Chapter 107

Chapter 107
Mrs. Julia paced the marble floor, her wrinkled hands clutched together as if she were praying. She’d just returned to the hospital with food for Anna, only to discover something that made her chest tighten with dread.
Anna wasn’t in her hospital room. Neither was Vera.
Julia’s throat went dry. She searched every corner of the ward, checked with the nurses, even went as far as the parking lot. Nothing. It wasn’t like Anna to just leave, not in this fragile situation, and certainly not without telling Marcus. Something was wrong—deeply wrong.
She hurried back into the hallway, her shoes clicking against the floor as her heart hammered in her chest. Pulling out her phone, her trembling fingers dialed Marcus.
He answered on the second ring, his voice sharp.
“What is it, Julia? I’m in the middle of a board call.”
“Sir—Anna’s gone,” Julia whispered, almost choking on the words. “She’s not in her room. I checked everywhere. And Vera… Vera is missing too.”
The silence on the other end was suffocating. For a moment, Julia thought the call had dropped. Then Marcus spoke, his tone low, deadly.
“Say that again.”
Julia’s knees felt weak. “Anna and Vera. Both of them. They’re not here. I… I think something’s happened.”
Marcus swore under his breath, the sound of papers scattering in the background. “Stay there. Don’t let anyone leave the hospital. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
But before Julia could reply, a loud beep cut through the call. Another line was coming in.
“Hold on,” Marcus muttered. He switched over. “Yeah?”
The voice on the other end was distorted, low and mechanical.
“If you want to see Anna and Vera alive, you come alone. No security, no police. One wrong move, and you’ll be burying them both.”
Marcus froze. “Who the fuck is this?”
“You’ll know soon enough. Location will be sent in five minutes. Don’t be late.”
The line went dead.
Marcus stood in his office, fists clenched so tight his knuckles turned white. His chest rose and fell like he’d run a marathon. Lucas and Jenny were locked up. They couldn’t be behind this. So who the hell had the balls to take Anna? And Vera?
His mind raced. He thought of every rival, every blood enemy, every traitor. But something about the voice, the certainty, the calmness—it wasn’t a random enemy. This was personal.
And personal was far more dangerous.
Marcus grabbed his gun from the drawer, slid it into the back of his jeans, and stormed out.
The warehouse smelled of rust and gasoline. It was dark, the only light coming from a flickering bulb hanging by a wire. Marcus walked in, every step deliberate, his eyes scanning the shadows.
He wasn’t stupid. Backup was waiting a few streets away. But he knew he had to face this first, alone, to see who dared touch what was his.
“Marcus…”
The voice was smooth, cold, and painfully familiar.
From the shadows, Damon stepped out. His half-smile twisted into something bitter.
Marcus’s jaw clenched. “You.”
“Miss me, brother?” Damon spread his arms. “Or should I say… half-brother?”
Before Marcus could respond, another figure emerged. A woman. Her presence hit him like a truck.
“Mother?”
“I’m not your mother, Marcus,” she said, her lips curving into a cruel smirk. “I’m her twin. Her identical twin.”
Marcus’s head spun. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“You heard me.” She tilted her head. “The woman you’ve called mother all your life… I took her place the day she gave birth to her second child. A girl. I kidnapped her. I raised you as mine. And I raised Damon as mine too, though he isn’t your father’s son.”
Marcus staggered back a step, his voice raw. “You’re lying.”
“Oh, Marcus. Why would I lie? Do you think I enjoy telling you your life’s been one long joke?” She sneered. “Your mother had everything. The man I loved. The power. The family. So I took it. When your father discovered the truth, I killed him. Easy. Quick. He begged, but I didn’t care. Damon isn’t his son because I made sure of it. And Vera… sweet, loyal Vera… is the daughter your real mother never got to raise. She’s mine now.”
Marcus’s heart thundered in his chest. He couldn’t believe the words, but something in her eyes—the twisted satisfaction—told him it was real.
“You bitch,” Marcus spat. “Where are they? Where the fuck are Anna and Vera?”
She smirked. “Safe. For now. But if you want to see your real mother, your sister, and your lover alive… you’re going to give Damon what should’ve been his all along.”
Marcus narrowed his eyes. “What the hell do you mean?”
“Step down,” Damon said smoothly, stepping closer. “From the company. From the empire. Hand it all to me. Sign the papers, make it official. You walk away from everything, or you watch them die.”
Marcus’s mind spun, his pulse pounding in his ears. His empire, his legacy, his father’s name—everything was at stake. But so was Anna. And now Vera. And his real mother, who he’d never even known was still alive.
His chest rose and fell as his enemy—his own blood—closed in around him.
The choice they were forcing on him was brutal.
And for the first time in years, Marcus didn’t know what the fuck to do.