TO BE DETERMINED

The hunt begins

Three

Jason’s Point of View

My fingers curled into a fist, nails moving into my palm.

The scent of Vanessa’s perfume still lingers in the air, a reminder of how she had stood before me with her chin high, her hand in his.

I swallowed, my throat tight. My eyes darted to the ring box lying on my desk, the velvet still open, empty. She had planned to propose. Here. To me.

The whiskey in my glass trembled as I reached for it, my grip shaky. I wanted to drink, to dull the roaring in my head, but I didn’t. Instead, I set it down, harder than necessary, the sound sharp in the thick silence of the office.

My pulse drummed in my ears. Leonardo Ricci. The way he had smirked at me, the way his hand had rested so gentle on her waist—it burned my skin, hotter than the liquor in my veins.

A slow breath, gentle. I rolled my shoulders back, forcing my spine straight. This wasn’t about rage anymore. Rage was reckless. What I needed was control.

Reaching for my phone, I dialed with the silence deafening, just a ring.

"Sir?" A shaky low voice on the other end.

My jaw ticked, muscles tightening as I stared at the city skyline from the window. “Cancel Vanessa’s flight.”

The other was silent, I could feel it.

"Sir… Leonardo Ricci—"

My grip on the phone turned, the edges digging into my skin.

"I don’t care who he is," I said, my voice smooth, loud.

"Cancel the flight. When she arrives at the airport, she doesn’t board that plane. Do you understand?"

The man on the other end swallowed hard.

I exhaled sharply, tilting my head, watching the lights of the city flicker below. “I asked you a question.”

A sharp inhale. "Y-yes, sir."

I ended the call with a flick of my thumb, the screen going dark. My reflection stared back at me—eyes sharp, unreadable, lips pressing into a smirk.

She thought she was in control. Thought she had won.

She had no idea what game she had just stepped into.

I ended the call with a sharp press of my thumb. The screen went black, but my reflection looked back at me, eyes dark and narrow filled with danger everyone should be scared of.

A sharp click of heels made me tilt my neck to the place my ears had collected the sound.

Clara stood by the doorway, arms wrapped around herself, her face low and cold. Her lips were still swollen, lipstick smudged at the corner of her mouth, a reminder of the mistake I had just made.

"Jason," she leaned close to ear, licking her lips. "What now?"

My fingers curled into a fist. "We go after them."

Her brows lifted slightly. "To the Maldives?"

I was already dialing before she could finish.

The second my assistant picked up, I didn’t waste time. "Book us a flight. First class. Now."

Clara inhaled sharply. "Jason."

I turned to her, my voice sharp it could tear a diamond. "We’re a couple now."

Her eyebrows raised a smile on her face.

Then she nodded, her throat bobbing. "Understood."

But this wasn’t a vacation, I wasn't going to have a good time with Clara, No, I was on a hunt.

The first class boarding was going to take time and we might meet Leonardo, I thought so I decided to take my private jet informing my assistant of the changes.

The cabin smelled of leather, and expensive cologne, I was supposed to be relieved, no, I wasn't.

The soft hum of the engine came to life, vibrating under my feets, it was soothing.

Clara had poured me whiskey, I looked at it, seeing the ice was melting, I took a sip, the alcohol was tasteless in my tongue, my mind wandering elsewhere.

A smile leapt out from my face, the silence was almost killing me, while I waited for her call, her call to plead for her flight to not be cancelled.

My phone buzzed jolting me away from the silence, I pushed myself up, stretching to the polished wood of the armrest to get the call.

A low voice hit my eardrum, "Sir, they boarded with ease, I did everything I could even having him held but they escaped and the authorities were scared of cancelling his flight too."

I ended the call not wanting to hear anything from him, the silence deafening with my eyes fixed on the window.

I looked down, my breath heaving, my fingers pressing life out from the glass in my hands, it broke the crystals piercing through my skin.

Leonardo can't be ahead of me, I ignored the warm blood racing down my palm, while a smile crept through my face.

Fine. Let them think they’re safe.

Deeks, one of my men, shifted in the seat behind me. His dark eyes flicked toward my hand but didn’t waver. His presence was a steady weight in the room, a reminder that I wasn’t alone in this.

He leaned forward. "Sir," his voice, "Do you still want to go through with it?"

Wait, is he getting scared?

I raised my brows, the air around me became stiff, filled with rage, my chest rose and fell more than its usual rhythm, my skin red with anger each passing second it increased.

"Yes."

His nod was quick and firm, he didn't ask another question.

Clara’s breathing hit my hands, she was applying first aid to my hands.

"Jason," she whispered, her voice trembling now. "Are you sure…"

I turned to her, slow, my eyes locking in her eyes. "You think I’ll let her humiliate me? You think I’ll let her walk away with him?"

She swallowed hard, leaving the wounds to sink in her seat.

I stretched to her seat beside, whispering in her ears. "You think Leonardo Ricci is going to be a problem?!

Her fingers curled on her lap, nails digging into the silk of her dress. She knew better than to argue.

The cabin suddenly felt too warm, the air too thick. The scent of aviation fuel, whiskey, and something metallic—blood—clung to my senses.

My pulse pounded, Vanessa is mine, if I can't have her then Leonardo can't, I lifted my wrist checking the time.

Just a few hours to Maldives, I lifted my chin to a smirk, my hands in my mouth sucking, the coppery taste of blood on my tongue.

Enjoy the trip while you can, Vanessa, because it might be your last.