FALLING IN LOVE WITH MY KIDNAPPER

Chapter 3: (Damien) Some jobs change everything

Tell me this operation is worth interrupting my night. I didn’t look up when I spoke. Marco placed the black file carefully on the table before stepping back. It came through the private channel, he answered cautiously. That got my attention. Very few people had access to my private channel. I leaned back slowly in my chair inside the penthouse office overlooking the city. Rain pressed softly against the glass walls while silence filled the room between us. Marco knew better than to speak unnecessarily. I finally reached for the file. No name. No photograph. No details. Just a red symbol stamped across the front page. Restricted. Interesting. Who sent it? I asked. They requested anonymity. I almost laughed. People loved pretending anonymity protected them. It didn’t. Who approved the request? You did. My eyes lifted toward him immediately. Marco swallowed carefully before continuing. Three months ago. You authorized high-priority contracts under sealed identity agreements. Right. I remembered now.

At the time, it seemed useful for political operations and private eliminations. Rich people paid more when they believed secrecy made them special. I opened the file slowly. The first page contained only instructions. Surveillance. Extraction. Containment. No public exposure. Target must remain alive. My expression darkened slightly. Alive operations were always more complicated. Reason? I asked. Marco hesitated. They didn’t provide one. Of course, they didn’t. I continued reading quietly. The target was a woman. Powerful. Protected. High public visibility. That explained the money attached to the contract. A number sat near the bottom of the page. Eight figures. I leaned back slowly again. Definitely interesting. Who accepted preliminary responsibility? Luca’s team. Not anymore.

Marco nodded instantly. He already expected that answer. I handled sensitive operations personally when something felt unusual. And this operation felt unusual. Not because of the money. Because of the silence around it. People hid information when they feared consequences. I closed the file calmly. When do we move? They want preparation immediately. I stood and walked toward the window overlooking the city lights below. Most people would see beauty. I saw weakness. Fear. Greed. The city survived because men like me allowed it to survive. Politicians pretended to control power, but real power existed in the shadows. And I owned most of those shadows. You’re thinking too hard, Marco said carefully behind me. No, I replied quietly. I’m listening to instinct. That usually meant danger. Or opportunity. Sometimes both. My phone vibrated suddenly. Vivian. I stared at the screen briefly before answering. You disappeared quickly tonight, she said. I had work. You always have work. And you always complain. Her soft laugh echoed through the phone.

Most people thought Vivian Cross was harmless. Beautiful. Elegant. Spoiled. They had no idea how dangerous she truly was beneath the smiles. That was probably why I kept her around. Vivian understood darkness better than she admitted. How’s your billionaire best friend? I asked casually. A brief silence followed. Tiny. But noticeable. She’s perfect as usual, Vivian answered lightly. There it was again. That hidden irritation in her voice whenever Serena was mentioned. Interesting. You don’t sound happy for her. She just gets exhausting sometimes. I stayed silent. People revealed more when you gave them space. She walks into success without effort, Vivian continued. Do you know how annoying that is? You sound jealous. Maybe I am. At least she was honest tonight. What exactly do you want from me, Vivian? I asked calmly. Another pause. Then her voice lowered slightly. What if someone like Serena became a problem someday? I frowned faintly. Explain. She has access to powerful people now. Government contracts. Financial networks. Private systems. And? And dangerous people don’t like losing control. There it was. The real conversation. I turned slowly away from the window. Are you warning me or asking for help? Vivian laughed softly. You always know when I’m hiding something. That’s why you called. Silence answered me again. Then, finally, I think Serena’s success is becoming dangerous.

My eyes narrowed slightly. Not because of the statement. Because of the timing. A powerful woman. A secret operation involving a protected female target. No identity provided. And now Vivian is talking about Serena. Coincidence existed. But not often in my world. What are you thinking? Vivian asked carefully. I ignored the question. When did you start worrying about Serena? You know she’s my best friend. That wasn’t my question. Her breathing shifted slightly through the phone. She’s changing, Vivian answered quietly. Power changes people. No. Jealousy changed people. I knew the difference. Go home, Vivian, I said calmly. That’s it? For tonight. She sounded slightly disappointed. You’re impossible to read sometimes. That’s why I survive. After the call ended, I remained still for several seconds. Then I turned toward Marco again. Get me everything connected to Serena Vale.

His expression changed immediately. You think she’s connected to the operation? I think coincidence is becoming expensive tonight. Marco nodded once. I’ll start immediately. He disappeared quietly from the office. I returned my attention to the rain outside. Serena Vale. The woman is currently conquering Europe. Young billionaire. Tech genius. Media obsession. I knew enough about her publicly. But public information never mattered. Truth always lived underneath headlines. My phone buzzed again. This time it was Lucia. I answered immediately. What? You sound irritated, my sister replied calmly. You interrupted work. That usually means murder. I smirked faintly. Lucia enjoyed provoking me. Unfortunately, she was one of the few people intelligent enough to get away with it. What do you want? I met someone interesting tonight. I said nothing. She wore her mother’s necklace. Every muscle inside me went still. Slowly. Dangerously. That’s impossible. That’s what I thought too. My grip tightened around the phone slightly. Our mother’s necklace disappeared the night she died.

Twenty years ago. Nobody found it afterward. Not the police. Not our father. Not even me. Who was she? I asked quietly. A billionaire named Serena Vale. Silence filled the office instantly. No. Impossible. Lucia continued speaking calmly. She wore it openly like she didn’t know what it meant. A cold feeling entered my chest. That necklace carried blood behind it. History. Secrets. Death. How certain are you? I asked. I grew up staring at that necklace every day. I’m not mistaken. I walked back toward the desk slowly. Serena Vale again. Too many connections now. Far too many. What else? I asked. She was with Vivian Cross. That made things worse. Because Vivian knew exactly who I was. And if Serena possessed that necklace. No. Something wasn’t right. You think Vivian knows? Lucia asked. I think Vivian knows more than she should. Lucia became quiet briefly. Then, there’s another problem. Of course, there was. What? I ran Serena’s background privately. And? She has no connection to our family. Relief almost came. Almost. But Lucia continued carefully, someone erased parts of her father’s history fifteen years ago. I stopped moving completely.

My father spent years erasing records after my mother died. Especially records connected to women. And children. You think our father hid something? I asked coldly. I think Serena Vale is standing too close to our family secrets. The room suddenly felt smaller. More dangerous. I looked down at the operation file again. Female target. Protected. Extraction is required alive. No identity. Then Lucia spoke the sentence that changed everything. The operation you accepted tonight, she said quietly. What if Serena is the target? A dark silence entered my chest. Because suddenly every instinct I had been ignoring started making sense. Vivian’s jealousy. The anonymous contract. The missing identity. The necklace. The erased records. Too connected. Too deliberate. I opened the file again immediately and flipped through the hidden pages faster this time. Then I found it. One detail previously ignored. The extraction date. Tomorrow night.

At Serena Vale’s charity gala. My jaw tightened slowly. Someone wanted Serena taken alive. Not killed. Not publicly attacked. Taken. Carefully. Quietly. Like she was valuable. Or dangerous. My phone remained against my ear while Lucia waited silently. Finally, she spoke again. Damien? I stared down at Serena’s name printed across the final page. And for the first time in years, something unfamiliar touched my instincts. Not fear. Curiosity. Dangerous curiosity. Because deep inside me, I suddenly had the terrifying feeling that accepting this operation might become the worst mistake of my life. Then Marco burst back into the office. His face had gone pale. Boss. I looked up immediately. What? He swallowed hard. You need to see this. He placed a photograph on the desk. And the moment I saw Serena Vale standing beside a younger version of my mother in the picture, my entire world stopped.