Jonathan 

The air in the warehouse was suffocating, the tension so thick it was almost tangible. My eyes were fixed on Liv, still chained to the cold wall, her body trembling from the pain, her expression a mixture of anger, fear, and heartbreak. Every time I looked at her, it felt like a dagger in my chest. I couldn't undo the damage, couldn't erase the lies or the years of being a coward, of pretending I was someone I wasn't.

But right now, none of that mattered. I had to get her out of here. I had to do whatever it took.

Chloe stood beside me, her eyes wide with fear, her voice shaky as she pleaded. "Jonathan, I can help. I'm not leaving you alone in this."

I turned to her, my face hardening. I didn't want to do this, but I had no choice. "Chloe, it's too dangerous. I don't want you getting involved. You need to go. Now."

She looked at me, frustration and hurt flashing in her eyes. "I'm not leaving you, Jonathan. Not again." She stepped closer, as if to make me see reason, but I couldn't let her stay. This wasn't a fight she could win, not with the people we were dealing with.

"You have to," I said, my voice low and firm. "I'm not asking. I'm telling you. You're not safe here." I could feel the words catch in my throat, but I forced them out. "I don't care what happens to me, but I care about you, Chloe. This is my mess. I have to face it alone."

She opened her mouth to argue, but I could see it in her eyes that she understood. Slowly, her shoulders slumped, the fight draining out of her as she nodded reluctantly. "You better make this right, Jonathan. You better bring her back."

I didn't say anything. There was nothing I could say. All I could do was nod as she turned and walked toward the exit, casting one last, worried glance in my direction.

The sound of the door closing behind her felt like a weight settling on my chest. It was just me now. Just me and the people who had spent years making sure I'd never escape this life.

I didn't turn around immediately, but I could feel Oscar's presence looming, his smirk always just a step behind me.

"Jonathan," Oscar's voice slithered through the still air. "You've been working for me for eighteen years. Eighteen long years, and you think you can walk away from all that now?" His voice was a cold whisper, but it cut through the silence like a blade. "You've killed for me, stolen for me. You've built this empire, and you think you can just wash your hands of it? Walk away and pretend it never happened?"

I didn't face him, couldn't face him. The guilt was too overwhelming, the reality of everything I'd done too crushing. But I had to keep it together. I couldn't show weakness. Not now. Not when Liv's life was on the line.

"I'm not walking away," I muttered, my voice tight. "But this has to stop, Oscar. This game, the lies, the blood... it's over. I'm ending it here."

Oscar chuckled darkly, a sound that made my skin crawl. "You don't get to decide when it's over, Jonathan. Not anymore." He took a slow step forward, his voice low and menacing. "You can't outrun this. This life—*your* life—has a price. And you'll never escape it. You think I'll just let you walk away and let you *protect* your daughter? You've been mine for too long, and I own you, Jonathan."

I clenched my jaw, trying to control the tremble in my hands, but I didn't speak. What could I say? He was right. I couldn't change the past, no matter how much I wanted to.

"And now," Oscar continued, his tone lighter, almost amused, "you want to save her? You think you can be the hero?" His voice turned colder. "You were never a hero, Jonathan. You were always part of the problem. And so is she."

I could feel my anger starting to rise again, pushing down the shame, but I held it back. *No*... Not here. Not in front of her.

Oscar waved a hand dismissively, as if what he said didn't matter, but the words stung all the same. "You're going to be just like me, Jonathan. The man you've always tried to deny being. The killer. The liar. The fraud. You'll never be anything more. And neither will she."

The door opened behind us, and Damon stepped into the room, his face expressionless as usual. "We've got a little problem," Damon said, his voice low and gravelly. He glanced over at Oscar before turning his attention to me. "You've been a busy man, Jonathan. And I'm sure you know by now that we're counting on you to settle your debts."

I narrowed my eyes, a knot of dread forming in my stomach. "I don't have anything left to give you, Damon. Not one more cent."

Damon's lips curled into a smug smile. "Well, you've got plenty left to give, Jonathan. You owe me ten thousand pounds. And it's time to pay up." His tone was darkly amused, like he was enjoying watching me squirm. "You owe us. And now, your little girl? She's the collateral." He gestured toward Liv, who was still sitting silently, chained to the wall, watching everything unfold with an expression I couldn't quite read.

My chest constricted, the weight of it threatening to crush me. "I don't care about the money. I care about her. And I'll do whatever it takes to make sure she gets out of here alive."

Oscar chuckled again, stepping forward as if the whole situation was just a game. "You should've thought of that before, Jonathan. You think you can just walk away from everything, from *us*? No. You'll pay the price. And so will she."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I didn't know what else to say. How could I? What was left to say?

I didn't look at Liv, couldn't. But I felt her eyes on me, the weight of them cutting into me. She had no idea what she was caught up in, and I hated that I was the one who'd dragged her into it.

Oscar turned to Damon and gave him a sharp nod. "Keep her here. Make sure she understands the stakes."

And just like that, everything was slipping through my fingers. The truth was that there was nothing I could do to change the past, and there was nothing I could do to protect Liv from the mess I'd made. Not unless I faced my demons. Not unless I *finally* took a stand.

I wasn't sure if I was ready to do that. 

But for her, for Liv, I had to try.

Liv

I could hear the conversation around me, their voices swirling together like a storm that I couldn't escape. Jonathan's name was being tossed around, each mention of him a sharp reminder of the tangled mess my life had become. But everything inside me was buzzing, my mind racing, trying to make sense of the lies and the truth that felt like a blur.

I couldn't take it anymore. The words were burning inside me, an itch that couldn't be scratched, and the need for answers was overpowering. Every second felt like an eternity, chained to the wall in this cold, suffocating place. My body ached, the pain from the punch lingering, but it was the emotional pain that had me more trapped than the chains.

I forced myself to sit up, every muscle protesting, but I didn't care. "Stop," I cut in, my voice hoarse but steady. "Just stop."

All eyes turned to me, even Damon's cold stare faltering for a moment. Jonathan stood frozen, his gaze on the floor, refusing to meet mine. But it was Oscar's presence that made the room feel even colder, like the shadows were stretching longer the closer he moved.

"What's going on?" I demanded, my voice stronger now, the fear in my chest trying to push through but staying locked away for now. "What did my father do, Oscar? What are you all hiding from me?"

Oscar's face remained calm, unreadable, but I saw something flicker in his eyes. He took a slow step toward me, his movements deliberate, as if he were savoring the moment, enjoying the control he had over this situation. He crouched down in front of me, just out of reach, his dark eyes never leaving mine.

"You want to know the truth, Liv?" His voice was soft, almost affectionate, like he was trying to comfort me. "The truth is... Jonathan is a *man* who has lived his entire life as a lie. He is not who you think he is, not by any stretch of the imagination."

I swallowed hard, the weight of his words sinking in before I could process them. "What does that even mean?" I whispered, shaking my head in disbelief.

Oscar's lips curled into a small, sadistic smile. "He's a criminal, Liv. A fraud. A murderer. A man who's been involved in things you could never imagine. And you? You were just a pawn in all of this. You were never meant to know the truth."

I flinched, every word feeling like a slap across my face. Jonathan had lied to me—my own father. The person I'd believed was just like me. The person who *raised* me. I couldn't reconcile the man I'd known with the monster Oscar was describing.

But the anger came next. "Stop it," I spat, pulling against the chains that held me in place. "Stop lying to me. My father's not a murderer. He's not—"

Oscar silenced me with a wave of his hand, his eyes narrowing with cold amusement. "Jonathan worked for me. For *years*, Liv. Eighteen long years. And in that time, he killed people, stole from them, and helped me expand my operations. The only thing he cared about was *power* and *money*, and he used you as a tool, just like everyone else in his life."

My breath caught in my throat. The weight of his words were like bricks being dropped one by one onto my chest, making it harder and harder to breathe. "No," I gasped, shaking my head violently, the reality of what he was saying threatening to suffocate me. "You're lying. He... he wouldn't."

Oscar's eyes darkened, his voice taking on a more dangerous edge. "Oh, but he did. He worked alongside men like Damon here, people with no conscience, and he killed for me. He took orders, and he gave orders. He's part of this world, Liv. And he'll never escape it. Not now. Not ever."

I wanted to scream, to lash out at him, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, I was left with the haunting silence, the disbelief hanging between us like a thick fog.

Oscar leaned closer, his face now only inches away from mine. He reached out and gently tilted my chin up, forcing me to meet his gaze. "You're just like him, Liv. Don't fool yourself. You think you're different because you were raised in a different world? That you're better than your father because you don't have the same blood on your hands? It's all just a façade. The truth will catch up to you eventually."

I jerked my head away from his touch, the words he spoke hitting me like shards of glass. "No," I whispered, almost choking on the sob that clawed at my throat. "I'm not like him. I'm nothing like him."

Oscar's smile widened, but there was no warmth in it. "We'll see, won't we?" His voice dropped low, dangerous, as he stood back up and turned away. "Your father's been a fool. He thought he could escape this life, but you can't outrun your past. Not when it's tied to men like me."

I watched him walk toward the others, Damon standing like a silent shadow, his gaze flicking to me with disdain. And then there was Jonathan—standing still, distant, like a ghost of the man I'd once known. My heart pounded in my chest as I stared at him, trying to make sense of everything, trying to hold onto the person I thought he was.

But the truth had a way of stripping away everything, leaving nothing but the bare bones of reality.

Oscar's voice echoed back to me as he turned toward the others. "She'll understand eventually. She'll realize what kind of man her father really is... and then we'll see if she still wants to protect him."

I wanted to shout at them, to tell them they were wrong, but the chains held me in place, the reality of my situation starting to sink in. How could I *not* protect him? He was my father, the only family I had left.

But even as I sat there, chained and broken, I knew Oscar was right about one thing: the truth *would* catch up to me. It always did. And when it did, I didn't know if there would be anything left of the person I used to be.

Jonathan

I could barely hear my own thoughts as I stepped closer to her. Every part of me wanted to reach out, to hold her, to try to make things right. But I could see it in her eyes—there was nothing but anger, pain, and disbelief there. It broke me. She looked at me like I was a stranger, someone she didn't know. And, in a way, I was.

I never wanted this. Never wanted her to be caught up in all of this. But now she was, and I had to face it. I had to face her.

"Liv," I said softly, my voice trembling. "I only did this to protect you. I never wanted any of this to happen. You have to understand that. It wasn't supposed to be like this."

She recoiled, as if the words burned her, like they were poison on her tongue as colour rapidly drained from her face. "Stop," she whispered harshly, shaking her head. "Stop lying to me. I don't want to hear it."

Her words hit me like a slap across the face, harder than any blow could ever be. The guilt that flooded me made my chest tighten. I felt like I was suffocating, drowning in the sea of everything I'd done wrong.

But I couldn't give up. Not now. Not when she was this close.

"Please," I begged, my voice cracking as I took a step closer to her. "I'm telling you the truth. I didn't want you to be involved in any of this. I thought I could protect you. I thought I could keep you safe, but I couldn't. I had to make choices, hard choices. For you."

She was shaking her head, her breathing rapid as she struggled to hold it together. "You're lying," she said, her voice rising, the disbelief transforming into rage. "You're a liar, Jonathan. You've lied to me my whole life, and now you're just making it worse!"

I opened my mouth to explain, but before I could say another word, Damon let out a low chuckle from where he stood off to the side, watching us with an almost amused expression.

"Your beloved daughter hates you, Jon," he said, the sneer in his voice as if it were some kind of cruel joke. "That must sting, huh?"

I wanted to lash out at him, to tell him to shut up, but I couldn't. Not with Liv here, watching me, waiting for me to make things right. And I knew that even if I fought back against Damon, it wouldn't change anything. The damage had already been done.

Liv's eyes were wild with fury, her fists clenched as she pulled at the chains that held her to the cold wall. "You... you think you can just say that and make it all okay?" she shouted, her voice breaking. "You don't get to lie to me anymore, Jonathan! You don't get to tell me you're protecting me when you've been hurting me the whole time."

The weight of her words was suffocating. I stood there, frozen, not knowing what to say next. How could I make her understand? How could I ever fix the broken pieces I had created?

Before I could speak, Oscar's voice cut through the tension like a knife.

"Enough." His tone was cold, deliberate. He was standing next to me now, looming over me. The look in his eyes was sharp, calculating. "You've been lying to her, Jonathan. And it's time to face the truth. You've worked for me for years. You've done my bidding, and you've killed for me. And you thought you could keep your daughter safe from this world, but now she's part of it. And she'll never escape it."

Liv flinched at his words, her face pale with shock. I could see the pain in her eyes as she looked at me, and the helplessness clawed at me. I wanted to scream at Oscar, to tell him he was wrong. But I knew deep down that he wasn't. And that was the worst part.

Before I could say anything else, Oscar's fist came out of nowhere, slamming into my jaw with a sickening crack.

"*You*—you didn't think I'd let you get away with this, did you?" Oscar spat. "You've betrayed me, Jonathan. You've lied, and now you're going to pay for it."

I staggered back, feeling the sting of the blow spread across my face. Blood filled my mouth, and for a moment, I just stood there, dazed, trying to gather my thoughts.

Oscar grabbed me by the collar, pulling me up so our faces were inches apart. "You thought you could play both sides," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "You thought you could run away from me, from this life, but you're still mine. And Liv? She's mine now, too."

I tried to push myself free, to fight him off, but my strength was nothing compared to his. I was trapped. Trapped in a web I had woven for myself, and now Liv was caught in it too.

From the corner of the room, Damon chuckled again, his voice taunting. "You know, Jon, I think you've got a real problem with your daughter. She's never going to forgive you for this. You've ruined everything."

Liv's cries of frustration and anger were deafening, but all I could do was watch, helpless, as Oscar held me in place, his fingers digging into my skin.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to tell Liv the truth—that I did this all for her, that I was trying to protect her. But the words got stuck in my throat, buried under the weight of everything I had done wrong.

"I'm sorry," I finally managed, my voice hoarse. "I never wanted this. I never wanted to hurt you, Liv. But I had to—"

"I don't care anymore!" she screamed, her voice cracking. "Stop lying! I don't want to hear it, Jonathan!"

Her words were like a dagger to my heart. I couldn't fix this. I couldn't make it right. And all I could do was stand there, bleeding—inside and out—while she sat in front of me, chained, broken, and furious.

Oscar's grip tightened as he leaned in closer, his voice a dark whisper. "You're done, Jonathan. This is over. And I'll make sure you never get a second chance to screw things up again."

I closed my eyes, feeling the weight of everything crush me. There was no redemption. No way out.

 And I had no idea how to save her—or myself.

Steve

Early that afternoon

The cool breeze swept across Brighton beach as we sat in tense silence, the seagulls cawing overhead, oblivious to the storm brewing in our hearts. Grace, Ella, and Charlie were beside me, their faces grim, their eyes scanning every passerby, every shadow. We were waiting. Waiting for any sign, any movement, any hint of where Liv was.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, breaking the silence, and my heart skipped a beat. I didn't even need to look at the screen to know who it was. I already knew it was Jonathan. I'd been waiting for this moment all day—the moment when he'd tell us where she was.

I fumbled for the phone, my hands suddenly shaky. I could feel the weight of the entire day crashing down on me as I swiped to answer.

"Steve," Jonathan's voice came through the phone, low, urgent, and laced with a desperation that sent a chill through my bones. "We've found her."

I felt my stomach twist with a mixture of relief and terror. Liv. My Liv.

"Where?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"There's a warehouse. Cavendish Moore. You know it?" Jonathan's words were clipped, rushed.

I nodded, even though I knew he couldn't see me. "Yeah. I know it. It's an old storage facility out on the outskirts of the city. It's been abandoned for years. What's going on, Jonathan?"

"I don't have the full picture yet," Jonathan said, his voice tight with frustration. "But Liv's there. And it's bad. Oscar's there, along with Damon and Callum. They've got her locked up, Steve."

My chest constricted at the mention of her being locked up. I could almost see her, sitting in that cold, dark place, chained up, scared. The image of her, helpless, broke something inside me.

"Don't worry, Jonathan. We'll get her," I said, my voice firm, but even I could hear the crack in it. My heart was hammering in my chest. "Is she okay? Is she—"

"I don't know, Steve," Jonathan interrupted, his voice hoarse. "I've tried getting close, but they've got their eyes on everything. They won't let me get to her without a price."

I ran my hand over my face, trying to calm myself. "What do you mean? What price, Jonathan?"

Jonathan's voice faltered for a moment. "They want me to confess to the media. To admit that I'm her father. That's what they're holding over my head. They want the world to know what I've been hiding. If I don't, they'll... they'll use her. I don't know what they'll do, but I won't let that happen."

I felt the anger surge through me. How the hell had we gotten here? How had everything spiraled so far out of control?

"Jonathan, you need to get to her. We need to do this together. I'll get Grace and the others, we'll go in and—"

"I can't risk it," Jonathan said quickly, cutting me off again. "I don't know who I can trust anymore. I've seen what they're capable of, Steve. If they get their hands on me too, they'll have both of us. You're not thinking straight. You need to stay back, let me handle this."

I clenched my fist, frustration bubbling up. "You've handled it so well so far, haven't you, Jonathan? Look where we are. Look where *she* is! This is your mess. I don't give a damn about your past. I only care about Liv. We do this together, now."

There was a long pause on the line. I could hear Jonathan breathing on the other end, probably pacing, probably just as lost as I felt.

"You're right," he finally admitted, his voice a little softer. "I've messed up. But I'm not going to lose her. Not again. I'll get her out of there, Steve. I swear to you."

"We'll get her out together," I said again, feeling the resolve settle in my chest. I wasn't backing down. Not now. Not when Liv was out there, alone, surrounded by the very people who had the power to destroy everything.

"I'll call you when I know more," Jonathan said quickly. "Just... just be ready."

I ended the call, the weight of the situation still heavy on my shoulders. The others were watching me closely, their faces tense with anticipation. Grace stepped forward, her eyes pleading.

"What did he say?" she asked, her voice tight with worry.

"They've got her, Grace. Cavendish Moore. We're going in," I said, my voice strained but determined. I could feel the fear in my chest, but I was pushing it aside. Liv was still out there, and I wasn't going to let anything keep me from her.

I turned to the others, my gaze steady. "Get ready. It's time."

As we began walking back toward the car, my mind was racing. We had one shot. One chance to save Liv. But with Oscar, Damon, and Callum involved... I knew this wasn't going to be easy. If anything, it was going to get worse before it got better.

And I wasn't sure what would happen next, but I knew one thing for sure—I wasn't losing my daughter. Not now. Not ever.