Until I arrive

DONOVAN'S POV:

This was one of the most important meetings of the year. The price negotiations for our latest line of weapons. Billions at stake. Years of research, engineering, and logistics leading up to this moment.

Yet, what I hadn't accounted for—what I never could have predicted—was how these so-called clients would sit here, wasting my time with problems beyond our contract.

Their land disputes. Their stolen weapons. Warehouse breaches.

I manufacture and sell weapons. I am not a fucking security guard.

Still, I listened. Information was power. Knowing their weaknesses, their desperation, their enemies—all of it could prove helpful. The best business deals weren't just about money. They were about leverage. You never knew when someone in this room would turn out to be worth more than gold in a crisis.

And yet…She was still in my head.

I had made the perfect plan for tonight. Take Li to the club. People our age love parties, drinking, and dancing, of course, except me. I love formal parties, drinks, and probably formal waltz dances, but clubbing is not my thing. I prefer a less noisy party. But as most people love clubbing.

I thought I would take Li to the club. Get her to loosen up......I probably should have asked her if she likes clubbing...And, of course, I had already cancelled the part where I had to introduce her to someone else. I didn't like the idea anymore.

Not especially after this morning. She had threatened to kiss me.

I should have laughed and brushed it off. But instead, all day, I kept hearing it. I kept seeing her lips, slightly parted, the heat rushing to her face, the way she had bolted after throwing those words at me. And suddenly, I had spent the entire fucking day with her invading my mind.

Why?

Was it because she reminded me of Liora? Or was it because of who she was—someone entirely new?

I tried to stay away, but somehow, she kept falling on around me and on me. Or maybe I was also the one drawn to her... like an idiot. I couldn't resist being close to her. I enjoyed provoking her. Eliciting responses from her brought me joy. I relished it and wanted to annoy her further to elicit even more reactions from her. I want her to keep blushing looking at me... and I am fucking losing my mind right now.

I wanted to smirk now; of course, I can't, not in front of the clients.

Li, was chaos in its purest form. Unpredictable. Infuriating. A walking contradiction of innocence and reckless defiance. Fragile, yet fierce.

And now, instead of focusing on the deal, I found myself distracted. Completely, utterly distracted.

The lady in the black dress—our assistant—had done most of my work for me. I barely had to speak, yet I knew the second this meeting ended, she would corner me. And for the first time in a long time, I wouldn't have an answer. And there will be another story with Logan, who keeps side-glancing at me every few minutes.

A sharp vibration rattled my phone against the polished wood of the conference table. I don't check my phone during meetings. Ever! I have men for that. Assistants. Secretaries. People whose job is to filter the unnecessary from what actually matters.

But tonight? Tonight, I was late for her.

I reached for the phone, barely glancing at the others, who were still droning on about price negotiations. My thumb tapped against the screen, and the second the image loaded—something inside me went still.

Something was wrong!

The roses I had sent were clutched between a pair of breasts, and her dress was cut so low that it was practically an invitation. No face..... Just a body—a message meant to seduce.

It wasn't Li. I knew it before my brain could even register the fact.

Li doesn't dress like this. Li doesn't sell herself through fabric like many. If anything, she hides. Beneath oversized sleeves, beneath loose clothes—like she doesn't want the world to see her.

Just like Liora!

Fuck!

Again!

Li....Liora! A single twist of letters, a name that should have meant nothing but had begun clawing its way into my mind, into my thoughts, into places it had no business being. No matter how much I tried to ignore it, it kept coming back.

But that wasn't the problem. Not right now, at least. I didn't send these roses to the women in the pic. Who was this woman, and more importantly, if this wasn't Li, where was she?

The thought coiled tight around my throat, burning at the edges like a slow, creeping fire.

I pushed back my chair, the metal legs scraping against the floor—a sound sharp enough to cut the room in half. Every eye snapped to me. But I didn't care.

"Ladies and gentlemen," I announced smoothly, my voice carefully measured. "An urgent matter has come up. The Lady in Black will handle the rest of this meeting."

Logan frowned. He didn't question me. He knew something was off and didn't stop me.

I walked out without another word, my strides long, controlled, fueled by something dark pressing at my ribs. The moment I was out of sight, I pulled out my phone and called Peter.

The manager of Twilight Zone picked up on the first ring. His voice held too much enthusiasm. He didn't know... didn't know what he had done.

He didn't know that he had fucked up.

"Mr Magnum!" Peter's voice was practically oozing with excitement. "Are you going to be late? Your guest is waiting—"

I cut straight to the point. "Who is the woman sitting in the lounge?"

There was silence from the end of the call. Peter did not speak a word.

"My guest," I repeated, my voice dropping into something dangerous. "The woman you let into my private lounge—who is she?"

I heard a swallow. A nervous one like a thought racing through a worried mind. "Y-Your guest, Mr Magnum."

I clenched my jaw, my patience shattering like glass. "What's her name?" Peter heard me asking.

"I-I didn't ask, sir." Peter's voice wavered. Now, he sounded unsure. "She arrived in a Porsche, wearing an expensive dress and accessories. She claimed she was invited, so I assumed…"

"Assumed?.... You. Fucking. Assumed. Without asking her name, without confirming anything, you had let a random woman take Li's place?"

My fingers curled tighter around the phone. A slow, suffocating rage took shape inside my chest. "Where is Li, Peter?"

I heard another sharp inhale from the other end of the line. I could listen to Peter's thoughts scrambling, trying to piece together his own fuck-up.

"Mr. Magnum, let me—let me ask the lady her name and confirm—"

"She's not Li," I cut him off, my voice like a blade. "Did any other woman arrive alone?"

Here we go, another silence.

Then Peter spoke, his voice suddenly uncertain. "Mr. Magnum… there was another woman. She arrived earlier than anyone else. She was dressed in a long black skirt, a full-sleeve white blouse…" A vice tightened around my lungs. I heard Peter hesitate before speaking further. I could almost hear his heartbeat from here. "There was also a bachelor party booked tonight," he continued. "For Mr. Roland Lamborni and his friends. They hired a pole dancer."

Hearing Peter, the air in my lungs turned ice-cold. Every cell in my body locked onto those last three words. 'Hired. Pole. Dancer.'

I inhaled sharply, rage searing through me like a bullet lodged too deep to pull out. "Peter," I said, my voice terrifyingly calm. "Did you send Li into that room?"

"Mr Magnum, I—"

"Peter, don't test my patience."

"I—I made a mistake. I did not ask her name. " His voice was shaking now. "I simply assumed she was part of their— I'll fix it!.... Everything tonight will be on the house, free of charge—"

"Peter, I am not sure if she is Li. You better go and check right now before I arrive."

"Yes…" Peter hesitated. " However, Mr Magnum, I do not think she is your guest. When I took Mr. Lamborni and his friends to the black door, she asked about someone called Nova."

"Nova," I whispered, the name slipping past my lips like a curse, my mind racing faster than my pulse. My fingers pressed against my temple, trying to keep the chaos unravelling in my head.

The female was waiting for some guy called Nova! It's definitely not Li. This asshole completely fixed up the people. He sent the wrong woman to those wolves.

If I had given Li my number, all this could have been prevented.

'Nova.' The name echoed in my head.....′ Li.... Nova.... No....va....′ "Peter," my voice came out quieter this time, but not softer—sharper. Deadlier. "Did she say, Nova?"

The pause that followed was like a death sentence.

"Y-yes, Mr. Magnum."

A slow, suffocating rage curled through my chest. "Get her out," I said, voice like a blade pressed to his throat.

"Mr. Magnum, I—"

"GET. HER. OUT."

"But Mr Magnum—Roland Lamborni is the Defence Minister's son! If I interrupt his party—"

I clenched the phone more firmly. Is he making an excuse? Doesn't he worry about the consequences? Maybe it's time to reveal who Capo dei Capi really is.

"The same way you fucked up, you are going to fix it." The sheer weight of my fury poured into every syllable. "If she gets a single scratch... You know your future, right?"

A stammering, low voice came through the other end of the phone. "Y-Yes, Mr Magnum."

I cut the call. I had wasted enough time.

I stormed back into the conference room. Every head turned toward me again. "Ladies and gentlemen," I announced coldly. "This meeting is over."

Clients who had sharp edges on their eyes now looked confused and shocked. I understand very well the situation. I am a professional businessman. But right now, I do not care about my image. "To compensate for the sudden end," I continued, voice smooth but unshakable, "All orders will receive a 3% discount. Orders over $100 million will receive 5%. Any of you facing security issues are welcome to stay in Sky Tower for a week. I personally hear the problems and will try to come up with a solution together. Consider it a goodwill gesture." Some gave a few nods, and some whispered in approval. But I was already walking toward the door.

I turned to Logan, my voice leaving no room for argument. "Come with me." I had my own doubts that needed to be cleared. We made our way to the private café around the corner. I stopped and looked at him dead in the eye.

"Logan," I said quietly. "Who is Li?"

His eyes flickered, just for a second. But I caught it.

"Logan?" My voice sharpened.

"Li is Liora!" He blurted out.

The moment the name left Logan's mouth, the ground beneath me might as well have cracked open.

Liora!

Everything inside me went still. And then, like a match to gasoline, it ignited. My fist clenched, nails digging into my palm as my pulse thundered, wild and untamed. A single name, a single realization, and its weight pressed down on my chest, suffocating. How the fuck did I not see it sooner? The signs had been there, staring me in the face—her mannerisms, the way she spoke, the way she carried herself, that stubborn defiance hid behind wide, wary eyes. The past and present slammed together, and something inside me snapped.

I lifted my smartwatch to my lips. My voice is as cold and final as death itself. "Get the helicopter ready."

A crackle through the receiver. "Yes, Capo dei Capi!"

Logan stood stiff beside me, knowing better than to speak. I didn't need to look at him to feel the weight of his unease, the silent regret curling in his gut. He.. No! He and Kai should have told me sooner. They both knew since the beginning.

I turned sharply. My movements looked controlled—but inside, I was a hurricane. A storm rolling toward shore, ruthless and unstoppable. My feet carried me with purpose, my mind already calculating my next move.

If anything had happened to Liora—if a single fucking hair on her head was out of place—this city was about to burn.

The elevator doors slid shut with a quiet chime, but inside me, everything was roaring. I pressed my smartwatch to my lips, "Sniper Alpha, are you in position?" My snipers always reach before I reach the place.

A static crackle, then—"Yes, sir!"

I stepped forward, the numbers on the elevator screen flickering as the floors ascended. Too slow!

"Third floor. A group of men. One woman among them. Do you have a visual?"

"Affirmative, sir."

My jaw clenched. The words tasted like poison. Liora is surrounded and outnumbered. She must be scared. And it made my chest tightened.

"Shoot. But make it a warning. Do not hit anyone."

A heartbeat of silence came and then, the faintest click—the sniper adjusting his scope. A shot was fired.

Then I heard him say "—" Sir…" The hesitation in his voice made my gut twist. "The glass, sir. It's… reinforced. The bullet just dropped to the ground. It did not even scratch the glass!"

Since when was Twilight Zone made of bulletproof? Something I was not aware of.

"Do you want me to go in and deal with them, sir?"

I exhaled sharply, jaw tightening. I needed him in position.

"No. Maintain your post and keep an eye on everything happening inside the room." I disconnected the call to make another call. He is the only one I can count on now.

Liora was in there with the wolves. And she had no idea what kind of men she was trapped with. I was running out of time. Fifteen minutes. That's how long it would take to reach her. Too long. I needed someone on the ground now—someone who could move without waiting.

The line barely rang twice. A deep, smooth voice answered. "Donovan Magnum." The hint of amusement curled beneath my name as if he already knew I wasn't calling for small talk.

"Raynor Valtham! I need your help."

The line was quiet for a moment. Then came a chuckle—low, deliberate, the kind that made men second-guess their confidence. It was the sound of amusement laced with something more dangerous. Raynor was savouring the fact that I had called him for a favour.

"Donovan Magnum, asking me for help?" His voice dripped with mockery, stretching out my name like it was something to be dissected. "At this hour?"

I clenched my jaw, cutting straight to the point. "Raynor, it's urgent. You own everything in Dawn except Twilight Zone. I need your men inside that club—now. On the third floor. There is a woman called Liora. You need to get her out of that place. Do not touch the men in the room. They are mine to handle."

Today was the day of pause. I could almost picture the smirk tugging at his lips, his fingers drumming against a desk as he weighed his options. Then that chuckle again—slow, deep, edged with the satisfaction of a man who knew he had the upper hand.

"That urgent, hmm? Liora...... Let's make a deal first. I need Twilight Zone in my family name. Deal?"

I barely hesitated. "Done. I will make Peter hand it over instead of taking his life. Now you have a girl to save until I arrive."

*

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When I arrived on the helipad of Twilight Zone, the first thing I saw was chaos. A few men were collapsed on the ground, clutching their stomachs, vomiting blood. Their groans filled the night air, but I had no time to wonder what had happened.

My heartbeat thundered in my chest, each step down the stairwell feeling like it wasn't fast enough. Liora and her safety was only running in my mind.

I pushed past another group of men slumped against the walls, their faces twisted in agony, blood dripping from their lips.

What the hell happened here? A part of me wanted to demand answers, but I had no time—I needed to get to the third floor.

Reaching the third floor, I shoved open the door. And there they were. Every single one of them. Roland and his friends were on their knees.

I took a step inside, my chest heaving, and my gaze swept across the room, searching for her.

"Where is Liora?"