Chapter 27: Do or Die

As we arrived at the safe house, Frederick's men stood in formation, their expressions unreadable. The tension in the air was thick, but nothing could have prepared me for what I saw next.

There, standing in the dim glow of the overhead lights, was Letty.

My body tensed instinctively. Her presence alone was enough to send a cold wave through me. She looked composed, almost smug, as if she had been expecting me all along.

Frederick stepped ahead, his face unreadable. "Surprised?" Letty drawled, tilting her head slightly. "You should be. We have a lot to talk about, dear."

I clenched my jaw, my grip tightening around the strap of my soaked jacket. Whatever this was, I knew it wasn't going to be just a conversation.

"What is she doing here?" I asked, my voice sharp with disbelief.

Frederick exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "She's going to testify against Lucious."

I scoffed. "And you believe her?" My eyes flickered to Letty, who stood there, unfazed, a ghost of a smirk tugging at her lips.

"I know this is a lot to take in, Khai," Frederick continued, his tone measured, "but this is our best chance."

I shook my head. "We're not putting Lucious in jail. He'll be out in no time, and you damn well know it."

That's when Letty laughed—low, eerie, almost amused.

"Oh, Khai," she mused, taking a slow step forward. "You've changed so much. Once the most charming woman I knew... and now?" Her lips curled into something almost proud. "The most fearsome one."

Letty's smirk widened as she crossed her arms. "Did you know he already has Rain and her best friend?"

My breath hitched. "What?"

She tilted her head, enjoying my reaction far too much. "Before I flew here to Chicago—Lucious' men were already waiting at the private airport. And you..." she chuckled darkly, "you handed her straight to your grandfather."

I felt the blood drain from my face. My mind reeled, piecing together the timeline, the gut-wrenching realization hitting me like a freight train.

She paused, watching me closely, then added, "I know all of this because Jane has been reporting to me."

My brows furrowed. "Jane?"

Letty smirked. "Yeah, Jane—your assistant. She's been Frederick's top informant all along. The mole inside Stanton Corporation. She's been protecting you... silently."

I ran a hand through my hair, frustration mounting.

"They will use Rain as leverage, Khai. To get the Black Book," Letty said, her voice laced with certainty.

I froze for a moment, my mind racing. Then, without missing a beat, I said, "But I never got it—when I arrived at Rain's apartment, the place was already turned upside down."

Letty narrowed her eyes, studying me, but I kept my expression unreadable. In this game of betrayal, trust, and lies, I wasn't about to trust anyone except Rain. So, I lied. Again.

"Before Rain boarded the plane in Canada, she told me she had the Black Book hidden in her apartment. But by the time I got there, the place was completely ransacked. The safe where she supposedly hid it? Already cracked open."

I watched their reactions carefully. If they believed me, I still had the upper hand.

Frederick and Letty exchanged glances, a silent conversation passing between them.

"So, if they already have the Black Book, why keep Rain and her aunt alive?" Letty asked, suspicion lacing her tone.

I didn't hesitate. I needed to make them believe my lie. "Because they still need to kill you, Frederick. And to do that, they need me. That's why they ambushed us on the way to the safe house."

I kept my expression unreadable, my body language steady. Every word had to be calculated. I didn't trust anyone in this room—especially Letty. She had played both sides before, and I knew she wouldn't hesitate to double-cross us the moment she got her hands on the Black Book. If I slipped, if they suspected I still had it, she could turn on us in an instant.

I had to stay ahead of the game.

Frederick studied me for a long moment, his expression unreadable.

"Khai, if we want to take Lucious down, we need to gather every leverage we have, even if it means making a deal with the devil," he said, his tone measured.

I clenched my jaw. "Why would you trust Letty?"

He exhaled sharply. "Trust isn't the word I'd use. But she has information we need. And right now, we don't have the luxury of turning away any potential advantage." Then, after a pause, he leveled me with a pointed look. "Is it true that you don't have the Black Book?"

I held his gaze, forcing myself to look as convincing as possible. "No. It was already taken from where Rain hid it."

Frederick sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Then what's our next move?"

I didn't hesitate. "Help me find Rain. I'll take care of Lucious."

His eyes darkened with understanding. "And what exactly do you plan to do with him?"

I met his stare without wavering. "I'll end him. Once and for all."

Frederick hissed, frustration evident in his sharp glare. "What if your plan goes south, Khai? What if you end up just like the others who tried and failed?"

I met his gaze without hesitation, my voice steady, unwavering. "I once lost Rain before, and I'm not going to lose her again. This time, I'll make sure Lucious is gone for good." I took a step closer, my hands clenched into fists. "For Mom. For Rain's family. For Lucan. For your father. For Letty's husband. And for every single family he's destroyed."

Frederick studied me for a long moment before exhaling, his expression grim. "Then we better make damn sure we don't fail."

Letty's POV

When I left the room, I knew immediately—Khai had the Black Book. She was smart, too smart to let something that valuable slip away. She was calculating, always ten steps ahead, and that made her dangerous. If I had to, I was ready to betray her. I was ready to do what I had always done—survive, no matter the cost.

But then I heard her talking to Frederick.

"For Letty's husband—"

I froze.

Of all the names she could have mentioned, she included mine. My husband. A man long gone, another victim of Lucious Stanton's insatiable hunger for power. People forgot about him. No one ever spoke his name anymore. But Khai remembered. And she wasn't just talking about revenge—she was talking about justice. Real justice. Not the kind you buy, not the kind you manipulate, but the kind you fight for with everything you have.

I stood there, lost in my thoughts, replaying her words in my head. Maybe she wasn't the Stanton I always thought she was. Maybe she wasn't like Lucious, or even like her father, Lucan. No, Khai was something else entirely. She was more than just a name, more than just an heiress bound to a legacy of blood and corruption. She was willing to do the right thing, even if it meant tearing down the very empire that had given her power.

And that made her dangerous—not just to Lucious, but to me.

Because I had always played for myself. I always had a backup plan, a contingency, a way to walk away untouched. I had planned to betray her just like I had betrayed so many before her. But now? Now, I wasn't so sure.

Plans change.

For the first time in a long time, I found myself hesitating. The woman I had intended to use was the only one willing to burn Lucious Stanton to the ground, not for greed, not for control, but because it was the right thing to do.

That was something I had never accounted for.

I had always been ready to double-cross anyone who got in my way. But not Khai. Not anymore.

I would protect her.

For Lia.

For my husband.

For all the lives Lucious Stanton had taken.

And maybe—just maybe—for myself.

Khai's POV

I flew back to Jackson on Frederick's private plane, but I didn't return to the penthouse. That place wasn't safe anymore—not for me, not for my plans. Instead, I headed straight to the cabin where Khalise was staying. It was isolated, tucked away from prying eyes, the perfect place to regroup and lay out my next move.

The moment I stepped inside, Khalise was already waiting. She could read me like an open book, and she knew—without me even saying a word—that something had changed. That I had made up my mind.

I told her everything.

From the ambush to Letty's unexpected shift in loyalty. From Rain's abduction to the truth about Jane, my so-called assistant, who had been Frederick's informant all along. And finally, the most crucial piece—I told her my plan to take down our grandfather once and for all.

Khalise listened in silence, her expression unreadable. I could see the worry behind her eyes, the unspoken fear that she might lose me. I was all she had left, the only family still standing beside her.

When I finished, she didn't argue. She didn't try to stop me.

Instead, she took a deep breath and met my gaze. "Come back alive, twin—I still need you."

There was no dramatics, no unnecessary words. Just a simple plea, a quiet reminder that even in this mess, even with all the revenge and chaos pulling me under, I wasn't alone.

I nodded. "I will."

And with that, I started planning my next move.

I called the only person I trusted in this war—Harold.

He arrived at the cabin without asking too many questions. That was the thing about Harold—he never demanded explanations, never pried into things that weren't his business. But when it came to Rain's safety and taking down Lucious, he was all in.

Since Rain's first abduction, Harold had been my solid ground when everything else was crumbling. A strategist, a fixer, and above all, a man of loyalty. He knew how to play the game, how to think ten steps ahead.

We sat across from each other, a storm of plans brewing between us.

"Our first move," I said, leaning forward, "is to let Lucious believe that I have the black book."

Harold arched a brow, waiting for me to continue.

"I'll hand it over to him. But first, Patrick—who's still working with you—needs to decipher everything in it and make multiple copies of its contents. I want every page, every document backed up in a way that Lucious can't tamper with."

Harold smirked. "Already ahead of you. Patrick's been working on the files since you first retrieved the book."

I nodded. "Good. Now I need him to add an advanced security measure—something untraceable, something lethal to Lucious's entire operation. The moment he or his men try to delete or destroy the files, I want the system to create thousands of copies. They'll be automatically sent to the FBI and CIA."

Harold let out a low whistle. "Damn. You're not playing around."

"No," I said coldly. "I'm not."

I exhaled, gathering my thoughts. "I'll face Lucious and personally hand him the black book. But in exchange, I want Rain and Aunt Joanne back—alive."

Harold's expression darkened. "You know he won't play fair, Khai."

"I know," I admitted. "That's why I need a backup plan."

Harold's eyes met mine, sharp and calculating. "Then let's make sure Lucious Stanton never walks away from this deal alive."

We arrived at the abandoned safe house, but as planned, I was going in alone.

Lucious was never one to take risks without securing his own advantage, and this time was no different. Instead of showing up himself, he sent a group of his men to collect the Black Book. They were cautious, searching me for weapons before handing over a burner phone. One of them, a tall, scarred man I recognized from Lucious's inner circle, ordered me to wait as they checked the contents of the book and the USB.

Minutes passed in tense silence. I could hear the soft crackle of the radio one of them held, a voice muttering on the other end—likely Lucious himself, confirming the authenticity of the files.

Then, one of the men turned to me. "He said it checks out."

Another man tossed me a crumpled piece of paper. "That's the address. Your people are there."

I caught the paper, my fingers gripping it tightly. I scanned the messy handwriting—a set of coordinates and an old street name in a remote part of the city. My pulse quickened, but I forced myself to remain still.

What they didn't know was that Harold had been listening in on everything. Through a hidden mic on my jacket, he'd already dispatched his men the moment the location was revealed. They were moving fast, closing in on Rain, Aunt Joanne, and Therese.

I nodded once, pocketing the paper. "Tell Lucious this isn't over."

The man just smirked. "He already knows."

I turned on my heel and walked away, keeping my pace steady until I was far enough from them—until I was sure they wouldn't suspect a thing. Then, I sprinted toward the car where Harold was waiting.

"The location?" he asked the moment I slid into the passenger seat.

I handed him the paper, and he wasted no time calling his men for an update.

A few agonizing hours later, the confirmation came through—Rain, Aunt Joanne, and Therese had been secured. They were safe.

I let out a slow breath, gripping the dashboard. Relief washed over me, but it was fleeting. This wasn't over.

Lucious was still out there.

"We need to move," I said.

Harold nodded, tapping his phone. "Patrick embedded a GPS tracker into the USB. We have Lucious's real-time location."

I glanced at the screen. The red dot was moving steadily toward the border of Mississippi and Tennessee.

"He's running," I muttered.

Harold's jaw clenched. "Then let's make sure he doesn't get far."

Without another word, he stepped on the gas, and we tore down the road. The hunt wasn't over—Lucious Stanton was still breathing. But not for long.

After hours of driving, the GPS tracker led us to an abandoned shipping yard on the outskirts of the Mississippi-Tennessee border. The place was eerily silent, with rows of rusted containers stacked on top of one another, their faded numbers barely visible under the dim moonlight.

Harold cut the engine, and we both stepped out of the vehicle. The cold night air pressed against my skin as I scanned the area. Something about this place felt wrong. Too quiet. Too empty.

Harold moved beside me, his voice low. "We should be careful. Something doesn't add up."

I nodded, gripping my gun as we moved forward. The GPS signal was strong—the Black Book was inside one of those containers. We treaded carefully, weaving between the metal giants. Then, we spotted them—Lucious's men. At least half a dozen, standing near one of the larger containers, their weapons drawn.

Harold tensed beside me. "Something feels off—this was—"

BANG!

Before I could react, a sharp pain exploded at the back of my head.

Darkness swallowed me whole.

A pounding headache greeted me the moment I regained consciousness. My vision was blurry, and the metallic taste of blood coated my tongue. My head throbbed as I tried to move, but the cold bite of steel restrained me. My wrists were bound to a thick metal post with heavy chains, the weight of them digging into my already sore skin.

I blinked rapidly, my vision adjusting to the dimly lit warehouse. The air smelled of rust, sweat, and something more sinister—blood. My stomach twisted as I turned my head to the side and saw Harold. He was hanging upside down, stripped of his shirt, his body bruised and bloodied. His chest rose and fell weakly, a sign that he was still alive, but barely.

A slow, deliberate clapping sound echoed through the warehouse.

Lucious.

He stood a few feet away, dressed impeccably as always, his silver hair slicked back, his face betraying nothing but amusement. He smiled that same cold, calculated smile I had seen far too many times before.

"You think I'd let you win that easily, Khai?" His voice was laced with condescension, his hands still clapping mockingly. "You should know better."

I glared at him, refusing to show weakness despite the sharp pain shooting through my skull.

Lucious chuckled darkly, stepping closer, his leather shoes echoing against the concrete floor. "You really are your father's daughter—cunning, relentless, a survivor." He tilted his head, feigning admiration. "You almost had me. Almost. But did you really think you could wrap me around your little fingers, granddaughter?"

He crouched in front of me, his piercing gaze locking onto mine. His smirk deepened.

"Well done, though. I'll give you that." He clapped his hands again, slow and deliberate. "You played the game well, but you underestimated me."

I clenched my jaw, ignoring the trickle of blood running down the side of my face.

Lucious's eyes darkened. "You have something I want, and I intend to take it. Whether you hand it over willingly or I have to carve it out of you—" he leaned in, his breath cold against my skin, "—doesn't really matter to me."

I refused to look away. I would not break.

Lucious smirked at my defiance. "Ah, I do love that fire in your eyes. It reminds me of someone I once knew... before I extinguished it."

He stood up straight, adjusting his cuffs as he turned toward his men. "Make her comfortable," he said with a smirk. "We have a long night ahead."

I tightened my fists as his men approached. This wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

Frederick's POV

The room was heavy with tension. Static crackled from the speakers, distorting the voice just enough to send a chill down my spine.

"Frederick, I know you're listening."

Lucious's voice. Smooth. Controlled. Poisonous.

A slow, creeping dread settled into my gut.

"I have your daughter. If she really is so precious to you, you'll tell little Patrick to delete all the security codes he added to the Black Book and erase every single file completely."

My breath hitched. My mind reeled at the weight of his words.

Khai.

I turned to Patrick, then to my men. They were watching me closely, waiting for my command, but I—

I could barely think.

Lucious continued, his voice carrying an eerie sense of amusement.

"I'll give you an hour to delete those files, Frederick."

Calm. Too calm.

"Otherwise, the precious life of your daughter will be deleted from this world."

Silence.

Heavy. Suffocating.

I clenched my fists so tightly my knuckles turned white. My breathing was slow, calculated—but my mind? My mind was a battlefield. A storm of fury and fear.

Lucious knew exactly how to play this game. He knew the one thing I wouldn't risk.

Khai.

Before I could respond, another sound filled the room—a notification on the secured laptop. A live feed.

Patrick scrambled to trace the signal, but his face darkened. Untraced. Whoever sent it had covered their tracks well.

Then the screen flickered to life.

And my world tilted.

Khai.

She was slumped against a metal chair, her wrists bound behind her back, her face bruised and bloodied. Her once-pristine white shirt was stained with crimson, ripped in places, revealing deep cuts and bruises along her skin.

I could see the slow, shallow rise and fall of her chest—she was alive, but barely.

A voice echoed through the speakers, sharp and mocking.

"Frederick, you have 58 minutes left."

The camera panned slightly, revealing one of Lucious's men—a thick, burly bastard holding a jagged knife. He crouched beside Khai, grabbing a fistful of her hair and yanking her head back.

She groaned, her eyes fluttering open.

"Tell me, Khai, do you think your father loves you enough to save you?" the man sneered.

Khai exhaled sharply, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. But despite everything—despite the pain, the torment—she smirked.

"You must be pretty desperate if you have to use me to get what you want," she rasped, her voice hoarse but unwavering.

A flicker of pride burned through my rage.

Lucious's man chuckled before pressing the knife against her collarbone.

"Frederick," Lucious's voice returned, almost bored. "Your daughter is quite the fighter, but even fighters have their limits. Make the smart choice."

The screen went black.

I exhaled, slow and steady.

"Patrick." My voice was steel.

Patrick met my gaze, waiting.

"Can you fake the deletion?"

He hesitated, then nodded. "It's risky, but I can try. It won't fool him forever, though. We'll need a plan."

I turned to Harold. He had already pulled out his gun, jaw clenched, ready for war.

"Then we get Khai back," I said, my voice low, lethal. "And we end this."

Patrick's fingers flew across the keyboard, his eyes locked on the screen as he worked on faking the deletion of the files. Meanwhile, I had only one job—buying time.

I exhaled, steadying my voice. "Okay, Lucious—you won. Patrick is deleting all the files now."

Silence.

Then—laughter. Cold. Eerie.

"Good, good! Just like what your father did—good dog."

My jaw tightened, but I didn't respond. Lucious was trying to get under my skin.

A new notification popped up on Patrick's screen—a live feed.

The moment the video loaded, my stomach turned to ice.

Khai.

Blood smeared across her face, her head hung low, dark strands of hair clinging to her sweat-drenched skin. She was barely conscious, her breathing slow and labored.

Lucious's voice slithered through the speakers.

"Look at your daughter, Frederick—resilient, strong, smart. That's how I raised her."

He chuckled, the sound like nails on glass.

"But there's one thing she forgot."

I gritted my teeth, my fists clenched so hard my nails dug into my palms.

"It's not really the Black Book I want. Or Rain—" he paused, dragging out the moment. "Oh, Rain... she was just a pawn in this game, just like her father, Theodore."

His words sent a ripple through me. Theodore Chadwick. The man who had been Lucious's most loyal executioner. The man Rain despised.

I glanced at Patrick—he was still working. Almost there.

Lucious's voice returned, now laced with mocking impatience.

"Hurry up deleting the files, Patrick. Time is ticking—tik, tok, tik, tok."

Then, suddenly—

The door to the room swung open.

Rain stormed in, her eyes blazing with urgency. "Where's Khai?"

Her voice was sharp, panicked.

Behind her, Therese entered, her gaze immediately scanning the room. Then—

Her eyes locked onto the live feed on Patrick's monitor.

Her hands flew to her mouth. "Oh my God!"

The color drained from Rain's face. She took a step closer, her hands trembling as she stared at the screen.

Khai.

Beaten. Tortured.

Rain turned to me, her voice breaking. "Frederick, we need to get her. Now."

I placed a firm hand on her shoulder, grounding her. "We will. We are getting her, okay?"

She swallowed hard, nodding, but I could see it—the storm brewing inside her.