Rachel was really nervous
The screen kept flickering, Daniel's unconscious body tied to the chair while blood stained the floor around him.
Her entire body went cold instantly.
"Daniel"
She tried sitting up too quickly again. Pain ripped through her side immediately, forcing a sharp breath from her lips.
Raziel caught her before she could move farther.
"Careful."
Rachel shoved weakly against his chest emotionally.
"That's my brother!"
"I know."
"Nobyou don't understand"
"I said I KNOW."
The sudden sharpness in his voice silenced the room.
Because Raziel looked furious now. Not at her. At himself. At the situation. At everybody who kept touching what belonged to him.
And Rachel hated how safe she still felt in his arms despite everything.
Absolutely hated it.
Cassian's voice came through the speaker again.
"We tracked the signal briefly. They're moving him."
Rachel's heart slammed painfully against her chest.
"Find him."
Raziel's answer came instantly. Cold. Final.
"Burn every location they passed through if necessary."
Rachel looked up at him sharply.
And for a second
She saw exactly why people feared this man.
Not because he was loud.
Because he meant every word he said.
---
The room fell quieter after that.
Cassian and Lucien disappeared downstairs coordinating security while Selene stayed near the entrance with a weapon in hand. Vivienne had gone strangely silent too, watching Rachel carefully like she was trying to understand something.
But Rachel barely noticed any of them.
Because Raziel still hadn't let go of her.
One arm remained around her waist carefully, supporting her against him while the other rested near her thigh possessively.
Protective.
Always protective.
---
Rachel looked away first.
"…you're staring again."
Raziel's gaze stayed on her face.
"You're hurt."
His voice softened slightly on the last word.
And somehow that hurt more than the wound itself.
---
Rachel swallowed slowly.
"You really thought I was going to die."
Silence.
Then quietly
"Yes."
No ego.
No performance.
Just honesty again.
---
Raziel lowered his forehead briefly against hers.
And Rachel froze instantly.
Because he looked exhausted now.
Emotionally destroyed.
---
"When you fell," he murmured softly, "I couldn't hear anything except your heartbeat stopping in my head."
Rachel's chest tightened painfully.
God.
This man loved too intensely.
---
Her fingers slowly curled against the front of his shirt without thinking.
Tiny movement.
Still enough for Raziel to notice immediately.
His eyes lowered toward her hand.
Then back to her face.
And suddenly the atmosphere changed again.
Warmer.
Dangerously intimate.
---
Rachel should've pushed him away.
She knew that.
After everything she learned tonight, she should've hated him completely.
But instead
She whispered softly:
"…you scare me."
Raziel went still.
Not offended.
Not angry.
Destroyed.
---
His hand moved carefully against her cheek.
"I know."
Rachel looked at him quietly.
"And the worst part is…"
A pause.
"…I still want you near me anyway."
The confession shattered something inside him completely.
Rachel actually saw it happen.
The control slipping.
The restraint breaking.
Because suddenly Raziel looked at her like she'd just handed him life itself.
---
Then slowly
Very slowly
He leaned down and kissed her.
Not rough.
Not hungry.
Worse.
Careful.
Like he was terrified she'd disappear if he touched her too hard.
Rachel melted into it before she could stop herself.
And immediately hated how natural it felt.
Her fingers tightened slightly against his shirt while his hand slid gently into her hair, deepening the kiss just enough to make her breathing uneven.
Everything else disappeared for a second.
The danger.
The lies.
The betrayal.
Gone.
Only him.
Only this.
---
Then the security screen suddenly flashed again.
Both of them pulled apart instantly.
Rachel's heart was still racing when a new image appeared across the monitor.
A live video.
Daniel waking up slowly in the chair.
Bruised. Confused. Bleeding slightly from his lip.
Then someone stepped into frame behind him.
And Rachel's blood turned cold again.
Because this time
The person holding the gun to Daniel's head…
Was a woman.
Beautiful. Elegant. Calm.
And when she smiled toward the camera
Raziel's entire expression darkened violently.
Rachel looked up at him immediately.
"…you know her too?"
The woman tilted her head slightly on the screen before speaking softly:
"Hello again, Raziel."
A pause.
Then she smiled wider.
"Did you miss your sister?"
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Rachel slowly turned toward Raziel.
And for the first time since meeting him
He looked genuinely shocked.
Not controlled.
Not unreadable.
Shocked.
---
The woman on the screen smiled softly, almost elegantly, while Daniel struggled weakly against the chair.
"You look surprised."
Raziel's entire body had gone still beside Rachel.
The dangerous kind of still.
Rachel's heartbeat slowed painfully.
"…your sister?"
No answer.
Again.
Always another secret.
---
The woman laughed quietly.
Beautiful sound.
Cold sound.
"Oh don't tell me you never mentioned me."
Rachel folded her arms slowly despite the pain burning through her side.
"Apparently he enjoys hiding life-changing information."
That visibly hit Raziel again.
Good.
---
The woman noticed too.
Interesting amusement flickered across her face instantly.
"Ah."
A pause.
Then softly
"You're angry with him."
Rachel almost laughed.
"You kidnapped my brother."
"Temporary situation."
Daniel looked horrified.
"What kind of psycho family IS THIS?!"
---
The woman ignored him completely.
Her attention remained fixed on Raziel now.
And Rachel noticed something uncomfortable immediately.
History.
There was history there.
Not romance exactly.
Something darker.
---
Raziel's voice finally came cold and low.
"Let him go, Seraphina."
Seraphina smiled wider.
"Still ordering people around."
God. Even her name sounded expensive.
Rachel was exhausted.
---
Then suddenly Seraphina's eyes moved toward Rachel again.
Carefully.
Studying her.
And the atmosphere shifted instantly.
---
"So this is the girl."
Rachel frowned slightly.
"The girl?"
Seraphina tilted her head.
"The one my brother destroyed himself over."
Rachel froze.
Because somehow
That sounded way too personal.
---
Raziel's expression darkened immediately.
"Don't involve her."
Seraphina laughed softly.
"You already did."
Silence.
---
Daniel groaned dramatically from the chair.
"I miss being poor and normal."
Nobody responded.
---
Rachel's chest tightened slightly now.
Because despite the danger
Despite the chaos
She couldn't stop noticing how Raziel kept inching closer to her unconsciously.
Like he physically needed to touch her to stay calm.
---
His hand finally settled carefully against her waist again.
Warm. Protective. Possessive.
Rachel noticed Seraphina noticing it too.
And suddenly
The woman's smile faded slightly.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
---
Seraphina leaned closer toward the camera.
"You love her that much?"
Raziel answered instantly.
"Yes."
Rachel's breath caught softly.
Because there wasn't even hesitation anymore.
No hiding.
No restraint.
Just love.
Terrifyingly open love.
---
Seraphina looked genuinely stunned for a second.
Then suddenly
She laughed.
Actually laughed.
"Oh this is bad."
Rachel frowned.
"What's bad?"
But Seraphina ignored her question completely.
Instead she looked directly at Raziel again.
And quietly
Dangerously quietly
She said:
"Father knows."
The room went cold instantly.
---
Raziel's arm tightened around Rachel automatically.
Protective instinct again.
Rachel looked up at him immediately.
Because suddenly
He looked furious.
Not shocked.
Furious.
---
Daniel blinked slowly.
"…there's a father involved now?"
Cassian muttered under his breath downstairs through the speaker:
"This keeps getting worse somehow."
Correct honestly.
---
Rachel's voice lowered carefully.
"…who's father?"
Nobody answered immediately.
Huge red flag.
---
Seraphina's expression softened strangely while looking at Rachel.
Almost pitying.
Which Rachel absolutely did not like.
---
Then softly
"You really don't know what you are to this family."
Rachel's stomach twisted instantly.
What she was?
Not who.
What.
---
Raziel snapped sharply:
"Enough."
And suddenly the screen glitched violently.
Static flashing everywhere.
Cassian cursed downstairs.
"Someone's hacking the system again!"
---
The lights flickered hard.
Rachel instinctively grabbed Raziel's shirt slightly.
Tiny movement.
Still enough for him to immediately pull her closer against him protectively.
---
Then Seraphina smiled one last time through the screen.
And quietly
Almost sympathetically
She said:
"If Father reaches her first…"
A pause.
Then
"Pray he kills her quickly."
The screen went black.
Silence crushed the penthouse instantly.
Rachel slowly looked up at Raziel.
And for the first time
The feared billionaire mafia boss looked afraid.
---