Lorenzo was sitting on his bed and looking like death becomes him when I walked in. Upon seeing me, the helpers scrambled on their feet and exit the room without a second thought.

His glanced up and his lips pursed, his eyes thunderous. "Are you happy now?"

He was taunting me, knowing full well that I would prove to him that nothing had changed. With a sigh I sat back and gave him a sick smile. "Didn't you know bad guys live longer? You'll be fine." I light a cigarette.

He glares at me as I smoke in his room. I know he hates it when I do this, but I don't give a damn. And I need a smoke. I'm missing my Butterfly and I'm this fucking close to killing anyone who breathes in my direction.

"You're fucking heartless." he mutters, sputtering as he coughs.

I smirked. "This is me fulfilling my filial duties." Then I add just to be a dick, "And you made me this way, remember?"

He stares down at me hard. "My decision still stands, Kade. If it's not Valerie, it's going to be someone else you end up marrying."

"You and I both know that I'm not going to follow you. So why are you still forcing this?"

He squints one eye at me. "It's because of that Van Horen girl. I knew she was rotting your mind. You should've killed—"

"You wouldn't want to finish that sentence, Lorenzo." I seethes. His words draws my rage to a sharp, dangerous point.

"Is that so?" His jaw clenched. "You'd kill me to have her?"

I don't answer, but my silence speaks for itself.

"You never saw me as your family," Lorenzo says. "And it's fine. But what about your mother? You have no respect for her memory."

"Stop using my mother for your mind games." I hissed at him.

He glared at me, his jaw ticking. "Games? Have you forgotten who killed your family? Your sister?"

"Ayla isn't the reason."

He let out a sarcastic chuckle. "It's all fucking the same."

I took another drag of my cigar and relaxed back into the chair. "And you also had yourself to blame for what happened to her."

He pauses for a second, his jaw ticking. "What did you just say?"

"You heard me," I blew out a smoke. "Your hunger for power far outweighs your responsibility for your daughter. When her mother died, she became an afterthought to you. You all but neglect her while you suck up on politicians that will feed your greed."

He had a manic look on his face as he heard my words. "I did all that to built the company. For our family."

I shake my head. "She doesn't need all that. So the moment she chose to disappear and leave everything behind, that's not anyone else's fault but you."

Lorenzo says nothing. He knew I was right.

I stubbed the half-smoked cigar in the ashtray, stood, and walked to the door.

"If it were up to me, I'd annihilate their entire family a long time ago." He mumbled the words but I heard it.

I slowly faces him, my body rigid.

"You touch one fucking hair on her head and I'll show you just how much of an angry motherfucker I can really be when someone touches what's mine."

He stares at me wordlessly.

I just smile, walking to the door. Over my shoulder, I shoot him one last look. He looks old and vulnerable in here now, far from the man that people feared when I was young.

Stepping out into the hall, Vince stood waiting for me.

"Did you find my phone?" I ask as he fall in steps with me.

"No, Sir. But the last trace was here."

My jaw clenched as I think about the possibility that some rat in this house dared stole it from me.

Rain started to pour down as we got out front where the car was parked. I sighed. I did not want to be driven. I needed to drive. I'm fucking pissed and sex, shooting and speed were the only things that could help clear my mind. But my Butterfly is still hundred miles away and I haven't seen a motherfucker who deserves my bullet.

Taking the keys from Vince, I pointed for him to get in the passenger's side. I walked down the steps just as someone calls out behind me. My vision darkens.

It seem that the universe is all about testing my patience today. I look over my shoulder to see Valerie struggling toward me in her high heels, and oversized peacoat, her blow-dried hair flattening against her head as raindrops spattered on her head. I stood straight, not caring how the rain is slowly soaking my clothes, and stood in front of her, my face hard and unwelcoming.

She stands before me, hands on her hips and an enraged expression painted on her face. "Well? Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"Yeah, just one thing." I stood. "Get the fuck out of my way." I push past her, heading towards the car.

She falls into step, rushing after me. Her hand comes to rest on my shoulder.

I snarl, turning to face her as I growl, "Don't touch me."

"You're acting crazy," Valerie accuses me. "I told Lorenzo to give you time. I had no idea he would brought it up this soon."

"Yeah? Just like you had no fucking idea how my mother's necklace got into your bag?"

When she sees my snarl, she takes a step back, shocked by my hostility.

"You knew how long I've been looking for it. It was the only thing I have left of them." I grits out.

She pales when she hears me say those words. "I-"

"Save it." I hissed. I yanked open the door, and she tried to reach me again. "I don't need your fucking nonsense, Val."

"Hear me out." Her body shook and it's not from the cold. "Please. I'll let you go. Just hear me out."

She was crying, talking about the engagement, and as much as it surprised me, I didn't like seeing her shattered. This was the same girl who would often sneaks in to my training room and keep me company while I'm bruised and bloodied and too tired to move. I thought she's beautiful and sweet, and would look at me smiling like I hung the moon in the sky and lit up the sun myself.

When I broke off the engagement years ago, I was both surprised and relieved when she agreed. But seeing her now, it made me realize that wasn't the case. In her twisted mind, she thought I just delayed everything.

"Let it go." My tone was harsh, but the edge was gone. "We had our farewell fuck, said our goodbyes in your house three years ago. We're done."

She let out a sob, struggling for breath, her face blotched with tears that's mixing with the raindrops. "I thought she's nothing. Just a plaything for you because after all, she got the blood of the murderer who killed your family. She doesn't deserve you. But I realized now that you love her so I gave up."

"Enough." I turned around and started walking to the driver's side.

She stalked after me, still crying, stumbling to the muddy ground and then lurching back to her feet, stiletto heels be damn.

"..and I understand now. Ayla's going to get hurt once she finds out."

I sighed, praying for more patience.

"We know you only postponed our engagement before because you wanted to fulfill your revenge first. And you did Kade." she continues. "You destroyed their family. We thought it's time to set everything back to its place now."

I turn back to her just as she dropped her coat to the ground, revealing her black dress that clung to her skin because of the rain. She looked unhinged and so out of it as her teeth began clattering from the cold.

"Val," I groaned in exasperation.

"I love you, Kade. I always do...."

I was stunned when she suddenly lunged forward and yank my head down to meet her mouth. On instinct, I turned my head to the side causing her lips to grazed my jaw in a smacking kiss. I threw her on the ground in disgust, not an ounce of care when she cried out in pain.

Scrubbing my skin, my gaze swung at her and caught her slipping something behind her back.

It hit me then.

When she glanced up, smiling a crazy, hateful smile, I lost my shit. The roar climbs my throat and rips out like a barrage of gunfire. She must feel the rage rolling off me and the danger it presents to her because she scrambles on her feet but I yank her back and I grab the phone from her hand.

My phone. I let her go and she stumbled back as I thumb through it. When I saw Ayla's name in recent call logs, a sudden, unexpected urge to cut the bitch to tiny pieces washed over me.

"What did you do?" I ask, taking a step with each word. Venom dripping from my voice.

She scrambles back on hands and feet. She can't get away from me fast enough. But she won't be getting away. Not today. I reach down, grab hold of her arm, and haul her to her feet.

"You'll fucking regret this."

She struggles, shaking her head, "Kade, I—"

I drag her back inside the house, ignoring her pleas and whimpers. Fury burns inside me. When we reach his door, I push it open, making the door slammed against the wall. There, I let her down and push her inside where she stumble on the bed beside the startled Lorenzo.

"What the—"

"Cut her out of this family or I will." I sneered at her in disgust. "This is the only warning you'll get from me because the next time I see her, I can't promise if she would still be breathing."

I swept out of the room and Vince meet me at the steps, his expression grim. Sliding behind the wheel, "Where is she?" I growled, pressing my foot on the gas, and pulled out of the drive.

"She's with Owen, Sir."

Of course. She'd preferred the company of her friend this time. Motherfucking Valerie. I dialed her phone and as expected it went to voicemail. We arrived in the airport and the flight passed in an endless blur, minutes dragging like days, and I'm getting more restless for each second.

My black McLaren was waiting for us on the tarmac when we arrived and I immediately slid behind the wheel before speeding away, with Vince in tow on the other car. When I arrived at Owen's door pass midnight, it was silent and I feel like wrecking havoc when no one answered after a few minutes.

I closed my eyes, desperate to regain control.

After a while, I heard footsteps approaching and as if he's expecting me, Owen steps out in the hall before closing the door behind him. I admire him. Admire how he look after her and care about her enough to come toe to toe with me without even flinching.

My jaw clenched, and the storm began inside me again. I should've been here. It should've been me on her side, not Owen, though I was grateful for his presence.

"We need to talk."

No. Inside I raged against the idea of not seeing Ayla in the next second. I didn't answer and he took that as an invitation.

"She's a wreck, Kade." He bits out. "I want my best friend back. That woman inside," he paused, shaking his head in disbelief. "That's not her. That's a shell of herself. I had no idea about what you did that made her react like that, all I know is you just fucking ruined her."

My hands clenched into fists. Rage filled me, a white-hot desire to find Valerie again and kill her this time.

"I'll fix it." The words heave out of me.

He searched my eyes, but that was the truth. I'll fucking turn this world upside down just to make her pain go away. No matter how many scenarios played out inside my head, losing Ayla was the worst fucking outcome for me.

His shoulder tensed, but it dropped when he see the determination in my eyes. He glanced back behind me and saw Vince waiting. "You're taking her with you?"

"Right now." I replied.

Owen sighed. "She exhausted herself from crying and just fell asleep an hour ago. You need to be careful not to wake her." he said as he reluctantly steps away from the door.

As I turned the lock, I started to feel the burn on the inside of my stomach. The monster inside me needed her, needed to stake claim on the woman on the other side of this door. Sick? Yes. Depraved? Definitely. But I had passed the point of caring years ago. She's mine and when I tell her I love her, I meant every fucking word. I will do everything until there would be no doubt in her mind that she was my most precious and prized possession—one I would never part with until the day I fucking die.