Sonia12

She was raised to bring justice. He was born to rule the underworld.

Detective Aria Voss has spent years chasing shadows—tracking the faceless crime lord known only as The Phantom. Ruthless, elusive, and always a step ahead, he is the mastermind behind the city's most untouchable criminal empire. No one has ever seen his face. No one knows his name. And Aria is determined to be the one who brings him down.

But she doesn’t realize the man she’s hunting has been hunting her for years.

Killian Dante is more than just the Phantom. He is the architect of Aria’s life—pulling the strings from the shadows, ensuring every case she solved, every lead she chased, was one he placed in front of her. He has shaped her into the perfect detective, the perfect obsession, without her ever knowing. And now, she’s getting too close to the truth.

When a single mistake forces Killian to step out of the darkness, their game of cat and mouse turns deadly. She should hate him. She should arrest him. But every moment in his presence shatters her resolve. Every glance burns hotter than the justice she once swore to uphold.

She thought she was hunting a monster. But what happens when the monster is the man who owns her heart?

Will she uncover the truth and destroy him—or will she fall so deep that she loses herself in his world forever?

Puppet Master's Obsession

The next morning, Aria was dressed in black.

The moment she woke, a neatly pressed outfit awaited her—a fitted black dress that hugged her frame, paired with sleek heels that made her feel like she was preparing for a funeral.

She wasn't sure if it was her funeral or someone else's.

The air was heavy as Killian led her down the grand staircase, his presence a silent command.

No words had been exchanged between them since last night.

But the tension from their last conversation still clung to the air, unspoken but palpable.

"Where are we going?" she finally asked.

Killian glanced at her. "To the one place I don't take outsiders."

Because the moment they stepped outside, a sleek black car awaited them.

The driver opened the door, and Killian slid in first, expecting her to follow.

For a brief moment, she considered running.

Bolting into the streets. Disappearing.

She wasn't just stepping into a car.

Aria watched the city pass through the tinted windows, her mind racing.

Wherever they were going, it wasn't within normal reach.

The roads twisted into unfamiliar paths. Buildings turned to warehouses, neon-lit districts gave way to shadowed streets.

Massive, wrought-iron things that looked more suited for a fortress than a meeting place.

The driver rolled down his window, flashing some kind of emblem.

And Aria felt her heartbeat stutter.

They were entering something much deeper than she had anticipated.

And she was about to meet its rulers.

Chapter 16 Into The Lion's Den