Ezekiel sat in the dimly lit study, papers strewn across the desk in front of him. Maps, lists, and dossiers-all meticulously gathered in his relentless pursuit of a way to free her. His thoughts were a storm, a mix of strategy and emotions he couldn’t suppress. Every time he thought of her-her eyes hidden behind that mask, the scars on her body-his determination only grew stronger.
“Daisy,” he murmured, the name a whisper of both hope and pain.
He didn’t know how long he could endure watching her suffer, trapped in the Sovereign’s web. But he knew one thing for certain: he wouldn’t stop until she was free.
—
Meeting with Liam had been his first step, and though he had anticipated resistance, the outright rejection still stung.
“Liam, please,” Ezekiel had said, his voice steady despite the tension between them. “I need your help. She needs your help.”
Liam had crossed his arms, his expression unreadable. “And what makes you think I’d trust you? After everything? After Louis?”
“This isn’t about Louis,” Ezekiel argued. “It’s about her. You know she’s alive, Liam. You’ve seen her. Do you think she’ll survive much longer under the Sovereign’s control?”
Liam’s jaw tightened. “And what’s your plan, Ezekiel? That you’ll swoop in and save her? That she’ll fall into your arms and everything will be fine? You don’t understand what she’s been through.”
Ezekiel stepped closer, his voice low and fierce. “I don’t care if she never forgives me, if she hates me for the rest of her life. I just want her free. She deserves that much.”
Liam’s silence spoke volumes. He wanted to help, Ezekiel could see it in the way his shoulders tensed, in the flicker of pain in his eyes. But the mistrust ran too deep, and the wounds left by Louis’s betrayal were still raw.
“I can’t risk it,” Liam finally said, his voice cracking. “Not again. She’s my sister. I won’t lose her to another man’s ambition.”
Ezekiel’s chest tightened at the accusation, but he didn’t argue. He couldn’t blame Liam for feeling that way.
“I’m not giving up,” Ezekiel said quietly.
Liam shook his head, his expression weary. “You’re on your own.”
—
Ezekiel returned to his quarters that night, the weight of Liam’s rejection heavy on his shoulders. But giving up wasn’t an option. He couldn’t stop seeing the way she had flinched when he’d tried to tend to her wounds, the way she had shoved him away as if she didn’t deserve kindness.
He poured over his notes again, searching for weaknesses in the Sovereign’s organization, for allies he could leverage. Each piece of information was another brick in the wall he was building to tear the Sovereign down.
But it wasn’t enough. He needed more.
—
Daisy watched him from the shadows, her sharp eyes missing nothing. She knew he was trying to save her, that his every move was calculated to find a way to break the Sovereign’s hold. She also knew it was dangerous.
The Sovereign was not a man to be trifled with, and Ezekiel’s defiance would not go unnoticed forever. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to stop him.
There was a part of her-a small, fragile part-that wanted to believe in him. But it was buried under years of pain and betrayal, under the scars that marked her body and soul.
She told herself that she was only watching him to stay one step ahead, to anticipate his next move. But deep down, she knew there was more to it than that.
—
Ezekiel’s determination didn’t waver, even as the days turned into weeks. He met with contacts in the underworld, bribed informants, and risked his life to gather the intel he needed. Each time he thought he was close, another obstacle would appear, but he refused to let it stop him.
And she noticed.
She saw the way he pushed himself, the way he fought tooth and nail for a chance to reach her. She saw the desperation in his eyes, the raw emotion he tried to hide behind his calm exterior.
For the first time in years, she felt something stir within her-a flicker of hope, a crack in the armor she had built around her heart. But she crushed it ruthlessly.
Hope was a dangerous thing.
—
One night, as Ezekiel was returning from another meeting, he felt her presence before he saw her.
“You’re going to get yourself killed,” she said, stepping out of the shadows.
He stopped, his breath catching at the sight of her. Even in the dim light, her mask and scars couldn’t hide her strength, her resilience.
“I’ll take that risk,” he said, his voice steady.
She tilted her head, her eyes narrowing. “Why?”
“Because you’re worth it,” he said simply.
Her heart clenched at his words, but she forced herself to remain composed. “You don’t know what you’re getting into. The Sovereign won’t let me go. And I won’t let you ruin yourself for something that’s impossible.”
“Nothing about you is impossible,” he said, stepping closer. “You’re not the Sovereign’s puppet. You’re more than that.”
She turned away, her hands curling into fists. “You don’t know me.”
“I know enough,” he said softly.
Her shoulders tensed, but she didn’t respond.
“Let me help you,” he said, his voice breaking. “Let me fight for you.”
She spun to face him, her eyes blazing. “I don’t need you to fight for me, Ezekiel. I can handle myself.”
“I know you can,” he said. “But you don’t have to do it alone.”
His words hung in the air, a challenge and a plea.
For a moment, she let herself imagine it-what it would be like to trust him, to let him fight alongside her. But the Sovereign’s control was absolute, and her freedom was a distant dream.
“You’re wasting your time,” she said, her voice cold.
“I’ll waste a lifetime if it means getting you back,” he replied.
As she turned and walked away, she felt his gaze on her, heavy with determination and something she refused to name.
In the darkness, she allowed herself a single thought: Maybe.