I never told my sister I owned half the land in this town. When I returned from the army, my daughter was forced to sleep in the pigsty, humiliated, and told, "You're a useless burden." In front of me, she even sneered, "A poor, washed-up soldier has no right to speak up." I silently signed the legal papers, reclaiming the entire house she was living in. A week later, I took my daughter and left, leaving her standing there crying in front of a house that was no longer hers.

The heat from the burning bus radiated through the reinforced glass of my armored SUV.

Lily woke up with a frightened gasp as the flames cast dark shadows across the leather seats.

"Keep your head down, sweetheart," I ordered, pushing her gently toward the floorboards.

Volkov stood confidently in front of his mercenaries, knowing my vehicle was completely trapped.

"You took my brother's life in Damascus, Elias!" Volkov roared.

"Tonight, I will take your life and your pathetic family legacy!"

He raised his hand, and the mercenaries unleashed a deafening hail of bullets upon our vehicle.

The armor-piercing rounds cracked against the bulletproof glass, creating spiderwebs of shattered safety glass.

"Marcus, engage defensive countermeasures," I yelled over the deafening gunfire.

Marcus slammed his fist onto a red button installed directly into the dashboard console.

Thick, blinding white smoke instantly deployed from the exterior vents of our SUV.

The smoke filled the parking garage, completely obscuring the mercenaries' line of sight.

"Hold your fire!" Volkov screamed blindly into the thick fog.

I grabbed a heavy tactical rifle from the hidden compartment under my seat.

I kicked my door open and rolled silently into the cover of the dense chemical smoke.

Using my thermal optics, I quickly identified the glowing heat signatures of the enemy fighters.

I moved like a ghost through the garage, neutralizing four mercenaries with precise, non-lethal strikes to their joints.

The remaining men panicked, firing their weapons wildly into the concrete walls.

I slipped behind Volkov and pressed the cold barrel of my rifle against the back of his neck.

"Tell them to drop their weapons, Viktor, or you will join your brother," I whispered coldly.

Volkov froze, a bead of nervous sweat dripping down his scarred face.

He raised his hands slowly and ordered his men to surrender their firearms.

Marcus quickly secured the remaining mercenaries with heavy plastic zip ties.

I grabbed Volkov by the collar and slammed him hard against a concrete pillar.

"You just signed away the deed to Thorne Manor back to me, Viktor," I demanded.

When my newborn 'passed away,' my mother-in-law leaned in and said

My Husband Left Me Alone in My Car While I Was in Labor

“You’re Dead When We Get Home,” He Snapped

Volkov let out a dry, mocking laugh that sent a chill down my spine.

"I cannot give you the deed, Elias, because I am not the one who bought it."

Chapter 5 - The Garage Ambush