​Ren looked down, letting his eyelashes cast long shadows over his cheeks. He bit his lip just enough to make it look like he was trying to hold back tears.

"I’m just being realistic, Cilian. You’ve made me your world. If that world disappears, where does that leave me? Where does it leave Toby? He’s just a boy. He can’t defend himself."

​Cilian let out a shaky, triumphant laugh. He felt a surge of power that had nothing to do with the Syndicate and everything to do with the fragile Omega standing before him.

He pulled Ren into a tight, suffocating embrace, burying his face in Ren’s neck.

​"I won’t let that happen," Cilian promised, his voice vibrating against Ren’s skin. "I’ve spent years building a kingdom so that you’d never have to feel a moment of fear again. But I see your point. You need to know that even if the world burns, you and Toby will be standing on the ashes."

​Cilian pulled back, holding Ren at arm’s length. His eyes were bright, almost feverish with the need to prove himself.

"I’ll make a deal with you, Ren. Since you’re carrying the future of the Vane family, and since you’ve finally opened your heart to me... I’ll show you."

​"Show me?" Ren asked, his heart doing a slow, heavy thud.

​"Everything," Cilian proclaimed. "The legal trusts, the offshore accounts in your name, and the location of the safe house where Toby is. I’ll give you the codes to the vault. If I don’t come home one night, you won’t be a victim. You’ll be the one holding all the cards, okay?"

​Ren’s pulse spiked, but he kept his body limp and leaning against Cilian’s chest. The location of Toby. That was all he needed.

Ah, but was Cilian always this trusting? He was just giving him what he wanted after just a few days of being obedient to him and acting like he would never leave... Cilian has become that much or a full?

Was this a trap?

​"You’d trust me with that?" Ren asked, his voice a perfect tone of disbelief.

​"Of course. I trust you with my life every night we sleep in the same bed, Ren," Cilian purred, his fox-like grin returning, more doting than ever. "Besides, where would you go? You love me now, don’t you? You’re worried about me dying."

​Ren forced himself to wrap his arms around Cilian’s waist, squeezing back. He closed his eyes so Cilian wouldn’t see the cold, calculating light in them.

​"I just don’t want to be alone," Ren whispered.

​"You’ll never be alone again," Cilian promised, kissing the top of Ren’s head. "I’ll start the paperwork today. And tonight, after dinner... I’ll take you to see him. I’ll take you to see Toby."

​Ren felt a chill run down his spine. He had won. By playing the submissive, grieving wife, he had tricked the monster into handing over the keys to his own cage.

He just had to keep the act up for a few more days. Then, once he knew where Toby was, once he had gotten everything else he wanted, he would not hold back and kill Cilian.

But first... since things were going well, this might be the perfect time to bring ’that’ up.

Ren stayed nestled against Cilian’s chest for a moment longer than necessary, letting the Alpha feel the weight of his "submission." He could feel the steady, powerful thrum of Cilian’s heart.

​"Cilian," Ren murmured, his voice muffled by the charcoal fabric of the suit. "If you really want me to feel safe... if you really want us to be this ’family’ you keep talking about... there’s something else."

​Cilian stepped back just enough to look at him, his expression eager. "Anything, Ren. Tell me."

​Ren let his grey eyes darken. The vulnerability shifted into a sharp, cold edge of resentment. This wasn’t a fake emotion; it was the only truth he had left.

​"You know, I can’t fight you anymore," Ren said, his voice dropping an octave. "You’ve won. You have me, and now you have... this." He placed a hand over his stomach. "But I can’t breathe knowing my uncles are still out there. They sold me to you like a piece of meat. They colluded with you to destroy my family. I just..."

His blood boiled and he felt hatred, but he used the opportunity to direct the hatred towards the uncles and make Cilian feel like he was no longer involved in that hate.

​He gripped Cilian’s lapels, his knuckles turning white.

"I want them, Cilian. I want them brought here. To the basement. I want to see them broken the way they tried to break me."

​Cilian didn’t look surprised. He knew, even if Ren had come to accept his life with him, there was still that fire burning.

Revenge. He wanted it and since he could not have his revenge on Cilian... Everyone else had to pay. Gruesomely.

​A dark, delighted grin spread across Cilian’s face. The idea of Ren wanting to draw blood again was like an intoxicant to him.

​"Is that all, darling?" Cilian purred, his fingers tracing Ren’s jawline. "If it’s their heads you want, I’ll bring them to you. I can string them upside down if you like. We can drain their blood slowly and watch them cry until they have no voices left. I’ll make sure they regret the day they ever thought of you as a bargaining chip."

​Ren looked at him, a genuine sense of chill running through him. He wondered how Cilian could turn so easily on the allies who had helped him dismantle the Pierce family.

What was Cilian’s goal back then? Was it really just to take out a competition? Get the Pierce out of the way? If it was not for the ledger then what was it?

Would he answer him now that he’s become a fool for Ren?

Ren looked at Cilian and then shook his head. Maybe he might screw things up if he asks.

​If he got his uncles in that basement, he would make them spill the truth. He would find out exactly what happened and why Cilian did what he did.

​"Just....make sure you capture them alive," Ren said, his voice sounding rough and determined. "Don’t kill them on the way here. I want them conscious. I’ll take care of everything else once they’re in my hands."

​Cilian laughed, a low, prideful sound. He pulled Ren into a searing kiss, one that Ren didn’t fight.

​"I love it when you take charge, Ren," Cilian whispered against his lips. "Consider it done. I’ll have my men track them tonight. By the time we return from seeing Toby, the hunt will already be underway."

​Ren nodded, forcing a small, dark smile. "Thank you, Cilian. I’m so very... happy."

Ren stood in the quiet luxury of the dining hall, the taste of the kiss lingering like a warning. He watched Cilian walk away, his golden-brown eyes glowing with the satisfaction of a man who thought he had finally tamed a storm.

As soon as the heavy oak doors clicked shut, Ren’s posture shifted. The soft, trembling ’wife’ vanished, replaced by a man whose heart had turned into a block of ice. He reached for his tea, but his hand was steady now. No more shaking. No more tears. As if it had never happened.

He looked at the empty seat where Cilian had been. You’re a fool, he thought. You think because I’m carrying your child, I’ve forgotten the blood on your hands? You think because I leaned into you, I’ve forgiven the smoke and the screams?

He felt the slight weight in his midsection—the ’fruit’ Cilian was so proud of. It was a ticking clock. He had to move fast.

Before the pregnancy made him too weak to fight, and before Cilian realized that a doctor doesn’t just know how to heal—they know exactly where to cut to make sure the bleeding never stops.

Dinner that evening was a quiet, almost domestic affair. Cilian was in high spirits, talking about the future, about nursery colors and tutors, while Ren nodded and offered small, rehearsed smiles.

Every time Cilian mentioned ’our family’ Ren felt like he was chewing sand and swallowing glass, but he kept the mask perfectly in place.

After the last plates were cleared, Cilian stood and held out his hand.

"Are you ready, Ren? I’ve already called the car. Your Toby is waiting."

Ren’s heart hammered a frantic rhythm against his ribs. Toby. He took Cilian’s hand, his fingers cold.

They traveled in a nondescript SUV, deep into the outskirts of the city where the neon lights faded into the shadows of industrial warehouses.

It was a perfect hiding spot—a place where no one asked questions and everyone minded their own business.

The car pulled up to a small, unassuming brick house surrounded by a high fence. Guards in plain clothes nodded as Cilian approached.

"He’s in the sunroom," Cilian whispered, his hand on the small of Ren’s back. "I’m sure he’ll be glad to see you. After all, he’s always asking when he can see his Uncle Ren again."