Logan's POV~

(TW:Self Harm)

"Here you go with the beer." The bartender gave it to me and the strong smell instantly hit my nostrils. I was never a fan of beer, it sometimes tastes like honey dipped in bitter gourd juice.

I shook my head and was about to leave when my phone vibrated. I kept the beer on the counter and took out my phone. Looking at the name flashing on the screen, I narrowed my eyes.

Dylan Theodore calling.

I looked around to make sure no one was too near me. I swiped right to answer the call.

"Well Well, look who decided to finally pick up the call." Dylan, the Theodore's first son's voice rang in my ears.

I gripped the phone firmly, "I was busy."

"Busy, eh? Wouldn't say it's the correct word to use right now." He said sadistically.

"Get to the point." I asked gritting my teeth.

"Did you complete the work?"

I didn't say anything.

"I asked you something, did you complete the work father gave you?" He raised his voice.

"....No." I mumbled.

"May I know why?"

"No, it's none of your business. You want the work done and it will be done. I just need one more day." I almost whispered at this point.

"One more day? You've been underestimating everything now. You do know what consequences you'll have to face if this keeps repeating, right?" He said being vicious.

"You don't get to talk to me like that, stay in your limits. I make the rules here, Dylan don't forget that." I got a bit loud as he was getting under my skin.

"Fine-don't be angry. I was just saying." He realised he was a bit bossy which he wasn't supposed to be.

"I said the work will be done."

"Father would be pissed." He mumbled. This time, his voice was rather low.

"You think I'm scared of that little father of yours?" I asked shaking my head.

"My father? He's your f-"

"I need one more day, I'll call you once it's done." I said angrily and was about to end the call when his voice stopped me.

"-Or else you know what will happen to Steven Denver's daughter from your own side, mate. We won't be responsible for that after all, all of this is happening because of you." He interrupted me.

"Lay one finger on her and you'll never be able to touch a woman again in your life." I murmured dangerously.

"Or maybe I already did." He laughed.

"What-" I was confused about his statement when suddenly it hit me.

I looked towards Veronica who was supposed to be standing near the other side of the bar.

But she wasn't there.

My eyes snapped across the broad hallway and not even a single sight of Veronica made me panic.

"One more day or father won't be happy."
Dylan said one last time and hung up.

I walked towards the bar where Veronica was standing earlier.

"Hey, did you see the girl in red going somewhere?" I asked the bartender.

"Yes, she went towards the exit." He replied and I looked at him in trepidation.

I ran towards the exit and called a guard and asked about her.

"We were given orders to not let Veronica Ma'am leave anywhere without you. As you weren't there with her, we made sure she stayed inside the palace." A guard told me.

I sighed a bit knowing that she didn't leave the palace. But Dylan's voice rang in my ears again and I realised something.

"Fuck." I muttered and ran inside looking for someone. I looked around everywhere and walked towards Jason who was talking to someone else.

"Hey, got a minute?" I asked.

"I'm in the middle of-"

"We need to talk." I gave him a serious look and he immediately understood the worry written all over me. He excused himself and we both moved towards a corner. I told him about Veronica not being seen.

"What do you mean she's missing?" He asked in shock.

"I don't know. I went to get a beer for her and when I turned back, she was gone." I told him everything, leaving some piece of information that happened between me and Dylan, of course.

"Damn it, Steven will be pissed. We need to find her." Jason mumbled and I nodded.

"Don't tell anyone, let's just dilute and look for her. There are six floors in the palace. I'll check the fourth, fifth and sixth. You check the first three." I told him.

"Yeah." He agreed and I was about to leave when he stopped me by holding my shoulders. "Wait, make sure to check on the fourth floor properly. That's where Room 106 is, she can be there. Just because she doesn't have a phone doesn't mean that unknown number won't stop trying to give her the message in other ways."

I nodded and we both got on the lift. As soon as we arrived on the first floor, he gave me a small nod and left while I made it to the fourth floor. It was completely isolated. Not even workers were there.

I opened the first room of that floor and started looking for her, but she wasn't there. I looked in almost all the rooms in that corridor and still there was no sign of her.

I moved towards the other corridor and was about to open the door when suddenly I stepped on something. I looked down and it was a bracelet. Picking it up, my mind instantly remembered this bracelet hugging Veronica's wrists when she was standing with me.

"Veronica!!" I finally shouted her name this time and opened Room 106, knowing that she wasn't safe for sure.

The room was completely dark. I turned on the lights and tried to analyse the whole room. There was a huge fish tank but nothing else was special. I walked towards the aquarium when suddenly I accidentally hit the dustbin by my leg and it fell down. Few torn papers fell out but I didn't care about that.

I was about to leave when I realised something. I turned back and looked at those torn papers, one of them had the letter V.

I bent down and picked it up and saw many of the torn parts had Veronica's letters on them. I looked inside the dustbin and found a rope. I narrowed my eyes. If Jason didn't find anything in the room, then who did all of this?

My trance was broken hearing a noise. I immediately went outside the room but the whole corridor was empty. I again heard a voice of something breaking down. I looked towards the direction and  took out a gun from my back, which was hidden under my coat.

"Who is there?" I said slowly walking towards the noise while pointing out the gun.

I kept my silence and made sure to look everywhere. I heard a voice again from the front.

"I asked who's there?" I turned around to make sure no one was behind me either. When I turned back, I collided with someone.

"Veronica?" I looked at her as she stumbled upon me and was about to lose her balance but I held her at the right time.

I observed her properly. She was out of breath and panting heavily.

"Logan!" She mumbled and hugged me with all her force making me lose my balance a bit.

I hugged her back, "Hey what happened?" I cupped her face while still having the gun in my hand.

"There- um he-" She tried to say but she was really out of breath.

"Hey Hey, calm down first. It's okay I'm here now." I told her and she hugged me tightly again.

After a minute or so, she calmed down and broke the hug. I looked at her in the eye and cupped her face.

"Who was it?" I asked in rage.

"Max." She mumbled and I furrowed my brows.

"What? He was here? In the palace?"

"Yeah." She nodded. "I was waiting for you to bring me the beer when suddenly my eyes fell on Max, who was wearing a black cap and was hiding in the dark. I saw him going towards the exit so I followed him but I couldn't find him, plus the guards didn't allow me to leave."

"Who asked you to follow him?" I asked as anger was making it's way inside me.

"I- just wanted to see why he was here."

I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself down a bit.

"How did you end up here?" I asked again.

"I realised I didn't have my bracelet and dad gifted it to me so it was really important for me. When I got out of the lift, I heard some noises again so-"

"So you decided to come here in search of your bracelet without telling me." I interrupted her and took a step back in frustration.

"Logan-"

"I'm the stupid one here, Veronica. I take your side against your own brother about you breaking the rules and now you do the same with me. That makes me the stupid one to even talk about it." I shook my head.

She tried to say something again when I realised something.

"Wait, why did you come to search your bracelet on this floor? That too alone?" I asked and her expression suddenly changed.

"What the hell Veronica? You know the danger and you go towards it, that's literally a naive move." I said in a loud voice.

Something in her face told me she was looking at me with anger at this point.

"Danger? Which danger are you talking about Logan? The one which is away from me or the one which is near me?" She said angrily while pointing  towards me and pushed me by my chest.

"What-" I was completely blank.

She opened her purse and took out something which was folded and gave it to me.

"What is this?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Look for yourself."

I looked at her with narrowed eyes and opened it. Saying that I missed a heartbeat while looking at the photo would be an understatement. Because I've no idea what was happening with me when I realised she has this photo.

I looked at her slowly and knew I was screwed. Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I was ready to face the music.

"From where did you get this?" I asked, still in shock.

"Seriously, that's what your first statement is?" She asked in disbelief and waited for a response but I didn't know what to say.

"What? You're speechless or you just don't know what excuse to come up with?" She taunted.

I cleared my throat, "There's no excuse here."

Her expression changes from anger to hurt. I looked away, not wanting to face her like this. I didn't want her to look at me that way.

"Why? Why are you with them, Logan?" This time her voice was rather reflecting hurt, immense hurt.

My heart pained to hear those words from her but I put it together and looked at her.

"Hey, it's not like you think. Remember on the day of the trade, your father asked me to come and help?" I asked and she nodded.

"On that day, I had to stay back for a while due to some work so I didn't come back with others if you remember. At that time, William and Max came to the warehouse and I guess that's when someone clicked this photo without our permission." I lied.

I fucking lied and I hated it. It bugged me how I had to lie to her but I had no other option. I couldn't just tell her the truth about this picture.

The truth behind this picture was dark, very very dark.

She looked at me, trying to find out any type of lie.

"I know you think I'm lying but-"

She suddenly came forward and hugged me, "I trust you a lot, Logan. You keep forgetting that."

And I went blank.

I didn't hug her back because her words kept repeating inside my mind. She trusted me whole heartedly and I was lying to her. I wasn't able to forgive myself for this.

She broke the hug and cupped my face.

"Sorry I didn't mean to be rude earlier, I was just shocked when I saw this picture."

"You don't need to be sorry about anything." I removed her palm off my face and held her hand. "You were right from your side. Anyone looking at this picture would be suspicious."

She nodded and smiled while I faked a smile back. She came closer to me and slowly joined her soft lips with mine. She was so gentle as if she knew I was going through a volcano inside me and right now all I needed was this.

I held her waist and pulled her closer to me as I deepened the kiss softly. She caressed my cheeks and kept kissing me like the first time.

Oh she has no idea what she does to me.

I closed my eyes and made sure to feel the every bit of it. Her lips were soft, almost silken and pillowy against my own. Warmth flourished my chest, sparks igniting as our lips moved together tentatively. The scent of her perfume and the peachy smell of her conditioner was driving me crazy.

She drives me crazy.

The chocolate flavoured red lipstick on her lips, caressing mine was enough for me to lose my mind and give in everything for her. A simple kiss made me feel the luckiest man on this planet.

She made me feel everything which I don't deserve.

Her hands slowly trailing to the back of my neck while she pulled me towards her more than ever. She submitted herself to every heady sensation and we forgot we weren't in the correct place to do this right now. But at present, this instant of delight mattered the most.

It felt like soft rain in a summer evening as a small moan escaped from her mouth when I gently bit her luscious lips. And she deserved it.

I kissed her the way she wanted to be kissed.

Even in the darkness of the quarter moon, I could see her black eyes. I was myself and she was the sea. And I was flying over that sea, dark and rolling as deep the water rolls. Our lips were where the sea and the moon met and it was a thunder.

Soon, lack of oxygen controlled us and we broke the kiss. Her serene face with a tint of tiredness yet her face was all flushed and a beautiful smile playing on her gorgeous face.

Indeed I felt like the luckiest guy in this world.

I cupped her face and kissed her forehead while she closed her eyes feeling it.

She smiled and held my wrist and I hissed.

"What happened?" She asked with eyes full of concern, trying to look at my left wrist.

"Nothing." Averting my gaze, I pulled down the sleeve of my shirt and made sure she didn't see anything.

"We should go." I told her with a fake smile. She gave back a smile and nodded. I moved away and suddenly heard a voice from afar.

"Logan, you there?" The smile fell off her face as Jason's voice echoed in the corridor.

For a second, we both knew we're fucked. I turned back in horror only to see no one behind me. But Jason's voice kept approaching. I sighed in relief that he didn't see us. We both parted ways and made ourselves look presentable. She took out a tissue paper from her purse and wiped my lips which were red due to her lipstick. Once everything was settled, we started walking towards the direction of his voice.

"Hey!" Veronica spoke as soon as we saw Jason.

"Jesus Veronica, thank god you're safe." He pulled her towards him and hugged her tightly.

The sight in front of me wasn't pleasing. I gripped my palm into a fist and tried to control myself when I saw his hands over her waist. I took a deep breathe and made sure he doesn't get suspicious.

"Where the fuck were you?" He asked as soon as he broke the hug.

"Um-" She hesitated, not knowing what to say.

"She thinks she saw Max in the hall." I spoke instead.

"Max? What?" Jason asked being staggered.

"Yes, so to stay safe she came to one of these rooms."

"But it was so unsafe, Veronica. You could've told Logan or me." Jason scolded her.

"It's okay, I gave her a good scolding. She understood now." I said to avoid any type of anger over Veronica. I didn't want anyone to scold her.

She looked at me and then nodded.

"I won't repeat it." Saying this she went towards the lift. We both followed her and got inside.

I didn't know what the other two were thinking but my mind was fixed over the fact that someone gave Veronica that photo.

"Jason, tell the guards to make sure Max isn't near anywhere this palace" I told him and he nodded.

The lift opened and we stepped out. Jason left to tell the guards and Steven came towards us.

"Where were you two? People were asking me about you Veronica, what is this behaviour?" Steven rebuked.

I rolled my eyes. No one in this family knows anything except scolding her anyways.

"She thought she saw Max, therefore I took her to a room to keep her safe." I made up something.

"Max? What? Are you okay?" He asked Veronica, getting worried.

"Yes dad, I'm fine. Don't worry." She assured him.

"I'm gonna ask the security about it and Logan, make sure you don't leave her side, okay?" He ordered.

"Never." I mumbled and saw a small smile playing on her lips as soon as I said that but I didn't feel like smiling, I felt like shit for lying.

Indeed today was a day to weave thousand lies.
____________

I turned off the ignition as all the cars stopped by the Denver/Genovese mansion. We got out when suddenly I got a call.

Dylan Theodore.

I closed my eyes in frustration and cut the call when it started to ring again.

I sighed, "Hey, I'll be right back." I told Veronica and waited for everyone to go inside. Once everyone left, I picked up the call.

"What?" I asked being annoyed.

"Do you know where is Vanessa?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked being confused.

"Do you know where is your mother?"

"Thanks for the translation but I still don't get what you mean." I rolled my eyes.

"Her phone is left in our place." He told me.

"What? Mom was in the Theodore mansion?" I asked as my eyes widened.

"Yeah, your mother loves it here." He said flirtatiously.

"Yeah, because there are too many men in that house and she loves men. Don't flatter yourself." I shook my head. "Why was she there?"

"To irritate everyone by her talks. We didn't take her seriously but then we realised she's not only just annoying but also a thief."

"What?"

"She stole something from here." As soon as he said that, it caught my attention.

"What did she take?" I asked being inquisitive.

"A picture." He mumbled.

I stopped in my tracks as I realised.

"What picture?" I asked gritting my teeth.

"A picture of father, Max and-"

"I'm gonna fucking kill her." I shouted and hung up the phone.

Temper making it's way till my brain, I kicked a tree beside me to release my anger. My own mother keeps ruining my life and it was getting inside my head now. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Running my fingers through my hair, I opened my phone to call mom when I realised it's been too late outside.

I sighed and calmed myself down while putting a facade. I got inside the house when I heard Jason's loud voice.

"What made you remember that you have a life in Louisiana that you came back, mom?" Jason said in a taunting voice.

Mom?

I narrowed my eyes and moved forward only to find Vanessa sitting there on the sofa with a bitchy smile as always. Anger formed in my eyes as soon as I saw her.

"Oh god, Logan." Vanessa spotted me and got up happily. Well, she was obviously faking it. Ruining her childrens' life was her forté.

She came towards me and hugged me tightly. I looked at Veronica who was already pissed and Jason who was angry.

In these many years, I've never found out the reason why Veronica has problems with mom. Probably because of the bad relationship between Jason and Vanessa but I don't know how that affects her. It was weird how she never liked Vanessa.

"How are you, son?" She cupped my face.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, trying to make sure I sound calm as possible even though there was a tremendous turmoil inside me.

"My work got over so I came back. I missed my children." She said with a smile.

"Bullshit." Jason said angrily and left the hall.

"Why is he always angry?" Vanessa shook her head unbothered about the fact that her own son was not happy about her arrival.

"Veronica, dear do you know why he's always so angry when he looks at me?" She asked Veronica with a smirk.

I narrowed my eyes as there was something in mom's tone when she talked to her. Veronica's expression changed as soon as she heard mom.

"Maybe he's just not as happy as you thought he'll be to see you. And guess what, everyone feels the same here." Veronica lashed with venom and left the hall.

I was surprised by her reply. Not that I felt bad she talked to my mom like that, but there had to be a serious reason for her to behave in such way.

"Is she correct, Logan?" She looked at me and asked. I rolled my eyes.

"Vanessa?" Steven spoke. "You should go and take some rest."

"Of course." She smiled. After kissing my cheeks, she left and without wasting any time I left to my room too.

Closing the door tightly, I shut my eyes. Looking at mom, brings back bad memories too. Especially of my dad's.
I took a deep breathe, even thinking about him made me feel anxious.

I removed my coat and opened few buttons of my shirt till my chest. Removing the buttons of my wrist and pulling it up, I looked at my left hand.

"The scars in your hand makes you look weaker. You can't even handle some beatings, how can you handle mafia?"

Daniel Michaelson, Jason's dad and my mom's so called husband's voice replayed in my years when I started training for the mafia. I was 10 when I started doing this.

Harming myself.

I took a blade from my drawer and looked at it before the cold blade made contact with my skin and blood started oozing out. I closed my eyes, not feeling the pain on my hand but feeling thr extreme pain in my heart.

This was for you, V. This was for lying to you when you trust me so much.

I smiled sadly as I caressed my bruised wrists with a lot of cuts. When Steven made sure I went in hiding in Mexico after my father died, I was completely alone and I had no one. Everything happening in my life made me like this. It was like a pain reliever from the pain of life.

I had many scars across my wrist which I covered with the tattoos. Each scar had a story behind it and everytime I did it, made me feel better and better.

I remember how the day we landed in Louisiana few days back, Daniel asked me to come to his office for a 'family talk'. And he told me that day how embarrassed he was to have a son like me. It really triggered me and my insecurity and I used the blade on my wrist for more than five times that evening.

I looked at the blood and felt better. For the first time, the pain on my wrist made me feel too good because that's what I get to do this to Veronica. In fact I deserved worse. I sighed and washed the wound. After applying a bandaid, I immediately left the room to talk to mom.

"Mom? Open the door." I slammed my hand on her door and kept banging it angrily.

"Jeez, what got into your pants?" She asked while opening the door. I let myself inside and bolted it and stared at her.

"What? Why are you angry now?" She sighed.

"Why am I angry now? How dare you even ask this after what you did." I was fuming by now.

"And what did I do?" She was unbothered and looked away.

I held her shoulders tightly and made her look at me.

"Why did you give that number to Veronica?" I asked firmly.

"And why not?"

"Why the fuck can't you mind your own goddamn business, mom? I yelled.

"It is my business." She mumbled.

"Oh let me guess how? Because you're what sleeping with William Theodore now?" I said sadistically.

She looked at me, "You think so low of me, Logan?"

"I think nothing of you, mom." I said. "Especially after what you did. Why would you give her that photo?"

She didn't reply and looked away again. I held her chin and made her look back at me.

"I am asking you something." I asked a bit loudly.

"To put an end to the thing going on between you and Veronica." She said angrily. I was ready to just explode in anger but I tried my best to be calm.

"And who the fuck gave you the rights to do that?" I asked gritting my teeth.

"I'm your mother, I can do whatever I want for the sake of my son."

"Sake of your son? That's why you spied on me in Mexico and found out about Veronica and I right? And now you're putting your nose in something you have no idea about and still you're defending your acts. Seriously how low can you stoop more, mom?" I asked unbelievably.

"Do you have any idea what Jason will go through when he'll get to know about you both?" She asked, trying to knock some sense in me.

"And did you not realise till now that I don't care about him? And since when did you start to care about Jason's feelings huh?"

"He's my son, I care about him as much as I care about you and-"

"Stop. I don't wanna hear further." I interrupted her knowing what she was going to say.

"Logan, I want you to be happy but Veronica is not the correct girl for you." She cupped my face.

I looked at her in disbelief, "Do you even know me mom to know what is correct for me and what not? You know nothing about me."

"All I know is Veronica is wrong for you. Can't you see how she's creating more differences between you and your brother. She's a playgirl who-"

I held her shoulders and pinned her to the wall, "Not a word against Veronica." I said dangerously. "And she's creating rift between me and Jason? Mom it was you, you're the reason why Jason and I hate each other."

Listening to me, her mood completely changed and she pushed me and took her tea.

"I don't care, I will do anything to make you realise she isn't the one. And for that I can even go to the Theodores." She said looking out of the window while sipping her black tea.

"So now what you're working with the Theodores?" I asked being deadpanned.

"Aren't you too?" She smiled and took another sip making me angry all over again.

I took her tea and kept it on the table while going closer to her.

"Don't you dare say that ever again. I don't work for anyone except Steven, to protect his daughter." I said perilously.

"Are you sure about that son?" She gave me a wicked smile and I backed off.

"Mom, just shut up." I turned around and ran my fingers on my hair.

"Look at you Logan, that girl is diverting you from your goal." She said a bit softly.

"I have no goals." I shouted.

"Yes you do, you know that. And what you're doing right now is completely the opposite. Why are you doing all of this? For her? She's not even worth it. At the end of the day, she's not gonna stay with you. We will. You already know that yet you're all about Veronica nowadays. Your day starts with her and ends with her. I don't know why you think it's okay because it's not. If Steven or Jason come to know about this, you're done and she knows it too yet she's being a bitch, trying to wrap you around her fingers and you're letting her do that. Why? Why are you-"

"Because I love her mom." I roared and the whole room fell in silence.

I moved towards her and looked straight at her while holding her shoulders again.

"I fucking love her and if she's the one then I'll do anything in my power to make her mine. So you can go and tell Steven or Jason about this, I don't care. I'll fight for her against anyone, be it her own damn father. You get it? So no she's not a bitch to wrap me around her fingers because guess what, I am the one who's wrapping myself around her completely. You like it or not, she is the love of my life. And she will always be, whether it works for us or not." I said in rage and left her.

I turned around and unlocked the door when her voice interrupted me.

"Wow, so she has this much magic on you? I wonder what will happen when you'll know what she has done in her past."

I was still facing the door yet I could see the smirk on her face by the tone of her voice. I chuckled and turned around.

"See that's the problem mom, the moment you found out Daniel is an aggressive guy who doesn't give you much time, you immediately fell out of love and started loving my dad out of no where." I said and her expression completely changed. She looked blank.

I continued, "My biggest flex in my life is I'm not like you. Just because she has a past which I know nothing about, doesn't mean I'll stop loving her even if how much dark the past it is."

"My love for Veronica holds that much  power that I can accept all her flaws, her uncountable mistakes, her dirtiest secrets and her deadliest past. I will love her today just like I loved her yesterday and I'm gonna love her tomorrow even more than the sea loves the sun."

What are your theories on this chapter? What exactly do you think is going on? Comment down your views and drop a vote :))

Also it's the 30th chapter of the book, had to be special so here's the first Logan's POV. Hope y'all enjoyed if .

Stay safe and happy!!
Amelia.