UNDER HIS ROOF: Love & War

Author’s Note

Welcome back to Max and Taylor’s world!

Before you dive in, I wanted to share a quick note about what to expect with Under His Roof: Love & War.

This is a shorter, high-intensity installment designed specifically to bring Max and Taylor’s story to a complete and satisfying close. I intentionally stepped away from the obvious, expected tropes for this sequel because I wanted to challenge myself as a writer to build something a bit different, sharper, and more unexpected. If mind games, high-stakes deception, and unexpected plot twists aren't your thing, this book might not be for you!

For everyone ready to see how the game truly ends—strap in and enjoy the ride.

Happy reading,

Ms. Lina

Max’s POV

"Taylor!"

The roar tore out of my throat, jagged and unhinged, as I slammed my fist into the blood-stained rooftop tiles. Smoke from the flashbang grenade swirled lazily through the cold night air, catching the red glare of the emergency lights.

Four of my father’s guards lay dead near the stairwell. Blood leaked from a fresh cut over my eye, hot and blinding, but I dragged myself forward on my hands and knees, clawing frantically at the empty space where Taylor had been standing just minutes before.

Her velvet box lay smashed near an overturned candle. The diamond bracelet I had gifted her sparkled mockingly under the moon.

"Maxwell!" Heavy tactical boots thundered up the access stairs.

My father burst onto the roof with twelve heavily armed Viper enforcers. He took in the shattered glass, the bodies, and the unhinged, wild look in my eyes before stepping over a fallen shooter.

"Dad," I choked out, grabbing his tactical vest with trembling hands, my knuckles turning white. "They took her. A flashbang... heavily armed squad... they took my girl!"

Alex’s face hardened into stone. He placed a heavy hand on my shoulder, looking down at the dead attackers lying by the doorway. He reached down, turning one over to reveal a custom silver patch on his tactical gear—a silver falcon clutching a broken crown.

Alex’s breath hitched sharply.

"Who are they?" I demanded, my voice breaking with frantic, raw desperation as tears cut through the blood on my face. "Tell me who took her!"

"The Vance Syndicate," Alex spoke, his voice heavy with ancient, buried hatred. "Her mother's estranged family in France. They’ve come to finish a war I thought ended twenty years ago."

I pulled myself up, shaking violently, my hands clutching the grip of my sidearm so hard my bones hurt. "Give me the men, Dad. Give me the entire fleet. I’ll do whatever the hell you want! Just let me tear France apart until I get her back!"

Alex looked at my shattered expression, seeing a broken man driven mad by love. A dark, proud nod left his chin. "Assemble the captains, Maxwell. The empire is yours. We go to war."

Taylor’s POV

"I have finally found you, my precious girl."

The voice was deep, cultured, and heavy with years of emotion. The suffocating hood was pulled off my head, and bright chandelier light flooded my vision.

An older man in an immaculate tailored suit stepped toward me, his arms open wide, a sorrowful, desperate expression carved into his features. A silver falcon ring glinted on his hand as he stepped in to wrap me in a tight embrace.

I rolled my eyes, letting out a sharp, impatient sigh against his shoulder.

"Come on, don't be dramatic, Uncle Julian," I muttered, my voice devoid of any sweetness or fear. "I wasn't gone for long."

Julian pulled back, a surprised laugh bursting from his chest as he took in my cold, composed expression. The fragile, innocent girl who had played the helpless civilian is back at the mansion.

"You've grown sharp, Taylor," Julian chuckled, stepping back to pour two glasses of scotch from a crystal decanter. "Just like your mother."

"Living under Alex’s roof forces you to adapt," I said dryly, smoothing down my dress as I stood up from the wooden chair, completely unbothered by the armed men lining the study walls. "Did your men really have to make such a mess of the rooftop? Max almost took off two of your guards' heads before the flashbang went off."

"It had to look real," Julian said, his eyes glinting with dark triumph as he handed me a glass. "Alex and his boy needed to believe you were stolen from under their noses. So... tell me. Was the operation a success?"

A slow, icy smirk touched my lips—a look that would have shattered Max's heart into a thousand pieces if he were here to see it.

"Max swallowed every bit of it," I murmured, swirling the amber liquid in my glass. "He was so desperate for redemption that he fell right into my lap. He accepted the Viper signet ring just like we planned. Alex will now hand him complete control of their military units."

Julian let out a booming, victorious laugh, clinking his glass against mine. "Brilliant! The prodigal son takes the throne, completely unaware that his beloved girl has been feeding us their perimeter codes and shipping routes for six months. With Maxwell leading their forces blindly into our trap, we wipe out Alex's empire once and for all."

"To the downfall of the Vipers," I whispered, lifting my glass and taking a smooth sip, my dark eyes burning with absolute, calculating coldness.