Page 129 of Vicious Kingdom

Nothing.Nothing.No sleep, no rest.

Just the relentless churning of my mind. Flopping onto my stomach, I began to scroll through my phone. A new text, one I didn’t remember seeing earlier, waited for me. I realized I must have missed it while at the bookstore playing the role of a wife, indulging Leo with smiles and laughter. For a brief moment Ihad let myself be swept away and forgotten about the trouble I was in. All that happiness now seemed suspiciously unreal.

But reality waited for me now. Don Alessandro’s men had been tailing my father with no luck. He needed more. And I needed the mob to know that I was on their side.

As I laid there, I decided on a course of action. After saving his contact information, I messaged the don that first thing in the morning, I could go to my father’s office downtown and upload the virus onto his computer.

The don responded immediately.

Serena’s Brother: Do it.

Dad would be at the physical therapist at ten, like he was every Wednesday. Uncle Jon would have squash, and Jonatan rarely was at the office.

No one would stop me.

Deciding that I wouldn’t sleep tonight, I picked myself off the floor, dragging the pillow and blanket with me, and snuck back into my room. I tried to shut out the anxiety swirling in my mind, but the thoughts kept creeping back. If I laid there in the dark, I would be waiting for dawn with bloodshot eyes and a restless heart. My computer sat silent and ignored on the desk, like a beacon of last-resort hope. I flicked on the small lamp and settled into the chair, opening the laptop. Writing thrillers had been my refuge, grounding myself in stories that mirrored the terrible realities of life. Instead of starting my next best-selling thriller, I clicked into the old story that I was reworking. With trembling fingers, I read the last few lines, feeling a wave of nostalgia crash over me.

The shadow princes and the human girl.

Did it even make sense to work on this now? But I needed to lose myself. Maybe the soft blue glow of the screen could soothe my agitation. Maybe I could find some comfort in the words that used to bring me peace. I remembered how much fun it had beento live in that world of my imagination, away from the truths and lies that plagued me now. How long had I ignored it, convinced that writing wasn’t safe, that it wasn’t good enough? It was this place, being with Leo again. The story had called to me, even when I didn’t know if Leo and I would work out. I never would have opened it in Chicago, never would have thought to turn to it there. All I cared about was the truth and how it could destroy us. Now, with the truth exposed, I saw that it was hurting us more than the lies. I didn’t feel the call to write real world stories about thrills and chills. Not after everything. Maybe just for one night, I wanted to escape to a fantasy land, where dragons roared, but lions ruled the kingdom.

***

I must have dozed off at some point, because when I opened my eyes, weak morning light was filtering through the curtains. My neck ached from falling asleep at my desk, and my laptop screen had gone dark. A quick glance at my phone showed it was 9:15 AM.

Perfect timing.

I stood, my body protesting after the uncomfortable sleeping position. There was no sound from Leo’s room as I tiptoed to the bathroom. After a quick shower, I dressed in a conservative navy pantsuit, the kind that said ‘I belong here’ to anyone who might question my presence at Hertz Media. I pulled my hair back into a sleek ponytail and applied minimal makeup.

The apartment was quiet as I grabbed my purse and the flash drive Don Alessandro had provided. Leo must have left early for a meeting. Small mercies. I wouldn’t have to explain where I was going. Somehow, I wasn’t sure he would like me leaving to face my family—not with what happened last time.

His suspicions were spot on.

How I’d ever thought the bruises would go unnoticed seemed foolish now. But I was used to my family turning a blind eye to my plight. Not that the Tormentor had marred my face, always careful to keep his torture a secret.

But a protective father would have seen his little girl was being preyed on. A good man would have stopped it.

And that was exactly what Leo was: A good man.

A very dangerous, cold-blooded criminal, but a good man.

The ride to the skyscraper my family rented five floors of took less than twenty minutes. I parked in the visitor’s section, far enough from the main entrance, and looked up to my father’s corner office on the thirty-second floor.

I used to think as a child that he was king of the world, sitting up there so high. But only the conquerors took the top floors and penthouses. My father was not that.

Heart hammering, I approached the security desk, but I smiled confidently at the guard. “Annaliese Hertz-Baldwin to see Alfred Hertz.”

The guard nodded in recognition. “Miss Annaliese, nice to see you. Your father mentioned you might stop by to pick up some papers.”

He hadn't, of course, but being the boss’s daughter had its privileges. I signed in without question and was handed a visitor’s badge.

I read his nametag and gave him another warm smile. “Thank you, Carl.”

The elevator ride felt endless. With each floor, my resolve strengthened. This wasn’t just about me anymore—it was about protecting Leo, about protecting us both, and our family. The famiglia. The elevator doors slid open at the thirty-second floor, and I stepped out with purposeful strides.

“Miss Annaliese! Or should I say, Mrs. Baldwin!” My father’s secretary, Maureen, looked up in surprise. “We weren’t expecting you today.”

“Just need to grab some old files from Dad’s office for a project I’m working on,” I said, waving my hand dismissively. “He mentioned it would be fine to stop by whenever.”