The return to reality hit like a bucket of ice water.
Lucas was waiting at the private airfield when we landed, his expression tense in a way that immediately set off alarm bells.
"Welcome back," he said, but there was no warmth in it. "We need to talk. Now."
Adrian's hand tightened on mine. "What happened?"
"Not here." Lucas glanced around at the airport staff. "The car."
The drive home was silent and heavy with dread. I watched the city pass by, so different from the pristine waters of Bora Bora. Gray buildings, traffic, noise. Real life.
I already missed paradise.
At the mansion, Margaret greeted us with hugs and questions about the trip that died on her lips when she saw our faces.
"I'll make coffee," she said quietly, disappearing toward the kitchen.
We gathered in Adrian's study me, Adrian, and Lucas. The door closed with an ominous click.
"Talk," Adrian commanded.
Lucas pulled out his tablet, brought up a series of documents. "Three days after you left, someone tried to hack into Blackwood Empire's servers. Our security caught it, but not before they accessed some sensitive files."
"What kind of files?" I asked.
"Financial records. Client lists. And.." Lucas hesitated, "..personal information. About both of you. Medical records, phone logs, security details for this house."
My blood ran cold. "Someone was looking for ways to hurt us."
"Yes. And they're good. Really good. Our head of cybersecurity says whoever did this is professional level. Military or intelligence background, most likely."
Adrian's jaw tightened. "Ethan's still in prison. Sterling's awaiting trial. Who else.."
"That's the thing." Lucas swiped to another screen. "I had our team trace the hack. It came from an IP address in Switzerland. Took some digging, but we found the source."
He turned the tablet so we could see. A photo of a man in his fifties, distinguished-looking with silver hair and cold eyes.
"Alexander Volkov. Russian oligarch, international businessman, and according to Interpol, suspected head of a criminal syndicate that spans three continents."
"The Syndicate," I breathed. "The one Sterling mentioned during his trial."
"Exactly. Sterling wasn't the top of the chain he was middle management. Volkov is the real power." Lucas pulled up more documents. "Sterling's been talking to federal prosecutors, trying to reduce his sentence. He gave them Volkov's name two weeks ago. And now Volkov knows."
"He's tying up loose ends," Adrian said. "Sterling talked, so now Volkov is eliminating anyone Sterling might have told about the organization."
"Which includes you two. Sterling mentioned your names multiple times in his testimony." Lucas looked grim. "Volkov knows you're the ones who brought Sterling down. And he's coming for you."
The room spun slightly. We'd just gotten home from our honeymoon. We'd been talking about babies and the future and growing old together.
And now someone was trying to kill us.
"What do we do?" My voice came out steadier than I felt.
"First, increased security." Lucas pulled out a folder. "I've already hired additional guards. The house will have 24/7 surveillance. You both get bodyguards whenever you leave the property."
"I'm not living in a prison," Adrian said sharply.
"You're not living at all if Volkov succeeds. This isn't negotiable, Adrian." Lucas's tone was firm. "I've also been in contact with the FBI. They're interested in Volkov very interested. If you cooperate with their investigation, they'll provide federal protection."
"Cooperate how?" I asked.
"Testimony. Evidence. Whatever you know about Sterling's operation, they need it on record. And they want to use you as bait."
"Absolutely not," Adrian said immediately.
"Hear me out. Volkov is careful. He doesn't get his hands dirty personally. But if they can draw him out, catch him making a move against you.."
"No." Adrian stood, started pacing. "I won't put Sophia in danger. Not for the FBI, not for anyone."
"Adrian, we're already in danger." I stood too, touched his arm. "Lucas is right. If we can help catch Volkov, end this entire organization isn't that better than looking over our shoulders forever?"
"Not if it means risking your life."
"It's my life to risk."
"No, it's our life. Ours. And I won't.." His voice cracked. "Sophia, I just got you. I just married you. We just promised forever. I can't lose you now."
My heart broke at the raw fear in his voice. "You won't lose me."
"You can't promise that."
"Neither can you. But we can fight. Together. Like we always have." I turned to Lucas. "What's the FBI's plan?"
"Sophia.." Adrian started.
"What's the plan?" I repeated firmly.
Lucas looked between us, then at Adrian. When Adrian didn't stop me, he explained. "They want to set a trap. Make it look like you're vulnerable maybe a public event, lots of visibility. Draw Volkov or his people out. FBI will have undercover agents everywhere, ready to move the second anything happens."
"That's insane," Adrian said. "Too many variables. Too much that could go wrong."
"Do you have a better idea?" Lucas challenged.
"Yes. We disappear. Take Sophia somewhere Volkov can't find us. Change our names, start over.."
"Adrian, no." I cupped his face, made him look at me. "We're not running. We didn't run from Ethan, we didn't run from Sterling. We're not running now."
"Those were different.."
"How? How are they different?"
"Because I love you more now!" The words exploded out of him. "Because every day with you makes the thought of losing you more unbearable. Because.." his voice dropped to a whisper, "..because I can't survive losing you, Sophia. I barely survived before I met you. If something happened to you now, I wouldn't come back from it."
Tears stung my eyes. "Nothing will happen to me. To us. We're going to fight this, and we're going to win. Because that's what we do."
"She's right, man." Lucas's voice was gentle. "You can't run from this. Volkov has resources, connections. He'd find you eventually. Better to face this head-on, with the FBI backing you up."
Adrian looked at me for a long moment, and I saw the battle in his eyes. The desire to protect me warring with the knowledge that I was right.
"If we do this," he said finally, "we do it my way. Full security. FBI protection. And the second I think it's too dangerous, we're out. Deal?"
"Deal," I agreed.
Lucas exhaled in relief. "Okay. I'll set up a meeting with the FBI. Tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow," Adrian confirmed. "Now get out. I need time with my wife."
After Lucas left, Adrian pulled me into his arms and just held me. I felt him shaking slightly.
"Hey," I said softly. "I'm okay. We're okay."
"Not yet we're not. But we will be." He pulled back to look at me. "Sophia, if anything happened to you because of my past, because of the people I've made enemies of"
"Stop. This isn't because of you. This is because of Sterling, because of Volkov, because there are bad people in the world who don't like being held accountable." I kissed him gently. "We didn't start this fight. But we're going to finish it."
"Together."
"Always together."
That night, I couldn't sleep.
Adrian was out cold exhaustion from travel and stress but my mind wouldn't quiet. I kept thinking about Volkov, about the Syndicate, about all the ways this could go wrong.
I slipped out of bed and went downstairs to the study. My mother's photo album was still there, and I opened it to a random page.
My mother at maybe twenty-five, standing with a group of people at what looked like a protest. She held a sign that read "Corporate Accountability Now."
I'd never known this about her. That she'd been an activist. A fighter.
"Couldn't sleep either?"
I turned to find Adrian in the doorway, shirtless and rumpled.
"Sorry, did I wake you?"
"No. Bed's cold without you." He came to sit beside me, looked at the photo. "What's this?"
"My mother. Apparently she protested corporate corruption in her twenties."
"Fighting for justice runs in the family, then."
"Seems like it." I closed the album. "Adrian, are you angry? That I want to do this, work with the FBI?"
"Angry? No. Terrified? Absolutely. But angry?" He shook his head. "You're doing what you think is right. I can't be angry about that, even if I wish you'd choose the safer option."
"There is no safer option. Not really. Volkov won't stop until we're dead or he's caught."
"I know." He pulled me close. "That's what scares me. But you're right we face this together. We always have."
"Always will."
"Promise me something, though."
"What?"
"Promise me you'll be careful. That you won't take unnecessary risks. That you'll let me protect you when I can."
"I promise. If you promise the same."
"Deal."
We sat there in the quiet study, holding each other, until the first light of dawn crept through the windows.
The FBI meeting was at a secure location downtown a nondescript office building that looked like any other from the outside.
Inside was different. Security checkpoints, armed guards, the kind of serious atmosphere that made it clear we weren't playing games anymore.
Agent Sarah Chen was mid-thirties, sharp-eyed and no-nonsense. She met us in a conference room with two other agents and Lucas.
"Mr. and Mrs. Blackwood. Thank you for coming." She gestured to seats. "I understand Mr. Grant briefed you on the situation."
"He did," Adrian said tersely. "And we're here to hear your plan."
"Direct. I appreciate that." Chen pulled up a presentation on the large screen. "Alexander Volkov has been on our radar for fifteen years. We know he heads a criminal organization responsible for money laundering, fraud, and at least eight murders. But we've never been able to prove it. He's careful. Uses intermediaries. Never directly involved."
"Until now," I guessed.
"Until now. Marcus Sterling's testimony gives us the connection we've been looking for. But Sterling alone isn't enough we need more evidence. And we need to catch Volkov in the act."
"That's where we come in," Adrian said flatly.
"Yes. You two are threats to him. You exposed Sterling, you're cooperating with us. He'll want you eliminated." Chen pulled up more documents. "We propose staging a public event. The annual Blackwood Foundation Gala, perhaps. Make it look like business as usual, but we'll have agents everywhere. When Volkov makes his move, we'll be ready."
"And if he doesn't take the bait?" I asked.
"Then we try something else. But Mrs. Blackwood, men like Volkov have egos. You humiliated one of his lieutenants. He'll want to make an example of you."
"Comforting," Adrian muttered.
"We'll have a minimum of twenty agents at the event. Undercover as staff, guests, security. You'll both wear tracking devices and panic buttons. At the first sign of trouble, we move."
"What about collateral damage?" I asked. "If there are hundreds of people at this gala, innocent people"
"We'll evacuate at the first sign of danger. Our priority is civilian safety, then your safety, then the arrest." Chen leaned forward. "I won't lie to you there's risk involved. But we've done this before. And we're good at our jobs."
Adrian and I looked at each other. An entire conversation passed between us in that glance.
Are you sure?
No. But we have to try.
Together?
Always together.
"When is this gala?" Adrian asked.
"Three weeks. That gives us time to plan, to get everyone in position." Chen slid contracts across the table. "If you agree, you'll need to sign cooperation agreements. You'll be under federal protection until Volkov is apprehended."
I picked up the pen. Adrian's hand covered mine.
"Last chance to back out," he said quietly.
"No backing out. We finish this."
"Together."
"Together."
We signed.
The next three weeks were a strange combination of normal life and constant vigilance.
Adrian and I went to work, attended meetings, had dinner with James. But always with bodyguards shadowing us. Always looking over our shoulders.
The photo of Volkov haunted me. Those cold eyes. The knowledge that somewhere, he was planning how to kill us.
"Stop," Adrian said one night, finding me staring at the photo on my laptop.
"I can't help it. I keep thinking"
"Don't. Don't give him space in your head." He closed the laptop, pulled me into his lap. "Sophia, we're doing everything right. Security, FBI, being careful. We just have to trust the plan."
"What if it's not enough?"
"Then we'll deal with that when it happens. But right now, in this moment, we're safe. We're together. Focus on that."
He was right. I knew he was right. But the fear was still there, lurking in every shadow.
The night before the gala, neither of us could sleep. We lay in bed, holding each other.
"Whatever happens tomorrow" Adrian started.
"Don't. Don't do the goodbye speech."
"I'm not. I'm just I need you to know. These weeks with you, this life we've built it's been the happiest I've ever been. And if something goes wrong tomorrow, I want you to know that I don't regret any of it. Not one second."
Tears slipped down my cheeks. "Nothing's going wrong. We're going to walk into that gala, Volkov or his people will make their move, the FBI will catch them, and we'll walk out together. End of story."
"You sound very certain."
"I am. Because I didn't survive Ethan and Sterling just to get taken down by some Russian oligarch with an ego problem. I'm going to grow old with you, Adrian Blackwood. We're going to have those three kids we talked about. We're going to watch them grow up and drive us crazy. We're going to be that old couple still holding hands at ninety."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
"I'm going to hold you to that."
"Good."
We made love slowly, tenderly, like we had all the time in the world. Because we did. We would.
I refused to believe anything else.
As dawn broke on the day of the gala, I woke before Adrian and slipped out to the garden. The roses were in bloom Margaret's pride and joy.
I picked one, careful of the thorns, and brought it inside. Placed it in a vase on the nightstand where I could see it.
A reminder. Life was beautiful. Life was worth fighting for.
And I was going to fight like hell to keep it.
Adrian stirred, reached for me. "Morning."
"Morning. Ready for tonight?"
"No. But that's never stopped us before."
"No," I agreed. "It hasn't."
"Sophia?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you. More than anything. More than my own life."
"I know. I love you too." I kissed him softly. "And tonight, we're going to prove that love is stronger than fear. Stronger than threats. Stronger than anything Volkov can throw at us."
"Together."
"Always together."
We got out of bed and prepared to face whatever came next.
Because that's what we did.
We faced things.
Together.
END OF CHAPTER 13