
But she wasn't stupid.
Nathaniel wasn't the type to bluff. If she didn't go, Liam would suffer.
But if she went alone… she might never come back.
Her mind was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions, but one thing was clear: She couldn't involve Alexander.
She knew how he'd react.
He'd burn the entire city to the ground to get Liam back—and her along with him.
This wasn't just about her brother anymore.
It was about preventing a full-scale war.
She had to do this alone.
---
The Office – Alexander's Fury
Alexander stood in his dimly lit office, pouring himself a glass of whiskey.
Something felt off.
Sophia had been quiet during dinner, barely touching her food, her mind obviously elsewhere.
And now, she was gone.
His grip on the glass tightened.
Alexander Blackwood wasn't a fool. He knew when someone was hiding something from him.
And Sophia was hiding a lot.
A knock at the door made him turn.
Damien stepped inside, his expression tense.
"We have a problem," Damien said, his voice low.
Alexander's jaw clenched. "What now?"
Damien handed him a burner phone.
"We intercepted a call from Carter's men."
Alexander grabbed the phone and pressed play.
Nathaniel's voice filled the room.
> "I have something of yours."
Then—Liam's terrified voice.
Alexander's entire body went rigid.
A slow, deadly calm settled over him.
> Nathaniel took Sophia's brother.
That son of a—
He suddenly understood.
Sophia's strange behavior. Her silence.
> She was planning to go alone.
His grip on the glass shattered.
Not on his watch.
Alexander turned to Damien, his blue eyes burning with fury.
"Find her. Now."
---
Sophia's Escape
Sophia moved swiftly through the estate, avoiding guards and cameras.
She had memorized the security patterns over the past few days, knowing exactly when to slip out undetected.
Her heart pounded as she reached the garage, slipping into one of the cars.
She had to be fast.
Twelve hours.
Nathaniel had given her a deadline.
As the engine roared to life, she gripped the steering wheel.
No turning back now.
With a deep breath, she drove off into the night.
---
The Blackwood Estate – Chaos Ensues
Minutes after Sophia left, Alexander stormed through the halls, his entire body humming with danger.
Damien was at his side, his phone pressed to his ear.
"She's gone," Damien confirmed grimly. "Security footage shows she left through the garage ten minutes ago."
Alexander's jaw ticked.
"Which car?"
Damien scrolled through the footage. "Black Audi. License plate…" He rattled off the details.
Alexander was already moving.
He wouldn't let her face Carter alone.
No one touched what was his.
Not without paying in blood.
---
Sophia Arrives at the Meeting Point
The abandoned warehouse loomed ahead, its massive steel doors rusted with time.
The air was thick with tension as Sophia stepped out of the car.
Her hands shook, but she refused to let fear control her.
She wasn't doing this for herself.
She was doing it for Liam.
A set of headlights approached from the distance, and a black SUV rolled to a stop.
Sophia's pulse spiked.
The doors opened, and Nathaniel Carter stepped out.
Dressed in a tailored black suit, he looked just as she remembered—charming, dangerous, and ruthless.
His dark eyes scanned her with amusement. "You actually came."
Sophia's fists clenched. "Where's my brother?"
Nathaniel smirked. "Patience, sweetheart."
"I swear to God, Nathaniel, if you—"
A sharp whistle cut through the air.
Two men dragged Liam out of the SUV.
Sophia's breath caught.
Her brother looked disheveled, his face bruised, but alive.
"Let him go," she demanded.
Nathaniel tilted his head. "That depends."
Sophia's hands curled into fists. "On what?"
His smirk deepened.
> "You."
Sophia's blood ran cold.
Nathaniel stepped closer, his voice dropping to a deadly whisper.
"Come with me, Sophia. Leave Alexander. And Liam walks free."
Sophia's stomach twisted.
This was his plan all along.
To use Liam as bait to force her back.
She opened her mouth to speak—
BANG!
A gunshot echoed through the air.
Nathaniel barely had time to react before chaos erupted.
Alexander Blackwood had arrived.
---
The Warehouse – The Battle Begins
A fleet of black SUVs screeched to a stop.
Gunmen in suits stormed out, weapons drawn.
Alexander stepped out last, his eyes locked on Nathaniel.
And he was furious.
Nathaniel's smirk faltered. "Well, well—"
CRACK!
Alexander's fist collided with Nathaniel's jaw, sending him sprawling to the ground.
The world spun into chaos.
Gunfire erupted as Blackwood's men clashed with Carter's forces.
Sophia barely had time to react before Damien grabbed her wrist.
"Stay behind me!" he ordered.
But Sophia wasn't a bystander.
She grabbed a discarded gun and fired, taking down one of Nathaniel's men.
Liam stumbled toward her, eyes wide with terror.
"Sophia—"
She grabbed his arm. "We're getting out of here."
But before they could move—
Nathaniel grabbed Sophia's wrist.
"You're not leaving me again."
Sophia spun, jabbing him in the ribs.
Nathaniel grunted, but his grip tightened.
"LET HER GO."
Alexander's voice was a death sentence.
A gun pressed against Nathaniel's temple.
Nathaniel smirked. "Go ahead. Kill me."
For a moment, silence hung in the air.
Then—
Alexander lowered the gun.
Not because he wouldn't kill him.
But because he wanted Nathaniel to suffer.
"Take him," Alexander ordered coldly.
His men seized Nathaniel, shoving him to the ground.
Sophia clutched Liam tightly, her heart still racing.
It was over.
For now.
---
End of Chapter 10