239 The Line You Crossed!
“I did not want to torture him unless you gave the order,” Ethan said as they walked deeper
underground.
1
“You did the right thing,” Axel replied calmly. “Because I need to do it with my own hand.”
His voice echoed through the cold concrete hallway.
Ethan gave a quick nod, though his expression remained unreadable. He had seen Axel like this
before, only a few times, and it always meant trouble for whoever was on the receiving end.
They continued walking until they reached another set of thick steel doors facing each other.
The underground facility was built like a maze, intentionally confusing to anyone who did not
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belong there.
Most had been stripped down to bare essentials, leaving only cold walls, locked rooms, and heavy silence.
At the end of the hall, Ethan stepped forward and pressed his thumb to a scanner beside one of the
steel doors.
A beep sounded, followed by the low grind of machinery.
Then,
The door swung open slowly, letting out a st of
cold air.
Inside, the room was dim but clean. The air smelled faintly of steel and disinfectant. The only thing out of ce was the figure on the floor.
Maximey curled in a pathetic heap, his hands tied behind him. His once–expensive clothes were wrinkled and dirtied, his hair sticking up
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like he had been electrocuted. Tear stains
streaked down his cheeks. His face was blotchy from crying.
He looked miserable, exactly as Axel intended.
The sound of the door opening stirred him awake. Maxime’s eyes fluttered open, heavy and unfocused. When he finally managed to lift his head and recognized the silhouette in the doorway, his breath hitched.
“Brother…?” he rasped.
He struggled to sit up, failing at first before managing to push himself upright with his knees.
“Oh my God, brother Ax… Axel… Is that you?” His voice cracked painfully, his throat raw from crying. Tears gathered again in his eyes.
“You finally came,” he whispered, crawling forward slightly. “You came to rescue me, right?
Brother?”
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Axel did not answer. He simply stepped forward, his face unreadable, calm, almost gentle. His eyes held a softness that did not reach his mind.
Maxime did not see the quiet satisfaction in Axel’s expression; he had already shifted his gaze toward Ethan, who was leaning against the doorframe with a look ofplete boredom. Suddenly, rage exploded across his face.
“This motherfucker…” Maxime snapped, ring at Ethan with bloodshot eyes. “Brother, this man, he kidnapped me. He kicked me a few times. He said he would kill me!” His voice rose with fury.
A cold smile appeared on Axel’s lips.
The moment Maxime saw it, his hope vanished like ice hitting fire.
He froze, then trembled violently as realization
hit him.
“B… Brother… You… You are the one who
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kidnapped me?”
“It seems you have not lost your mind,” Axel replied calmly.
“Why?” Maxime demanded, his lips shaking, torn between outrage and fear. “Why did you do this? You know this is against thew, right?”
“Law?” Axel repeated.
He tilted his head back andughed. Not a lightugh. A deep, amused, mockingugh.
“Law?” he said again, more incredulous this time. “Since when dows apply to me?”
Maxime stared at him, horrified. For a second, he seemed at aplete loss for words.
He forced his aching body into a seated position, ring at Axel like a betrayed child.
“Brother… I will report this to my dad. And Grandpa. I will make sure they punish you.”
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239 The Line You Crossed!
Axel blinked once, his expression turning almost
sympathetic.
But Ethan snorted loudly before stepping
forward. “Boss, should I end him now?” he asked casually.
They said it like they were discussing lunch options.
Maxime let out a squeak. His face was drained of color. His entire body began trembling uncontrobly.
“E,” Axel said, ignoring Maxime. “Do you think ending him now would be too merciful?”
“Probably,” Ethan said with a thoughtful nod. “He has not even apologized for wasting our time.”
“Right.”
“Also, he cried too much. He is dehydrated.”
Maxime whimpered, his eyes huge with fear.
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“Please… Please, brother, no…” He shook his head
quickly. “You do not have to end me. I swear I did not do anything. This is all a misunderstanding.”
Axel’s cold gaze returned to him. “Max, you know why you are here. Do not pretend innocence.”
“I do not understand…” Maxime insisted
stubbornly.
Axel crouched down slightly, bringing his eyes level with him. He gently pped Maxime’s face, initially soft, then with increasing firmness until his face grew slightly red.
“I told you before. Never cross the line about my family. And especially not my wife.”
Maxime shut his eyes tightly, but it was toote. Axel’s tone made the truth impossible to ignore.
“And what did you do?” Axel continued. “You shared your dashcam footage.”
Maxime’s eyes snapped open in panic.
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“I did not share it with the media,” he said quickly.
“I… I was just…”
“You shared it with someone who mighte after me. Or after mypany. Someone who would love to stir trouble. Like the Martinez family?”
That namended like a stone dropped from the sky.
Maxime swallowed hard. His face turned even
whiter. He had the look of a man who wished he
could reverse time.
“Bro, I did not do it intentionally. I swear. I just… I mean… I thought…”
Axel raised his hand slightly. The gesture was small, almost gentle.
But Maxime’s voice died instantly.
Silence filled the air again.
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Ethan looked impressed. “He is very well trained.
Like a dog that finally shuts up when its owner raises a finger.”
“E…” Axel said.
“What? It is true.” Ethan yfully smiles.
Maxime looked like he might cry again.
Axel sighed and straightened. “Maxime. The moment you sent that dashcam file to an outsider, you crossed a line you knew existed. You did it anyway.”
“I swear it was a mistake…” Maxime whispered, his voice cracking. “I did not mean for anything to happen. I was angry that day. I acted without
thinking.”
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Sara Lili
<strong>Sara Lili</strong> is a daring romance writer who turns icyndscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of d’s breathtaking cold.