No One’s Pov

The private jet rolled to a stop on the secluded runway in Country X. The engine was still whining softly when the voice of the tactical captain crackled through Dominic’s earbud.

"Boss, we have completely surrounded the area. Every exit is blocked, and the perimeter is fully locked down."

Dominic didn’t say a word. He gave a single cold nod to himself and stepped out of the aircraft.

The salty ocean breeze instantly whipped against his long black coat. His face was gaunt and tired, but his eyes were sharper than ever. With a large team of heavily armed men moving like shadows behind him, they surrounded the massive beachside mansion under the dark cover of the night.

The takeover was fast, quiet, and completely unnoticed by others. Dominic’s men kicked open the main doors and smashed through the side windows all at once. The mansion’s security guards didn’t even have time to lift their weapons before they were slammed facedown onto the hard floor and disarmed.

Within less than five minutes, the entire estate was completely taken over.

Dominic walked slowly through the grand front entrance. The sound of his shoes clicking against the expensive marble floor echoed loudly through the quiet house. He looked around the main hall, his gloomy hollow eyes landing on a group of terrified maids. Dominic’s men had rounded them up and forced them to kneel in a straight line on the floor with their hands in the air.

Dominic stepped closer, stopping right in front of the oldest maid, who seemed to be the one in charge. He leaned down slightly, his presence so suffocating and terrifying that the air in the room felt freezing cold.

"Where is Vivien?" Dominic asked. His voice was low, flat, and filled with an impatience. "And who is your master? Speak."

The head maid shivered violently, her whole body shaking as she looked at the guns pointed at her. Tears of fear started rolling down her pale cheeks.

"I-I don’t know what you are talking about!" she stammered out, her voice cracking loudly in the quiet room. "Please, don’t hurt us! There is no girl named Vivien in this house... we have never heard that name before! And our master doesn’t even live here! This is just a vacant holiday house, we just come here to clean it!"

Dominic didn’t buy their lies for a single second. He could smell the lies in the air. Without taking his eyes off the trembling women, he gave a single hand signal to his men to search the entire mansion from top to bottom.

"Check every room, every closet, and every hidden wall," he commanded flatly.

His men scattered instantly, their heavy boots pounding up the stairs and down the long hallways. The maids could only watch in terrified silence. After several long minutes of intense searching, the men returned to the main hall, looking defeated.

"Boss, there’s nothing," the tactical captain reported, shaking his head. "Every room is empty. There is no sign of Miss Vivien or anyone else."

The head maid let out a shaky breath, trying to look relieved. "See? We told you the truth," she whimpered, wiping her sweaty forehead. "No one is here."

Dominic looked down at the maids with a deeply annoyed expression. He felt a wave of frustration wash over him, and a dark part of his mind wondered if he had truly walked into a useless trap. He turned around, preparing to leave the estate to check the next lead, but as he walked past the grand dining area, something caught his eye.

He stopped and looked over at the open kitchen counter. Sitting on the stove was a pot of freshly made, easily digestible broth, alongside a small cup of water and a bottle of heavy-duty painkillers. It was food specifically made for a sick patient. And veggies were the one Vivien liked.

Dominic slowly turned back toward the maids, a terrifying mocking smirk spreading across his gaunt face.

"Didn’t you just say no one lives here?" Dominic asked, his voice dripping with icy sarcasm. "You said you only came here to do some routine cleaning, didn’t you? Then tell me... who is that fresh hot food for? I can’t see any sick patient here."

The maids instantly froze. The little bit of color left in their faces vanished completely, and they began exchanging frantic, nervous glances, unable to utter a single word to defend themselves. They had been caught red-handed.

Dominic didn’t wait for them to answer. His instincts completely took over. He spun around and walked directly up to the second floor, pushing his men aside. He checked the first few bedrooms himself, slamming the doors open violently, but they were indeed completely bare.

Finally, he came to a small isolated bedroom at the very end of the hall. He turned the handle and pushed the door open.

At first glance, the room looked entirely empty. The curtains were drawn, and the air was still. But the moment Dominic stepped inside, a lingering, familiar scent hit his nose- the faint, sweet aroma of Vivien’s skin mixed with the heavy smell of medical antiseptics.

His heart gave a violent thud. He marched straight over to the unmade bed and pressed his bare palm against the white sheets.

It felt warm.

It was distinctly warm, meaning someone had been lying right here just a few minutes before his men had barged into the front gates. They had escaped through a hidden exit right under his nose.

Dominic’s breathing turned heavy as his eyes desperately scanned the mattress, the pillows, and the floor. Suddenly, his gaze locked onto a single bright strand resting on the white pillowcase.

He reached down with trembling fingers and picked it up. It was a single long strand of deep red wine hair.

Dominic’s hand tightened around the fragile strand, crushing it into his palm as a dangerous, obsessive fire exploded in his chest. She was alive. She was right here.

"Seal the entire island!" Dominic roared into his earbud, his voice shaking with anger. "They just left! Find them now!"

Six hours later.

Vivien groaned softly as a wave of consciousness slowly pulled her out of the deep sleep. Her body felt much lighter this time, and the intense, burning pain that had racked her chest and limbs for days had finally calmed down to a dull manageable ache.

She opened her eyes and blinked, adjusting to her surroundings. She quickly realized she was in a completely different room. The air smelled much fresh rather than harsh medical antiseptics.

Looking down at her arms, she noticed her thick heavy bandages had been replaced with lighter fresh dressings. The room was dim, illuminated only by a soft glow. She had no real idea how long she had been sleeping this time,

she vaguely remembered hearing chaotic, distant shouting and running noises a few hours ago, but her exhausted body had simply forced her back into the dark slumber.

Suddenly, a side profile standing by the large, open balcony doors caught her attention.

The warm evening wind was blowing softly into the room, rustling the white curtains. The golden rays of the setting sun fell perfectly over the figure’s profile, making his bright, blonde hair glow like a halo in the fading light.

Vivien’s eyes widened in absolute shock, her breath catching tightly in her throat.

Enzo...

Her mind raced as the pieces crashed together.

Enzo. He was the mysterious "Master" the cold girl and the maids had been talking about this whole time. He was the one pulling the strings. He was the one who had saved her from the burning wreckage of the explosion. And he’s the one who took her away! It’s like escaped the death route just to fall into another one!

"Awake, babygirl?" Enzo said softly.

He slowly turned away from the balcony, a remarkably sweet, gentle smile spreading across his handsome face as he looked down at her.

But despite the warmth of his smile and the softness of his tone, a sudden, terrifying shiver ran straight down Vivien’s spine.

So he finally decided to reveal himself Vivien thought.

Enzo walked closer to the bed, his movements smooth and effortless. He sat down on the edge of the mattress, leaning over her as he reached out a warm hand, gently caressing her pale cheek with the back of his fingers.

"I missed you so much, you know," he said, his voice dripping with a sweet, hypnotic fondness. He tilted his head, his bright eyes locking onto her lips. "Since you’re finally awake... can I steal a kiss now?"

He began to lean down, his face closing the distance between them. Vivien’s eyes shook with a mixture of panic and confusion, her body freezing up entirely under his weight.

Just then, a sudden knock on the bedroom door interrupted the suffocating silence.

The sweet warmth instantly vanished from Enzo’s face. His eyes turned freezing cold, an expression of pure annoyance crossing his features as he snapped his head around to see who had dared to disturb them.

Vivien followed his gaze toward the door. The handle turned, and the same mysterious girl stepped into the room. But as the girl walked into the dim light, Vivien’s eyes immediately dropped to her forearm. There were fresh white medical bandages wrapped tightly around the girl’s arm, bleeding through slightly with a faint red stain.

Vivien’s mind raced- what had happened to her? She looks like someone who’s trained well.

The nameless girl didn’t show any pain. She walked forward silently, holding a fresh tray of hot food in her hands.

Enzo’s expression softened back into a calm mask as he reached out, taking the tray directly from her. "Let me feed her," he ordered smoothly.

The girl gave a low nod and immediately turned on her heel to leave the room. But before her hand could touch the doorknob, Enzo’s sharp voice rang out, cutting through the quiet air.

"Did you find out who leaked the address to Dominic?"

The girl’s entire body went completely rigid, her hand freezing inches away from the door as she stood dead still in the center of the room.

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TO BE CONTINUED