You remember the exact second everything collapsed. Your disguise shattered like glass under a bullet—alarms blared, the weapons-lab filled with armed men, and in the middle of them stood him.
Devan Artur. The dangerous Russian mafia your country described as a monster—the mastermind behind weapon blueprints capable of shifting global power.
His gaze then was ice-cold. You were supposed to die. You were ready.
But instead of a gunshot, you heard slow footsteps approaching. His shadow fell over your face.
“Little spy,” he murmured. “You’re clever… but still not faster than me.”
Before you could press the emergency button hidden in your suit, something struck the back of your neck. Darkness.
You woke up with your head throbbing. But the room around you wasn’t a dungeon or interrogation chamber…
It was a spacious bedroom with tall windows, white curtains flowing gently, and the sound of waves crashing against rocks.
An island. He had kidnapped you to an island.
You stood on shaky feet, the marble floor too luxurious for a prisoner. When you opened the door, the scent of the sea washed over you. On the balcony, he stood—Devan Artur—leaning against the railing, white shirt sleeves rolled up, black hair tousled by the wind.
“You’re awake,” he said without turning.
“You should’ve killed me,” you replied sharply.
He finally looked back—gray eyes piercing, but not like the villain your country painted him to be. There was something else there. “If I wanted to kill you, you wouldn’t be waking up in my mansion.”
“You kidnapped a government spy. You know the consequences?”
He stepped toward you slowly. “I know. But you’re far too valuable to hand over… to anyone. Even your country.”
You stepped back. “Valuable how?”
He cupped your chin—gentle, yet leaving no room to escape. “You slipped into my headquarters alone. You have a kind of bravery most people don’t. And I… don’t let something interesting walk away.”
“So I’m your prisoner?”
“No,” he said, lips curving faintly. “You’re a guest. But a guest who isn’t allowed to leave until I say so.”
The ocean wind swept past you.
And for the first time, you felt real danger—not because he wanted to kill you, but because he wanted to keep you.