Chapter 176
Meanwhile, in the winding, cobblestone charm of Kensington, dusk had settled like silk. The golden streetlamps flickered to life, their glow painting soft halos across the damp pavement. Eliana stepped out of Le Jardin Secret, her breath catching in the cool London air. The dinner had left a knot in her stomach—a tangle of nerves, anger and confusion that refused to ease. Her slender frame shivered as the wind teased her curls, sending them flying across her face in restless waves. She raised a hand to flag a cab, relief blooming when a yellow light blinked in the distance.
But before her fingers brushed the car door, the night shifted.
From a white van parked innocently down the block, shadows peeled away from the metal. Three men—thickset, silent, and dressed in dark jackets that drank in the lamplight—advanced with chilling precision. Their faces were hidden beneath low caps, every movement rehearsed, professional.
“Eliana?” one muttered under his breath, just before a gloved hand shot out, seizing her arm. Another man pressed a cloth over her mouth, and the acrid bite of chloroform flooded her senses.
Her eyes flew wide, the world tilting violently. “Mmmph!” Her muffled cry was raw with panic as her legs kicked out, sneakers scraping against the slick pavement. She twisted, desperate, fingernails catching on fabric—but the men didn’t falter. One hissed in her ear, voice rough and soaked in a Cockney growl.
“Easy now, love. Boss wants you in one piece p>
The words were meant to reassure—but they curdled into menace instead.
In a blur of motion and muffled gasps, they dragged her toward the van. A final, useless kick echoed against metal before the doors slammed shut. The engine roared to life, tires screaming against asphalt as the van disappeared into the flow of London traffic—leaving behind only the faint scent of jasmine and fear.
But Rafael’s team had eyes everywhere. From a jagged rooftop, Oliver’s silhouette hunched against the skyline as he tracked the white van like a hawk locking onto prey. “Visual on snatch—white van, plate ENF-379,” he breathed into his mic, voice flat as a blade. “Heading east on Kensington High. Do we intervene?” Jax’s calm came back over the line, a steady metronome in Rafael’s earpiece.
“Affirmative,” James said, the command clean and cold. “Clean extraction. No casualties p>
What followed felt rehearsed and improvised at once — a mechanical ballet stitched together by instinct. Viktor’s SUV snarled to life, tires whispering as he threaded narrow lanes with the kind of tiny corrections only a practiced driver makes. Inside, Will’s fingertips danced across a handheld jammer until the van’s GPS blinked out. “Eyes on screen — they’re blind,” he reported, a crooked grin cutting through the tension.
Liam’s voice sliced through the noise like a conductor. “Kai and Jax, dismount two blocks up and shadow on foot. Oliver, take overwatch from the south rooftop. Viktor, cut them at the junction on Elm. Will, keep the signal black; don’t let them ping home p>
Kai folded into the shadow of a shopfront, a dark shape that belonged to the corners of alleys. Jax, earpiece snug, hummed confirmations and scanned faces for movement. Oliver settled behind his sniper rig, breath slow, scope fixed — a silent promise that if things went sideways, he’d be the last word they heard.
The van swerved into a quieter alley near Hyde Park, the driver cursing London traffic. Inside, Eliana’s vision blurred from the sedative, her honey eyes fluttering as she fought unconsciousness. “Who… who are you?” she slurred, wrists bound with zip ties. “Let me go p>
The lead thug chuckled darkly. “Quiet, princess. Mummy’s orders p>
Suddenly, tires screeched as Viktor rammed the van’s rear, forcing it to skid to a halt against a brick wall. Sparks flew, metal crunching in a deafening roar. “What the—?” the driver yelled.
Doors burst open. Kai and Jax, emerging from shadows, yanked the side panel wide. Punches flew—Kai’s fist connecting with a thug’s jaw in a sickening crack, Jax disarming another with a swift kick. “Hands off the lady!” Jax barked, his voice laced with mock cheer. “Didn’t your mum teach you manners p>
Will leaped in, cutting Eliana’s ties with a knife. “Easy, miss. We’re the good guys—sort of.” Gunfire echoed—a warning shot from Oliver on the roof, pinning the thugs down.
Liam hauled Eliana out, her legs wobbling. “Stay with me,” he urged, supporting her slender frame. The air reeked of exhaust and fear, distant sirens wailing as pedestrians scattered.
One thug lunged, but Viktor tackled him, pinning him with a knee. “Not today, mate,” Viktor growled, zip-tying the man’s hands. “Tell Mirabel the party’s over p>
Eliana gasped, clutching Liam’s arm, her expressive eyes wide with confusion. “Who… who sent you? This is insane p>
Liam pulled out his phone, dialing Rafael. “Boss, we have her. Safe, but shaken p>
Rafael’s voice boomed through the speaker, raw with emotion— a mix of relief and fury that cracked his usual sarcasm. “Eliana? It’s me. I sent them. God, are you okay? I tried to warn you—Mirabel’s poison. Just breathe, love. They’re bringing you to me p>
Eliana’s voice trembled, tears streaming down her warm brown cheeks. “Rafael? Oh God, I… I didn’t listen. They grabbed me—chloroform, the van… I thought it was over p>
“I know, I know,” Rafael soothed, his tone softening, revealing the vulnerability he hid from the world. “But you’re safe now. My men are the best. James handpicked them. Just get here—to the hospital. I need to see you p>
One of the thugs groaned from the ground, and Jax quipped, “Oi, sleeping beauty—nap time’s extended!” eliciting a tense chuckle from Will.
Eliana managed a weak laugh through her sobs. “Your guys… they’re like action heroes. But seriously, Rafael, Mirabel—she’s my… Is she really my mother? What kind of mother does this kind of thing to her own daughter? It’s all so messed up p>
“We’ll sort it,” Rafael promised, his voice steadying. “Just come to me. I… I can’t lose you p>
The team bundled her into the SUV, leaving Mirabel’s men trussed for the authorities—anonymous tip en route. Viktor drove smoothly through the night, the city lights blurring like stars. Eliana leaned back, exhaustion claiming her, a hand on her baby bump, but hope flickering in her eyes.
At the hospital, they slipped through a private entrance, evading prying eyes. The VIP room was dimly lit, Rafael propped in bed, his chiseled features etched with worry. As the door opened, Eliana rushed in, collapsing into his arms without second thought—arms that, in secret, could hold her strong.
“Rafael,” she whispered, burying her face in his chest.
“Eliana,” he murmured, kissing her forehead. “You’re here. That’s all that matters p>