The Bullet Between Us
995 Words
The gunshot echoed through the mansion.
Emily screamed.
Alexander moved faster than she had ever seen him move.
He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to the floor.
Another shot tore through the doorway.
Glass shattered behind them.
“Down!” Alexander ordered.
Daniel tackled the gunman from the side.
The two men crashed into the wall.
Emily covered her head.
Her heart hammered against her ribs.
Then she heard another voice.
“Dad!”
Richard was on the floor.
Blood spread across his shirt.
Emily crawled toward him.
“Dad!”
He looked at her.
“I’m okay.”
“You’ve been shot!”
“It’s only my shoulder.”
Only?
Emily almost laughed from terror.
She pressed her hands against the wound.
Alexander stood.
His expression had changed completely.
The warmth that had appeared moments earlier was gone.
He looked like the billionaire the world feared.
“Daniel.”
“Yes, sir?”
“Lock the house.”
“Already doing it.”
The gunman broke free and ran toward the corridor.
Alexander turned his head.
“Left.”
Daniel hesitated.
“How did you—”
“Go!”
Daniel disappeared after him.
Emily looked at Alexander.
He had no visual access to the corridor.
Yet he knew exactly where the man had gone.
The mansion’s sensors.
She suddenly realized the system was feeding him information.
Footsteps thundered through the hall.
Then silence.
Daniel returned alone.
“He escaped.”
Alexander’s jaw tightened.
“Did you identify him?”
“No.”
Emily looked at her father.
“Who was he?”
Richard closed his eyes.
“Someone Victoria knew.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know his name.”
“Dad!”
Richard winced.
“Emily, listen to me.”
“No. You listen to me. My sister is dead. Someone tried to kill me. You knew something about it, and you’ve been lying to me.”
“I was trying to protect you.”
“You lied about your illness.”
Richard looked away.
Alexander stepped closer.
“How long?”
Richard looked at him.
“How long have you known about the investigation?”
Richard hesitated.
“Six months.”
Emily stared.
“Six months?”
“Victoria came to me.”
“What did she tell you?”
“She said she had discovered money being moved through your company.”
Alexander’s expression hardened.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I didn’t know who to trust.”
“Yet you trusted my money.”
Richard lowered his head.
“I was desperate.”
Emily stared at him.
“What money?”
Richard’s eyes filled with tears.
“I was approached by someone.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
“Dad!”
“He offered money for information about Victoria.”
Emily stepped backward.
“You sold information about my sister?”
“No.”
“You did!”
“I never knew they wanted her dead!”
The room went silent.
Richard’s voice broke.
“I thought they wanted to scare her. I thought they wanted her to stop investigating.”
Emily felt sick.
“You knew.”
“I knew something was wrong.”
“And you still let her continue?”
“I tried to stop her.”
“You should have told me!”
“I thought keeping you away would keep you safe.”
Emily laughed bitterly.
“Look at me, Dad. Am I safe?”
Richard couldn’t answer.
Alexander looked toward Daniel.
“Call the police.”
Richard grabbed Emily’s wrist.
“No.”
Emily pulled away.
“Why?”
“Because if you involve the police, they’ll kill you.”
“Who?”
Richard’s face turned pale.
“The people behind Blackwood.”
Alexander went still.
“What do you mean?”
Richard whispered:
“Someone inside your company is controlling everything.”
Before Alexander could respond, a loud alarm sounded.
Daniel looked at his tablet.
“Sir.”
“What?”
“Someone just accessed the executive server.”
Alexander’s face hardened.
“From where?”
Daniel looked at Emily.
“The mansion.”
Emily’s blood ran cold.
“What?”
“The breach is coming from inside this house.”
Everyone became silent.
Then the lights flickered.
Alexander reached for Emily.
“Stay beside me.”
She did.
For the first time, Emily didn’t care that he had lied about his blindness.
She didn’t care that she had lied about being Victoria.
She only cared that his hand was holding hers.
A screen in the hallway suddenly came alive.
A video appeared.
Victoria.
Emily’s heart broke.
Her sister looked directly into the camera.
“If you’re watching this, then someone has discovered the truth.”
Emily stepped closer.
Victoria continued.
“Alexander, I’m sorry.”
Alexander’s face tightened.
“I should have told you everything.”
The video glitched.
Then Victoria whispered:
“The person you’re looking for isn’t outside Blackwood.”
She paused.
“It’s someone standing beside you.”
The screen went black.
Everyone looked at Daniel.
Daniel’s face went white.
“I didn’t do this.”
Alexander said nothing.
Then another screen turned on.
A message appeared.
MIDNIGHT. BLACKWOOD TOWER. COME ALONE.
Underneath it were three words:
BRING THE WRONG BRIDE.
Emily looked at Alexander.
He squeezed her hand.
“No.”
She frowned.
“No what?”
“You’re not going.”
“I am.”
“I said no.”
“And I’m tired of everyone deciding what happens to me.”
Alexander looked at her.
For a moment, something softened in his expression.
Then he said quietly:
“Fine.”
Emily blinked.
“You’re coming with me.”
She smiled faintly.
“You’re not going to stop me?”
“No.”
He leaned closer.
“Because whoever sent that message has made one mistake.”
“What?”
“They think you’re alone.”
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD