Chapter 3
Everything happened too fast.
The second gunshot echoed through the mansion, my body froze in place.
"What's happening?!" I shouted, my voice shaking.
But he didn't answer.
He was already moving.
Fast.
Sharp.
Deadly.
"Stay behind me," he ordered, his voice cold and commanding.
Before I could even react, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me with him. His grip was firm—unbreakable—as he dragged me through the hallway.
Another gunshot rang out.
Closer.
Way closer.
I flinched hard.
"They're inside?!" I panicked.
"Yes," he replied calmly.
Calmly?!
"How are you so calm right now?!"
He didn't look at me.
"Because panic gets you killed."
That shut me up.
We turned a corner, and suddenly—
Men in black rushed past us, holding guns.
"Boss!" one of them shouted. "They breached the east gate!"
Boss.
So that's what they called him.
"They're after the girl," another added.
My stomach dropped.
Me?
Why me?!
Before I could ask, a loud crash echoed nearby, followed by rapid gunfire.
My heart jumped into my throat.
"Get down!" he snapped.
He pulled me down just as bullets hit the wall behind us.
Concrete shattered.
Dust filled the air.
I gasped, covering my head instinctively.
"Oh my God—!"
"Quiet," he muttered.
Then—
He let go of me.
For a split second, I thought he was leaving.
But when I looked up—
He was holding a gun.
When did he even—
His entire presence changed.
The calm, controlling man from earlier was gone.
In his place…
Was something far more dangerous.
"Stay here," he said, his voice low.
"I'm not leaving you alone—"
"Lia."
My name.
The way he said it—
Cold. Final.
"Don't move."
Then he stepped forward.
And everything exploded.
Gunshots filled the hallway, deafening and relentless. I covered my ears as I watched him move fast, precise, like he'd done this a thousand times before.
He didn't hesitate.
Didn't flinch.
Didn't miss.
Every shot he fired was controlled.
Every move calculated.
This wasn't chaos for him.
This was normal.
My breathing became uneven as fear and shock mixed inside me.
Who… is he?
A man lunged toward him from the side—
But before the attacker could react—
Bang.
He dropped instantly.
I gasped.
This was real.
Too real.
"Clear the hallway!" someone shouted.
More footsteps.
More gunfire.
I backed away slowly, my body trembling as I pressed myself against the wall.
I couldn't stay here.
I couldn't—
A loud noise behind me made me turn.
And my blood ran cold.
Someone was there.
A man.
Not one of his.
His eyes locked onto mine.
"Well, well…" he smirked. "Found you."
My heart stopped.
I tried to scream—
But no sound came out.
He raised his gun.
Everything slowed down.
This was it.
I was going to die.
But before he could pull the trigger—
A shadow moved.
Fast.
Violent.
A gunshot rang out.
The man in front of me dropped to the floor.
Lifeless.
I stared, frozen.
Then slowly…
I looked up.
He was there.
Standing between me and death.
Gun still in his hand.
Eyes darker than before.
"You're not good at following orders, are you?" he muttered.
My lips trembled.
"I—I didn't—"
"Stay behind me," he repeated, sharper this time.
I nodded quickly, my body moving on its own as I stepped closer to him.
Too close.
But for the first time…
I didn't want distance.
I wanted safety.
And somehow—
He was the only place I could find it.
"Why are they after me?" I whispered, my voice barely audible over the chaos.
He didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he grabbed my hand again and pulled me forward, moving quickly through another corridor.
"Because," he finally said, his voice low…
"You're more important than you think."
My brows furrowed.
"What does that even mean?!"
Another explosion shook the building.
I stumbled, but he caught me instantly.
"Focus," he snapped. "Ask questions later if you want to live."
My chest tightened.
Everything felt like a nightmare I couldn't wake up from.
We reached a large door at the end of the hall.
He pushed it open, revealing a dimly lit room.
"Inside."
I hesitated.
"What about you?"
He looked at me.
For a second—
Just a second—
Something changed in his expression.
Something softer.
Something human.
"I'll handle this," he said.
"No—" I grabbed his sleeve without thinking. "Don't leave me."
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
We both froze.
My heart pounded.
Why did I say that?
He looked down at my hand gripping his sleeve.
Then back at me.
Silence stretched between us.
Gunshots echoed in the distance.
And yet—
For a moment—
Everything felt still.
"You're safer here," he said quietly.
I shook my head.
"I don't feel safe anywhere."
Another pause.
Then slowly…
He reached out.
And placed his hand over mine.
Warm.
Firm.
Reassuring.
"Then stay close," he said.
My breath caught.
Because for the first time since all of this started…
His voice didn't sound like a command.
It sounded like a promise.