"You’re his mother, Britney." His voice dropped lower, his tone razor-sharp. "You don’t forget something like that."
His words coiled around me like a snake.
I forced myself to meet his gaze. "I made a mistake, Duke."
For a long moment, he said nothing. Then, in one swift motion, he grabbed my wrist, yanking me closer. His grip was tight, his fingers digging into my skin.
"You can fool everyone else," he murmured, his breath hot against my cheek. "But you will never fool me."
My stomach twisted.
His grip tightened. "If I ever find out that you’re lying to me, Britney…" He leaned closer, his lips brushing against my ear. "I will kill you."
A blinding fury erupted inside me.
Without thinking, my free hand flew up, slapping him hard across the face.
The sound echoed through the room.
Duke’s head tilted slightly from the impact.
When he looked back at me, his gaze was unreadable.
Then, to my shock, he smiled.
It wasn’t a smile of amusement. It was something darker. Something that made the hairs on my arms rise.
He released my wrist and stepped back, his smirk lingering as he turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, my heart racing.
For weeks, I felt his eyes on me. Watching. Waiting. Testing me.
But I refused to break.
Until one night, everything fell apart.
My phone rang in the dead of night, the screen flashing with Fay’s name.
I answered immediately, my voice hushed. "Fay, what is it?"
"Mia," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I found something."
A chill swept over me. "What?"
Fay hesitated. Then, "Duke Trayson is part of a mafia group."
I felt my breath leave my body.
"Mafia?"
"They don’t just kill random people," she continued. "They target powerful figures. People who threaten them."
My hands turned ice cold.
Fay’s voice dropped even lower. "And Mia… your father is next on their list."
The phone nearly slipped from my grip.
Before I could process what she had just said, I felt it.
The unmistakable sensation of cold metal pressing against my temple.
My entire body froze.
A deep, steady voice whispered from behind me.
"Why are you investigating me, Britney?"
Duke.
The gun in his hand was pressed firmly against the side of my head.
I swallowed hard, forcing my voice to remain steady. "Duke, I don’t—"
"Don’t lie to me." His voice was eerily calm. "Who are you talking to?"
My heart pounded against my ribs.