The First Attack
1320 Words
"IZZY CARTER!"
The voice echoed through the mansion.
Izzy froze.
Her heart slammed against her ribs.
Another crash came from downstairs, followed by shouting.
Then—
A gunshot.
She jumped.
Adrian's words echoed in her mind.
No matter what you hear… stay here.
Easier said than done.
Someone screamed below.
Then came the sound of breaking glass.
Her hands trembled.
She should stay put.
She knew she should.
But every instinct in her body screamed that something was wrong.
Another gunshot rang out.
Then silence.
Complete, terrifying silence.
She couldn't take it anymore.
Slowly, she stepped toward the door.
"Don't be stupid," she whispered to herself.
She opened it anyway.
The hallway was empty.
Another shout echoed from downstairs.
Adrian.
She recognized his voice immediately.
Without thinking, she ran.
She flew down the hallway and reached the staircase.
The sight below made her stop cold.
The front doors of the mansion stood open.
Glass covered the marble floor.
Two men dressed in black lay unconscious near the entrance.
Marco was pinning another man to the ground.
Luca stood nearby, holding a gun.
And in the center of it all…
Adrian.
He stood facing a stranger.
The man looked to be in his forties, with dark hair streaked with gray and sharp features.
He was smiling.
Actually smiling.
As if this were all a game.
Adrian's back was to her.
The stranger saw her immediately.
His smile widened.
"Well," he said smoothly. "There she is."
Every hair on her body stood up.
Adrian turned.
His expression darkened.
"Izzy."
Oops.
"You were supposed to stay upstairs."
"I know."
"You didn't."
"I know."
He sighed.
Even now.
Even in the middle of an armed invasion.
He sighed.
The stranger chuckled.
"You weren't exaggerating."
Adrian's expression turned cold.
"What do you want, Vincent?"
Vincent.
The name meant nothing to her.
But it clearly meant something to everyone else.
Luca looked furious.
Marco looked ready to kill him.
Vincent smiled at her.
"I'm hurt."
"Good," Adrian said.
The man laughed.
"Oh, I've missed you."
"No, you haven't."
"You're right."
He looked toward Izzy again.
"I've actually come to meet her."
Adrian stepped in front of her.
"No."
The single word carried enough weight to make even her nervous.
Vincent raised his hands.
"Relax. I only want to talk."
"You broke into my home."
"I knocked."
"You brought guns."
"You have guns."
Fair point.
"Leave."
Vincent sighed.
"You've become so serious."
"You have thirty seconds."
The smile slowly disappeared from Vincent's face.
"You know why I'm here."
Silence.
"No," Adrian said.
"Don't do that."
"Do what?"
"Pretend."
The room suddenly felt colder.
Vincent looked around.
Then his eyes settled on Izzy again.
"She looks just like her mother."
The words hit like a punch.
Everyone went still.
Adrian's jaw tightened.
"You don't get to speak about her."
"Oh, but I do."
"Vincent."
"I knew Eleanor."
Izzy's breath caught.
Her mother.
He knew her mother.
"What did you say?" she whispered.
Adrian looked at her.
"Izzy—"
"No."
She stepped around him.
"Who are you?"
Vincent smiled.
"My name is Vincent Moretti."
Her stomach dropped.
Moretti.
The same name from the file.
The same name connected to her mother's death.
"You knew my mother?"
The smile faded.
"Very well."
Adrian stepped forward.
"That's enough."
"I think she deserves answers."
"Not from you."
Vincent ignored him.
"Your mother was brave."
Tears burned in Izzy's eyes.
"How do you know her?"
Silence.
Then—
"Because she worked for my family."
Everything stopped.
"What?"
Adrian's face went pale.
"No," he said sharply.
Vincent looked amused.
"You never told her?"
"Stop talking."
"You never told her who her mother really was?"
The room spun.
Her breathing stopped.
No.
No.
No.
She looked at Adrian.
He looked furious.
And suddenly…
Terrified.
"What is he talking about?"
Silence.
"Adrian."
No answer.
"Adrian!"
Vincent smiled.
"Oh."
He looked delighted.
"You really didn't know."
The room tilted beneath her.
"What don't I know?"
No one spoke.
"Tell me!"
Vincent's eyes met hers.
Then he delivered the words that changed everything.
"Eleanor Carter wasn't born an Eleanor Carter."
Silence.
"She was born Eleanor Moretti."
Her knees nearly gave out.
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
He smiled sadly.
"I'm afraid so."
Her head snapped toward Adrian.
"He's lying."
No answer.
"Tell me he's lying."
Silence.
And suddenly…
She knew.
The truth.
Her mother.
The woman she'd spent twenty years mourning.
Was a Moretti.
One of them.
"No," she whispered.
Tears filled her eyes.
"My mother wasn't…"
"She was my cousin."
The room went completely silent.
Her heart stopped.
Cousin.
Cousin?
Vincent softened slightly.
"She ran away years ago."
Her breathing became uneven.
"She left the family."
"Stop," Adrian warned.
Vincent ignored him.
"She changed her name."
"Stop."
"She married your father."
"Vincent."
"And she took secrets with her."
"ENOUGH!"
Adrian's voice thundered through the mansion.
Everyone froze.
The anger in his eyes was unlike anything she'd seen before.
He looked dangerous.
Deadly.
But beneath the anger…
She saw something else.
Fear.
He was afraid.
Afraid of her reaction.
Afraid of this truth.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she whispered.
He didn't answer.
Tears spilled down her cheeks.
"You knew."
Silence.
"You knew."
"Yes."
The single word shattered her.
"You lied to me."
"No."
"You kept this from me."
"I was trying to protect you."
"There it is again."
Her voice broke.
"Everyone keeps trying to protect me!"
The room went silent.
"My father."
She pointed toward him.
"You."
She looked at Vincent.
"My entire life has been one giant secret."
No one spoke.
She backed away.
"I don't even know who I am."
"You are Izzy Carter," Adrian said quietly.
She looked at him.
"Am I?"
The hurt in her voice seemed to break something inside him.
Before anyone could speak—
A loud click echoed through the room.
Everyone froze.
Another man had appeared in the doorway.
A gun in his hand.
Pointed directly at Izzy.
Time stopped.
"Don't move," the man said.
Everything happened at once.
Adrian moved.
Vincent shouted.
Marco reached for his weapon.
The man fired.
A deafening bang filled the room.
Then—
Pain.
A gasp.
And someone fell.
Izzy opened her eyes.
She wasn't hurt.
Then why—
She looked up.
Adrian stood in front of her.
For a second, he remained perfectly still.
Then a dark stain spread across his white shirt.
Red.
Her blood turned to ice.
"No."
He looked down.
Then back at her.
And collapsed.
"ADRIAN!"
The scream tore from her throat as she dropped to her knees beside him.
Chaos erupted around them.
More shouting.
More gunfire.
But she couldn't hear any of it.
All she could see was him.
The blood.
Too much blood.
His face had gone pale.
"No, no, no…"
Her hands shook as she pressed them against the wound.
Blood covered her fingers instantly.
His eyes opened.
He looked at her.
And somehow…
He smiled.
A small, painful smile.
"You're okay."
Tears poured down her face.
"Don't do that."
"You… should've stayed upstairs."
She let out a broken laugh.
"You got shot and you're scolding me?"
Another weak smile.
Then his eyes closed.
"Adrian?"
No response.
"Adrian."
Nothing.
Panic exploded inside her.
"ADRIAN!"
Marco was suddenly beside her.
"Move."
"No."
"Izzy."
"No!"
Luca knelt on the other side.
"He needs help."
Her hands trembled.
Blood covered them.
His blood.
This couldn't be happening.
Not him.
Not now.
Not after everything.
Not when she still had so many questions.
Not when she wasn't ready to lose someone else.
A hand touched her shoulder.
Luca's voice softened.
"We've got him."
Tears streamed down her face.
Because for the first time since she'd met him…
She realized something terrifying.
The idea of losing Adrian DeLuca hurt.
A lot.
And that could only mean one thing.
She was already falling for him.
And she had absolutely no idea what she would do if he didn't wake up.
- Writer
