The Temporary Boyfriend

Chapter 193: The underground

His security men were positioned all around the estate, hidden carefully in different locations. Some stood near the gates, while others monitored the grounds from concealed posts in the trees and along the perimeter walls.

The mansion itself had been built like a fortress.

From the outside, the floor-to-ceiling glass windows looked completely black, making it impossible for anyone to see inside. But from within the house, the entire city remained visible beneath the hills. Every single panel was reinforced with military-grade bulletproof glass, something Julian had spent a fortune installing.

Motion sensors covered every corner of the property.

Hidden surveillance systems tracked even the slightest movement near the estate.

And the most important defense of all, was the aerial protection system installed around the hill. Any long-range weapon, sniper shot, or explosive projectile detected approaching the mansion, would immediately be intercepted and destroyed before reaching the house.

Julian stood silently for a minute, with his hands in his pockets, looking back toward the bedroom upstairs where Lyvana slept peacefully.

He had too many enemies.

Far too many.

And if he wanted to protect Lyvana and protect their children... then he needed a place no one could ever touch. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm

He stood there for a moment longer, then he turned and walked away from the main house.

Victor was already waiting near the lower driveway beside a black SUV.

Neither of them spoke as Julian got into the back seat.

The vehicle moved quietly down a narrow road hidden behind the estate, disappearing deeper into the hills.

Several minutes later, they reached what looked like an abandoned storage house at the far end of the property.

The building was small, dark, and completely ordinary from the outside.

But appearances meant nothing.

Two armed guards stepped forward the moment Julian arrived.

One of them entered a security code into a hidden panel near the concrete wall.

A low mechanical sound echoed beneath the ground.

Then slowly, part of the floor inside the small building split open, revealing a narrow underground passage illuminated by dim white lights.

Victor walked down first.

Julian followed behind him.

The hallway stretched deep beneath the hill, cold and silent except for the sound of their footsteps.

At the very end stood a thick steel door.

One of the guards unlocked it immediately.

The moment the door opened, the smell of blood and sweat filled the air.

Arthur Reed was tied to a metal chair in the center of the room.

His was wearing a night robe, which was stained and wrinkled. His face was badly bruised from previous interrogations. One side of his mouth was split open, and dried blood covered the front of his shirt.

The moment he saw Julian walk in, fear flashed violently across his face.

He tried to straighten in the chair, but the restraints around his wrists and ankles held him firmly in place.

"J-Julian..." he stammered, his swollen lips trembling slightly. "You swine, what do you want from me..."

Julian said nothing. He walked slowly across the room, calmly.

That silence terrified Arthur far more than shouting ever could.

"I already told you, I’m sorry about the drugs," Arthur rushed out desperately. "But Catalina was the one who asked for it. I swear to God, I never meant to hurt Lyvana. I only—"

"You only paid off my investors to double-cross me," Julian interrupted quietly.

Arthur froze.

Julian finally stopped directly in front of him now. His expression remained cold and unreadable.

"You instructed them to pull out of our agreements," Julian continued. "You convinced them to forfeit payments worth billions just to cripple my company."

Arthur’s breathing became uneven.

"It was just business," he whispered weakly. "That’s all it was."

Julian gave a faint nod, almost as if he understood.

"Business," he repeated softly.

Then, without warning, he grabbed Arthur by the throat and slammed his head violently against the back of the metal chair.

Arthur cried out in pain.

Julian leaned down slowly, his grip tightening around his neck.

"You are going to tell me exactly what is happening," he said quietly. "Every plan. Every name. Every move being made behind my back."

Arthur gasped painfully, clawing weakly at Julian’s wrist.

"And if you lie to me," Julian continued calmly, "I will start cutting you into pieces and shipping them to your family in Zurich."

Arthur’s eyes widened in absolute horror.

Julian’s expression never changed.

"Yes," he said softly. "I know exactly where you keep them hidden."

Arthur went pale instantly.

Sweat broke across his bruised face as real fear finally settled into his eyes.

Julian leaned even closer.

"So think very carefully before your next answer."

Meanwhile back in the room, Lyvana was having another nightmare.

Far above the underground bunker, the mansion remained silent.

But back inside the bedroom, Lyvana was trapped in another nightmare.

Her body twisted restlessly beneath the blankets as quiet whimpers escaped her lips.

Darkness surrounded her.

Then slowly, the strange woman appeared again. Standing in the mirror.

She saw the strange woman from before. She spoke the same words she didn’t understand.

Then suddenly, she jolted awake with a sharp gasp.

Her breathing came fast as she sat upright in bed.

And froze.

Someone was sitting quietly at the foot of her bed. Her heart nearly stopped.

It was her mother.

No. That was impossible. Her mother was dead.

She rubbed her eyes quickly, convinced she was still dreaming.

But the woman remained there, smiling softly at her.

"My beautiful baby," the woman whispered gently.

Lyvana stared at her in complete shock.

Her entire body went cold.

"M-Mom...?" she whispered weakly.

The woman smiled softly, the same warm smile Lyvana remembered from childhood.

"You’ve grown so beautiful," she said quietly.

Lyvana’s eyes immediately filled with tears.

"No..." she breathed, shaking her head slowly. "No, this can’t be real."

Her mother reached out carefully, brushing a strand of hair away from Lyvana’s face.

The touch felt real. Warm and gentle.

Lyvana’s chest tightened painfully.

"I watched you suffer for so long," her mother whispered sadly. "And I couldn’t reach you."

A tear slid down Lyvana’s cheek.

"I saw you die," she whispered back. "I buried you..."

Her mother’s expression softened with pain.

"Yes," she said quietly. "But death is not always the end, my baby."