Chapter 8

The family was in chaos. Dad held my hand, voice serious. “Abel will cloud your judgment.” I lowered my eyes. “But I can’t live without him.” Dad smiled. “But he’s proven he can handle it.” Confused, Dad told me—Abel had been secretly working for him, proving he could stand by my side. That elite team? Abel built it to protect me and the family when I was in danger. “Go. He’s earned it.” Those were Dad’s last words. After the funeral, when things settled, I went to find Abel. But he had his phone turned off and didn’t reply to any messages. Even my men couldn’t find him at his usual spots. A feeling of unease washed over me. Then, a video came to my phone. Abel’s face was flushed, tied to a chair in a dark room. He looked utterly miserable! The sender was Ryan—the boy who’d asked me for a drink at the banquet. [Dear Simon, now that you run the empire, why not give me your lover?] I grabbed my gun, ready to go, but Eric stopped me. “Wait. He’s after you.