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

Not because it was crowded—no, there were only a dozen men and women seated around the table, their expressions unreadable. But the weight of their gazes, the unspoken judgment hanging in the air, made it hard to breathe.

Aria sat stiffly in the chair Killian had pulled out for her, feeling like a prisoner standing trial.

Because that's exactly what this was.

Killian settled into the chair beside her, his presence effortless, dominant. The room may have been full of powerful figures, but it was clear that he was the one they all deferred to.

Aria had spent years chasing criminals, gathering intel on the most notorious syndicates.

Yet she had never truly grasped the extent of Killian's power.

At the far end of the table, Lorenzo Vega leaned forward, fingers tapping against the polished wood. His sharp blue eyes bore into her with interest that was both lazy and dangerous.

"Tell me, detective," he said smoothly. "Did you ever imagine you'd end up sitting at this table?"

Aria met his gaze evenly. "I imagined putting most of you behind bars."

A low chuckle rippled through the room.

Lorenzo smirked. "Ambitious. But we both know that will never happen."

A man to his left—broad-shouldered, with a jagged scar cutting down his jaw—spoke next.

"You don't belong here." His voice was rough, laced with disdain. "Why should we let you live?"

Aria felt Killian's gaze flicker toward the man.

But she answered before Killian could.

"Because killing me would be a mistake."

The scarred man scoffed. "How do you figure?"

Aria exhaled. "Because if I die, the entire police force will tear this city apart looking for me."

Aria wasn't just some low-level detective.

She was one of the best. And her sudden disappearance would set off alarms.

Lorenzo tilted his head. "And yet, you're sitting here. With him." His gaze flickered to Killian. "Which means you're already compromised."

The word sent a rush of defiance through her.

Before she could respond, another voice cut through the room.

His tone was quiet, but it carried a finality that left no room for argument.

A flicker of tension passed through the table.

Then—Lorenzo leaned back with an easy smile.

"Well, if the Puppet Master has decided, who are we to argue?"

The words were light, but Aria didn't miss the weight behind them.

She had heard whispers of the name before, but she had never connected it to Killian.

Killian wasn't just a leader in the underworld.

He controlled everything from the shadows.

And she had walked right into his hands.

The meeting continued, but Aria barely processed the conversations happening around her.

Killian had brought her here, knowing what it meant.

Knowing that once she stepped into this world, there would be no escape.

As the meeting wrapped up, the men and women began rising, exchanging brief words before disappearing into the halls of the estate.

But before he did, he paused beside Aria, leaning in just slightly.

"Careful, detective," he murmured, amusement laced with warning. "You think you're playing a game with Killian Laurent."

"But you don't realize… he's already won."

Leaving Aria with the chilling certainty that he might be right.

Because no matter how much she fought it…

He had no intention of letting her go.

Chapter 17 The wolves and The Lamb