THE BREAKING POINT

Daniel stood frozen, staring at the note on Emily's table.

You should have listened.

The words were simple, but the message was clear.

Moretti had taken her.

His fingers clenched into fists, his heartbeat hammering in his ears. He had been reckless. He had let his anger guide him, and now Emily was paying the price.

A sickening guilt twisted in his stomach, but he pushed it aside.

This wasn't over.

Not by a long shot.

A Desperate Call

Daniel grabbed Emily's phone off the table, hoping for a clue—anything that could tell him where they had taken her. He swiped the screen open. No new messages, no calls.

But then, something caught his eye.

A missed call.

From an unknown number.

Daniel didn't hesitate. He hit redial and pressed the phone to his ear, pacing the room like a caged animal.

The line rang once.

Twice.

Then a voice answered.

Calm. Cold.

"Mr. Carter. I was hoping you'd call."

Daniel's grip tightened on the phone. "Where is she?"

A pause. Then—

"She's safe. For now."

Daniel's entire body tensed. "If you touch her—"

Moretti's chuckle was like nails on a chalkboard. "Relax. I'm not a monster. But you made a mistake, Daniel. You should've taken my offer when you had the chance."

Daniel forced himself to stay calm. "What do you want?"

"You know exactly what I want."

Moretti's voice was smooth, almost amused. "You step into that ring with Chavez in three days. And you lose."

Daniel's blood ran cold.

So that was it.

The fight had never been about proving himself. It was about control.

Moretti wanted to own him.

Daniel exhaled slowly. "And if I don't?"

The amusement in Moretti's tone vanished. "Then Emily suffers for your choices."

Silence stretched between them, thick with tension.

Daniel's pulse pounded in his ears.

"Three days, Carter," Moretti continued. "You go down in the fifth round. Clean. No one will suspect a thing."

Daniel gritted his teeth.

And then the line went dead.

No Good Options

Daniel stood in Emily's apartment, gripping the phone so tightly his knuckles turned white.

Throwing the fight—it went against everything he stood for. Everything he had worked for.

But if he refused…

His mind flashed with the worst possibilities. Emily, scared. Hurt. Or worse.

He ran a hand through his hair, his breathing uneven.

There had to be another way.

Jared.

If anyone could help, it was him.

Daniel grabbed his own phone and dialed.

Jared answered on the second ring. "Daniel?"

"They took Emily."

Silence. Then—

"Where are you?"

"Her place."

"Stay there. I'm coming."

The line went dead.

Daniel set the phone down, his jaw tight. He was out of time.

Moretti had made his move.

Now it was Daniel's turn.

A Plan in Motion

Twenty minutes later, Jared burst through the door. His usual easy-going demeanor was gone, replaced with sharp focus.

"What happened?" he demanded.

Daniel filled him in quickly, pacing the apartment. Jared listened without interrupting, his expression darkening with every word.

When Daniel finished, Jared swore under his breath. "That son of a—"

"I need to find her," Daniel cut in. "Fast."

Jared exhaled, rubbing his jaw. "Moretti's got places all over the city. But if he's keeping her somewhere, it'll be somewhere quiet. Somewhere controlled."

Daniel nodded. "Any ideas?"

Jared thought for a moment. "There's an old club downtown—The Blue Orchid. Moretti used to run business out of there before he got too big for it. If he's holding her anywhere, that's my best guess."

Daniel didn't hesitate. "Then that's where we start."

Jared grabbed his keys. "Let's go."

Breaking In

The Blue Orchid sat on the edge of the city, long abandoned but still rumored to be in use by Moretti's men. The neon sign was dead, the windows dark.

Jared pulled the car into a side alley, killing the headlights.

"You sure about this?" he asked.

Daniel cracked his knuckles. "I'm not walking away."

Jared sighed. "Didn't think so."

They climbed out of the car, moving quickly toward the back entrance. Jared knelt, working the lock with practiced ease. Within seconds, the door clicked open.

They slipped inside.

The place smelled like dust and stale alcohol. The bar was empty, the furniture covered in sheets. But faint light spilled from the hallway ahead.

They weren't alone.

Jared pulled a knife from his jacket. "We do this quiet."

Daniel nodded.

They moved forward, sticking to the shadows. Voices drifted from behind a closed door.

"…Boss says we keep her here till the fight."

Daniel's hands clenched into fists.

Emily was here.

Jared gestured to the door. "Two guys inside," he whispered. "You take left, I take right?"

Daniel nodded.

Jared counted down with his fingers.

Three.

Two.

One.

They kicked the door open.

The Fight for Emily

The two guards barely had time to react.

Daniel slammed his fist into the first man's jaw, sending him sprawling. The second lunged for a gun, but Jared was faster—his knife flashed, slashing across the man's hand. He screamed, dropping the weapon.

Daniel finished the first guy with a brutal right hook. He hit the ground, unconscious.

Jared knocked the second guy out cold.

Silence.

Then—

"Daniel?"

His head snapped up.

Emily.

She was in the corner, hands tied, eyes wide.

He crossed the room in seconds, untying the ropes with shaking hands. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, her breath coming fast. "I knew you'd come."

Daniel pulled her into a brief, tight embrace before stepping back. "We need to get out of here. Now."

Jared checked the hallway. "No time to be quiet now. Let's move."

They slipped back into the shadows, making their way toward the exit.

But as they reached the back door, Daniel froze.

Standing outside, waiting for them—

Was Moretti.

And he wasn't alone.

The Final Warning

Moretti smiled, his sharp suit crisp under the dim streetlights. His men surrounded him, their hands resting on the guns at their waists.

Daniel stepped in front of Emily, his body coiled like a spring.

Moretti sighed. "Carter. I gave you a simple choice. And yet, here we are."

Daniel's jaw clenched. "Let her go. This is between you and me."

Moretti chuckled. "Oh, I know. But you just made things so much worse for yourself."

He took a step forward, his smile fading. "You fight Chavez in three days. And you lose. Otherwise…"

He glanced at Emily.

Daniel's muscles burned with the need to fight. To tear through Moretti's men.

But he couldn't risk it.

Not yet.

Moretti smirked. "See you in the ring, champ."

Then he and his men vanished into the night.

Leaving Daniel standing there—

Knowing that now, the real fight had begun.