Daniel froze the moment he saw the message.
Just minutes ago, in the middle of the game, something had changed.
The laughter… the chaos… the way they all felt like a family—
He couldn't do it anymore.
He couldn't betray them.
"Never have I ever—"
"Guys! Guys!!" Daniel suddenly called out.
His voice dropped.
"I need to tell you something."
They all looked at him, confused.
"I'll send it in the group. Just… act normal."
"What kind of game is that?" Maya frowned.
"I'm not even in your group," Elena added.
Daniel ignored them, stood up, and walked away.
"What is he doing?" Jason muttered.
"I've added everyone," Maya said.
Phones buzzed.
Daniel's message came in:
Don't react.
The entire restaurant is filled with Victor Kane's men.
They've been ordered to kill all of you and take Damian alive.
The wine was drugged. Take a sip and pretend to pass out.
That's the only way I can save you.
The table went cold.
Damian's eyes lifted slowly, scanning the room.
The laughter… gone.
The crowd… different.
Too controlled.
Too quiet.
Too many men standing still.
"What do we do?" Maya typed quickly.
"Your silence is suspicious," Daniel replied instantly.
"Drink. Act now."
"And how do you know all this?" Janaya typed.
Because I'm his son.
Daniel Kane.
Silence.
Timothy suddenly leaned back casually.
"Why don't we continue the game? Looks like Daniel stepped out," he said loudly.
"Yeah… yeah," Janaya added, forcing a smile.
"Someone open the wine."
"Damian, don't make any calls," Daniel typed again.
"They're monitoring everything."
"I don't even need the drink to pass out," Elena whispered.
Jason squeezed her hand.
"Relax. I'm here."
"And we're trusting a Kane?" Damian muttered, jaw tight.
"Calm down," Janaya whispered. "You'll expose us."
They all picked up their glasses.
Sipped.
Forced laughter.
"I'll go first," Timothy said.
Then—
He dropped.
Hard.
"TIMOTHY!" Maya screamed, jumping up—then collapsing beside him.
Tan followed awkwardly.
"I'm bad at acting…" he muttered before dropping.
"I guess… it's my turn," Elena whispered, letting herself fall.
Jason followed.
Then Janaya.
Then—
Damian.
"The last time I did this, I was five," he muttered before hitting the ground.
Seconds Later
Daniel stepped back into the room.
His eyes scanned the bodies.
He gave a signal.
"Mission successful," one of the men said.
"Kill them and take Damian," another added.
"No," Daniel cut in sharply.
"We keep them alive. Boss might need them."
He crouched beside the bodies, heart pounding.
"Load them into the bus."
A gun clicked.
Behind him.
"Sorry, boss," the assistant said coldly.
"Victor wants your head too."
Silence.
"Any last words?"
Then—
SIRENS.
Loud. Close.
Fast.
"Shit! We've been exposed!" the assistant shouted.
"Move! Hide!"
Men scattered.
Two vehicles screeched to a halt outside.
Doors burst open.
Armed officers rushed in—
GUNFIRE erupted instantly.
"MOVE!!" Daniel roared.
Bodies that were "unconscious" sprang to life.
Chairs crashed.
Glass shattered.
"RUN!" Damian grabbed Janaya, pulling her up.
Bullets tore through the walls.
"Ahhh! I've been shot!" Timothy screamed.
Daniel ran back, grabbing him.
"Move! Stay with me!"
"Tan!" Maya cried, seeing blood soak his clothes.
"No no no—stay with me!" she pressed her hands against his wound.
"Get to the bus!" Damian shouted.
Gunshots echoed behind them as the officers fired back.
They stumbled out—
Thrown into the vehicle—
Doors slammed shut.
The engine roared.
Victor's men followed.
Headlights chasing.
Engines screaming.
"I'm going to die," Timothy groaned, clutching his arm.
"No you're not!" Elena said, voice shaking.
"I'll drive," Damian snapped, pushing forward.
He took over—
Sharp turns.
Speed.
Precision.
"Take us to a hospital!" Daniel shouted.
"We can't," Damian replied.
"They'll find us."
"Tan is bleeding!" Maya cried.
Janaya ripped part of her dress.
"Help me! We need pressure here!"
After minutes of chaos—
Sharp turns.
Near misses.
They lost the tail.
The vehicle finally stopped.
Hidden.
Silent.
"Everyone out," Damian said, breathing hard.
"What about the injured?" Janaya snapped.
"We handle it here," Damian replied.
"What do you mean?" Elena asked, shaken.
"Manual treatment."
Silence.
"Knife. Fire. First aid," Damian said.
"Now move."
Then—
Elena turned.
"Jason… why are you quiet?"
"I think… I might die," Jason murmured.
Everyone froze.
"I saw blood… my abdomen…"
Damian rushed to him—
Checked—
Paused—
Then smacked his head.
"Idiot! It's not yours!"
Relief flooded the room.
Elena broke down in tears.
They carried the injured inside.
The officers stepped back toward the vehicle.
"We'll bring emergency help," one said.
The door shut.
Engine started.
They drove off.
The room reeked of blood.
Not fresh chaos anymore—
but the aftermath of it.
Heavy. Suffocating.
"Hold him still!" Janaya snapped, her hands pressed tightly against Tan's wound.
Tan groaned, his body twitching under her grip.
"Stay with me… please stay with me," Maya whispered, her voice shaking as she cupped his face.
"Don't close your eyes, Tan. Look at me."
Across the room, Timothy leaned against the wall, clutching his arm.
Blood stained his sleeve.
"I said I might die today…" he muttered weakly.
Daniel was already beside him.
"Don't say that," he said quickly, his voice low but firm.
"You're not dying. Not when I'm here."
Timothy forced a faint smile.
"Now you sound like a real boyfriend."
Jason paced restlessly.
"Elena… are you okay?" he asked, grabbing her shoulders, scanning her body.
"I'm fine," she said, breath unsteady.
"I'm fine… are you okay?"
"I'm good," he nodded quickly. "I'm good."
He pulled her into a tight hug.
And in the middle of it all—
Damian stood still.
Watching.
Breathing slowly.
Too slowly.
"Hot water," Janaya ordered.
"Bandages—anything clean. If this doesn't stop, we'll have to seal it."
Fred and Nico rushed to move.
Then—
A voice.
Low.
Breaking.
"This is my fault…"
Daniel.
No one answered.
"I knew something was off… I still brought you all there… I still—"
"Shut up."
The room froze.
Damian's voice was cold.
Deadly.
He turned slowly.
Eyes dark.
Jaw tight.
"You don't get to speak," he said, each word controlled.
"Not after what you did."
Daniel swallowed.
"I was trying to fix it—"
"Fix it?" Damian laughed.
Not loud.
Not amused.
Dangerous.
"You sat at that table," Damian stepped forward.
"You laughed with us. Ate with us."
Another step.
"And all along, you were setting us up to die?"
"I changed my mind!" Daniel snapped, his voice breaking.
"I saved you—"
"Saved us?" Damian's eyes flared.
"Saved us from a trap you created?"
Silence.
Damian moved closer.
Too close.
"For the first time," he said, voice dropping lower,
"I let my guard down."
His fists clenched.
"And it was because of you."
Daniel looked away.
Guilt written all over him.
"I didn't know what it felt like… to have people like this," Daniel said quietly.
"And now I've ruined it."
Before anyone could respond—
Tan cried out.
"Focus!" Janaya snapped.
"The bleeding is slowing—but not enough."
Maya was already crying.
"Please… please don't let anything happen to him…"
Timothy slid down slowly, wincing.
Daniel immediately held him.
"Sit. Don't move."
"You're suddenly very caring," Timothy muttered.
"Shut up," Daniel replied softly.
Jason looked over.
"Why is he quiet again?" he asked, nodding at Timothy.
"I'm conserving energy," Timothy replied weakly.
"For our wedding."
"Idiot," Jason scoffed.
But he smiled.
Barely.
Damian turned away from them.
Ran his hand through his hair.
Then—
He punched the wall.
Hard.
Everyone flinched.
"I should have known," he said, breathing heavily.
"I should have seen it."
"Damian…" Janaya stepped closer carefully.
"Don't," he snapped.
She stopped.
"You almost died," he continued, his voice shaking now.
"All of you."
His eyes moved across the room.
Janaya. Jason. Elena. Maya. Tan. Timothy.
"And I stood there… blind."
Silence fell again.
Then—
🚑 Voices outside.
Movement.
Doors opening.
"The emergency team is here!" one of the officers called.
Relief washed over the room.
Nurses rushed in immediately.
"Step aside!"
"Who's bleeding the most?"
"Get that arm elevated—now!"
Janaya stepped back reluctantly as they took over.
Maya refused to move.
"I'm staying," she said, gripping Tan's hand.
"Ma'am, we need space."
"I said I'm staying!"
Jason pulled Elena back gently.
"It's okay… they've got this now."
Timothy winced as his arm was treated.
Daniel didn't leave his side.
Not for a second.
"Try not to flirt with me while I'm injured," Timothy whispered.
Daniel exhaled softly.
"Just don't die."
Minutes passed.
Then more.
The chaos slowly… faded.
Bandages replaced blood.
Voices softened.
Breathing steadied.
No more gunshots.
No more running.
Just—
survival.
Damian stood at the far end of the room.
Watching it all.
Silent.
Janaya walked up to him again.
This time—
he didn't stop her.
"We're okay," she said softly.
He didn't respond.
"We're alive," she added.
Still nothing.
Then finally—
he spoke.
"This isn't over."
His voice was calm now.
Too calm.
"They came for us," he continued.
"They planned this."
His jaw tightened.
"They touched what's mine."
Janaya felt it.
That shift.
Not just anger anymore.
War.
Damian turned slowly.
His eyes landed on Daniel.
"You don't get forgiveness," he said flatly.
Daniel nodded.
"I know."
"But you will be useful," Damian added.
Everyone looked at him now.
"You know how they think. How they move."
A pause.
"You're going to help me destroy them."
Silence.
Heavy.
Daniel lifted his head.
For the first time since everything—
there was no hesitation.
"I will."
Damian gave a slight nod.
Then turned away.
Outside, the night had gone quiet again.
But inside—
something had changed.
This wasn't survival anymore.
This was retaliation.