CHAPTER 441. A CAGE FOR THE QUEEN. ... it’s all over?John walked briskly toward the house, almost leaping up the porch steps, filled with excitement. He knew Chiara couldn’t wait any longer to hold their little daughter, and he had done everything necessary to make that happen. It was dawn by the time he finally opened the door to the room and found Milo, nodding off half-asleep by the bed while little Dandara slept peacefully. "John? What are you doing here?" Milo asked, still half-asleep, as he hadn’t realized the time. "It’s done," John replied, and Milo was wide awake in an instant. "You mean…? No, I won’t even ask. I just want to know my sister and niece are safe." "Relax, Milo. Everything is fine. Chiara and the baby are out of danger," John said with a reassuring smile. "All their enemies have been eliminated. So now we can bring the princess back to her queen mother," he murmured, approaching his daughter and looking at her with love. Milo knew very well that when John

CHAPTER 442. A CAGE FOR THE QUEEN. Surrounded by LoveJohn agreed, but before the nurse could dress the baby again and take her out of the office, the hospital director entered. "Mr. Hopkins, I’ve just been informed about what happened with the baby," he said. "To be honest, I suspected something was off the moment Viktor Hanover demanded Mrs. Keller be discharged. That’s why I didn’t let her go." "And I’m deeply grateful for that," John replied, shaking his hand. "Don’t thank me. It was my duty, just as it’s my duty to report everything that’s happening to the authorities," the director explained calmly. "I have a woman who was forced into labor and operated on without her consent, a baby declared dead who is, thank God, very much alive, and a prison director allegedly involved in child trafficking. I can’t stay silent." "And I wouldn’t dream of asking you to. You have a duty to every patient in this hospital," John stated firmly. "We’ll make the necessary statements, and I hope

CHAPTER 443. A CAGE FOR THE QUEEN. The Parole BoardJohn and Chiara had finally found a moment of peace amidst the chaos that had engulfed their lives in recent months. After rescuing their daughter from the clutches of those monsters, both were emotionally and physically exhausted. They sat together in a small room, away from everyone else, trying to process everything that had happened and savoring the beauty of their little Dandara.But even though they were now safe, he couldn’t help but feel guilty for not being able to protect Chiara and their daughter earlier. He turned to her, taking her hand in a gesture of apology.“I’m so sorry, Chiara. I should’ve been able to keep both of you safe. I feel like I failed you.”“Don’t say that,” she replied. “You brought our baby back safe and sound. This was Viktor and Atkins' fault. Those monsters are to blame. So whenever you feel bad, just remember this: you saved our daughter’s life. You risked everything to make sure she was safe. I c

CHAPTER 444. A CAGE FOR THE QUEEN. Before the Storm“You’ve got nothing to worry about,” Billy told John three days later. “I’ve been monitoring the judge’s decision.”“Spying?”“Isn’t that what we do?”“Oh yeah, sorry, forgot for a second!” John teased. “What did you find?”“The judge is rattled, the police chief is hysterical, and the district governor is practically wetting himself, trying to keep this from reaching the President or the Attorney General,” Billy explained. “They’ve had three secret meetings, all about the same thing: if word gets out about organized crime or baby trafficking in state prisons... well, let’s just say a lot of important heads will roll.”John nodded thoughtfully. Perhaps it wasn’t fair to keep something like this from the public, but he was a man used to keeping secrets for his own benefit. Right now, the only thing he wanted was for that damned Parole Board to meet and let Chiara out of prison.He didn’t even know where he’d take her yet, but he wante

CHAPTER 445. A CAGE FOR THE QUEEN. Where Are They?John remained silent about his meeting with the Director. He didn’t want to raise any suspicions or cause unnecessary problems, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching them, reporting all their movements to the CIA Director.He had already decided that he wouldn’t return to the agency, and he was more than sure that none of his men were betraying him. However, the fact that Milo Keller was involved was something private that he hadn't shared with anyone else. This made him determined to ensure that none of the people he loved or cared about were in danger.He made his move, and that very afternoon, Milo found himself with a black bag over his head, being shoved into a car, tied up, and gagged. Half an hour later, they released him, and when he squinted around, all he saw was John next to him. Just John, him, and the car in the middle of miles and miles of open land.“You’re insane!” Milo shouted at his brother-in-l

CHAPTER 446. A CAGE FOR THE QUEEN. Blackmail and ThreatsJhon was desperate, his heart pounding as he begged Noémi to tell him where Chiara was. They had vanished from the hospital without a trace, and not even his men, now relaxed because there seemed to be no threats lurking, had noticed how or where she had gone."Please, tell me where she is, I need to see her," Jhon said to Noémi, his voice trembling with anxiety."I can’t tell you where she is, Jhon," Noémi replied firmly. "My sister made a decision, and I’m going to respect it.""But...!" Jhon paced around the office, running his hands through his hair. "I don’t understand, Noémi! I thought we were okay! I thought she had forgiven me, that we’d be together once she was free!""And did you forget that it was you who sent her to prison? That everything that happened was your fault? Chiara only wanted to be free to get away from you, Jhon, that’s the only reason."Jhon fell silent for a moment, painfully absorbing her words."What

CHAPTER 447. A CAGE FOR THE QUEEN. No one knows you’re hereThe CIA Director’s eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of their sockets when he realized Jhon was waiting for him in the house. He had been part of every one of Jhon’s undercover missions and knew he was a dangerous agent, but he couldn’t understand why he was there.“What are you doing here, Jhon?” he asked, trying to stay calm, but the smile on the man in front of him shattered that composure.“I’m here to stop you,” Jhon replied without moving from his spot. And as if his words had a magical effect, the sound of gunfire erupted outside.The Director didn’t need more proof to realize he had walked into a trap and that his men outside were being taken down.“What are you doing?!” he shouted angrily. “Stop me? What are you talking about? We made a deal—I’m trying to return your daughter to you!”“No!” Jhon snapped, standing up. “What you did was spy on my family and use them to blackmail me.”The Director fell silent

CHAPTER 448. A CAGE FOR THE QUEEN. A Man of His Word“Then just kill me! We have nothing more to say to each other! Kill me!” the Director growled as Jhon knelt in front of him.“No, of course not. I never said I was going to kill you, because that’s not what I promised the last time we spoke,” Jhon declared, and the Director turned pale as he remembered Jhon’s words: He wouldn’t go after him but after his son.“No... no, you can’t hurt him, you can’t hurt my son!” The man’s voice was now a mix of desperation and rage.“And why not?!” Jhon asked with as much coldness as he could muster. “You came to assault the house where my wife and daughter were, surrounding it with armed men without caring if they could be hurt! Do you have any idea how many things can go wrong when there’s a weapon involved, you idiot!?” he snapped.The Director looked at him in horror, knowing a mistake like that would never be forgiven.“No, you have no idea, but you will,” Jhon growled. “Because I *am* a man o

CHAPTER 449. A CAGE FOR THE QUEEN. The Best PunishmentIf he were honest, he had to admit it: he was exhausted, and not just from the journey, but from everything that had happened to them over the last year. They had gone from being an odd but happy couple to being the parents of a beautiful baby girl, and in the midst of it all, the most terrible war of their lives had unfolded.Luckily, they had the blessing of reuniting there, and when Chiara ran to hug him and kissed him on the lips, it was the first time Jhon truly felt victorious.“God, it feels like I’ve been away from Dandara and you for ages,” he whispered, holding her even tighter.“Why were you so late?” she asked with a pout. “I almost died of worry!”“I’m sorry,” Jhon said, gently stroking her cheek. “It took longer than expected, and you know I couldn’t call. I’m sorry, love, but I’m here now.”“You’re not forgiven,” Chiara said with a warning look. “You’ll have to endure your punishment.”Jhon nodded. He was willing to

CHAPTER 450. A CAGE FOR THE QUEEN. HomeHe didn’t need to be asked twice. Jhon was more than eager to get back into action with his queen. He pushed her towards the bedroom, and before she could even open her eyes, he was already more naked than when he was born.“I have to admit it. You’re very handsome! Too handsome!” she laughed, but the humor quickly dissolved into a whirlpool of excitement.Jhon's mouth traveled down her neck until it found the warmth of her chest, where he kissed and bit each breast until he heard her moan with need. As the minutes passed, all she could do was purr with satisfaction while he explored her body with his lips, and his hands roamed over every inch of her.Chiara froze when she felt him descend past her stomach, reaching the curve of her hips. Her skin tingled under his touch, and by the time he reached her sex, she was so aroused she almost fainted. His lips felt like fire consuming her from within, sending a deliciously thrilling heat throughout he