Chapter 753

Thorsten chuckled softly. “You’re still young. Right now, you think this is what you want. Someday, you might regret it.”

“Who knows what the future holds? Let’s just live in the moment,” I replied, letting a touch of melancholy slip into my voice.

“Fine. If this is the person you want, then when he comes back, you can take him with you,” Thorsten said, agreeing easily.

I played along. “Then I’ll thank you in advance.”

“We’re making a fair trade,” Thorsten reminded me.

“Oh?” I said, arching a brow. “And what trade would that be?”

His eyes narrowed, but he quickly hid it behind a smooth smile. “Keira, all you have to do is hand over what I want. After that, name your price.”

He sounded generous, but we both knew better. The one thing I wanted wasn’t something he could deliver.

So I said it anyway. “What if I want my parents back?”

It was cruel and impossible, but that was the point. I wanted him to feel the weight of what he owed me.

Thorsten’s expression tightened before he recovered. “Be realistic. Ask for something tangible—money, shares, anything.”

“Do I look broke to you?” I shot back, smirking.

“No, but isn’t more always better?” he countered, as slick as ever.

I let my gaze drop, just enough to show a flicker of sorrow. “No amount of money can buy what I need.”

He got the message. I wasn’t budging.

“If money’s not your thing, and you want a person, fine—let’s trade. The item. Simple,” Thorsten said, leaning into his usual mind games.

He’d latched onto Xander because I’d mentioned him. If I’d said someone else, he’d have used them instead.

But Hayden had told me enough about Xander’s situation to know Thorsten wouldn’t dare hurt him. This was just a bluff, another way to pressure me.

“Didn’t you just promise to protect Xander?” I asked, my voice sharp with mockery. “Funny how fast he turned into a bargaining chip.”

Chapter 753

“Enough with the word games. Hand over the item, and everything will be fine. The world will be at peace, and you can go back to your quiet little life.”

His veiled threat was crystal clear. I smiled faintly. “And if I don’t? What’s the plan—unleash chaos and start wiping people out?”

Thorsten laughed, cold and sharp. “Keira, you know why I’m sitting here, talking to you. It’s because of certain connections. And you know exactly what kind of man I am—a man with blood on his hands. Don’t make me send you to reunite with your parents.”

No hiding it this time. His threat was as direct as a blade.

I pressed my lips together. “Mr. Drago, if you really thought I was someone you could strong-arm this easily, you wouldn’t still be sitting here trying.”

Matthew Johnston may have destroyed my family, but he’d always protected me in his own way. Thorsten knew that, just like he knew how much pull the Johnston brothers—Jace and Wayne—still had. Their love for me might’ve been messed up, but it was dangerous enough to keep people like Thorsten in check.

He didn’t look surprised at my pushback. For a second, he just stared, then waved a hand. “Show her out.”

The door creaked open, and one of his bodyguards stepped in.

I stood, walking toward the exit, but stopped short when I saw Wayne waiting for me on the other side.

Of course, he was here. On purpose.