Chapter 3
1342 Words
The flash of headlights in the street below made Amelia’s stomach hitch. She turned to Ethan, her voice trembling already, with fear.
“What’s happening? Is it Dylan?”
Ethan walked to the window, his expression grim and serious. He pulled the blinds slightly apart, peering out of the window.
“It’s not any coincidence. Dylan must have sent them here. He doesn’t waste time when it comes to protecting his pride or his secrets.”
Amelia’s heart raced unstop, anxiety eating her up already.
“You think he’d hurt me?”
Ethan turned to her, his expression dark and Stren.
“Not directly. But Dylan doesn’t play fair, Amelia. If he feels cornered, he’ll use anyone in his way, anything, to control the narrative.”
Before she could process his words, Ethan moved quickly to his desk, pulling open a drawer. He took out a sleek black phone and typed something fast.
“Stay here. Don’t move.” he commanded.
“Wait, where are you going?” Amelia immediately asked out of fear.
Ethan didn’t answer her. Instead, he opened the door, murmured something to the man who had brought him the tablet, and disappeared into the hallway.
Amelia stood alone in the massive office, her mind spinning, her stomach twisting tight.
The picture, the headline, Dylan’s threat, it was all too much for her to endure.
For years, she had lived in Dylan’s shadow, obeying his every single rule, playing the part of the perfect wife. But now, for the first time, she realized just how dangerous he could be.
The soft buzz of her phone snapped her out of her thoughts. She pulled it out of her pocket, dreading what she might see.
It was a message from an unknown number.
"You don’t know who you’re dealing with. Leave before it’s too late for you."
Her chest tightened as her gaze darted to the window. Were they watching her? Was Dylan behind this, or was someone else pulling the strings?
Before she could think further, the office door swung open again, and Ethan stepped back inside, his face set with determination.
“We need to go. Now.”
“Go? Where?” Amelia demanded, her voice rising with panic and anxiety.
“There’s a car waiting for us in the underground garage,” Ethan said, grabbing her coat and handing it over to her.
“Dylan’s men won’t stop at least. If they’re here, they’ve got orders to follow. And trust me, those orders aren’t in your favor.”
Amelia hesitated, fear gripping her soul and whole body.
“I don’t even know if I can trust you anymore, Ethan. What if you’re using me, too?”
Ethan paused, his piercing gaze locking onto hers, her whole face was pale.
“You don’t have to trust me, Amelia. But do you trust Dylan? Because if you stay here, he’ll ruin your life. Everything you’ve ever worked for, everything you care about in this life, it’ll be gone. Do you want to take that chance?”
Her breath hitched, her stomach twisted. She didn’t have time to weigh the risks. The sound of heavy footsteps in the hallway sealed her decision.
“Fine. Let’s go.”
Ethan nodded and opened the door, checking the hallway before motioning for her to follow.
The journey to the underground garage was a blur of adrenaline. Every creak, every shadow felt like a living threat. Amelia’s heart pounded as they slipped into the elevator, the tension in the air thick enough to choke her up already.
The moment the elevator doors opened into the dimly lit garage, a black SUV roared to life. Ethan grabbed her arm, pulling her toward the vehicle, with a fierce look.
“Get in,” he ordered, his voice low but urgent.
As soon as she slid into the passenger seat, the driver, a burly man in his late thirties, glanced at Ethan.
“We’ve got company. Two cars are tailing us.”
Ethan climbed into the backseat, his jaw tightened.
“Then lose them.”
The SUV tore out of the garage, tires screeching as they sped into the night. Amelia gripped the edge of her seat, her knuckles white, her heart racing unstop.
She glanced in the side mirror, her stomach sinking at the sight of two black sedans gaining on them.
“What happens if they catch us?” she asked, her voice barely above a quick whisper.
Ethan leaned forward, his tone calm but deadly serious.
“They won’t. But if they do, Dylan won’t be the one you’ll have to worry about. The people he sends to clean up his messes don’t leave loose ends.”
Her blood turned cold and serious.
“You mean…”
Ethan didn’t answer her questions. He didn’t need to give an answer to it.
The driver swerved sharply, throwing Amelia against the door as the SUV took a sharp turn down a narrow alley. The pursuing cars followed, their headlights cutting through the darkness like predators closing in on their prey.
“Hold on,” the driver warned.
The SUV hit a ramp, launching over a small divider and onto a parallel road. One of the sedans failed to make the turn, crashing into a barrier. But the second car stayed on their tail, its engine roaring like a beast in the wild.
Ethan reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a sleek handgun. He checked the magazine before handing it to the driver.
“You know what to do, don't you?.”
The driver nodded, rolling down the window. With one hand on the wheel, he aimed the gun and fired. The pursuing car swerved but kept coming, its driver relentless.
Amelia’s heart pounded as she clutched her seatbelt, every nerve in her body on high alert.
“This isn’t happening. This can’t be happening. This shouldn't be happening.”
Ethan leaned closer to her, his voice steady despite the chaos.
“It is. And if you want to survive, you’ll stop panicking and start listening to every one of my own words.”
The driver fired again, this time hitting one of the sedan’s tires. The car skidded, spinning out of control before slamming into a row of parked vehicles.
“Got him,” the driver muttered, speeding up already.
Amelia let out a shaky breath, her pulse still racing. But her relief was short-lived.
A loud bang echoed through the night as the SUV’s rear window shattered. Amelia screamed, ducking instinctively as glass rained down.
“They’ve got reinforcements,” Ethan said grimly, pulling out his own phone.
He tapped rapidly on the screen before holding it to his ear.
“We need extraction. Now.”
Amelia turned to him, her voice trembling, her eyes already getting wet.
“Who are you calling? What kind of life are you even living, Ethan?”
He didn’t answer. His focus was on the road ahead, his jaw set, his look serious.
Suddenly, the SUV screeched to a halt, sending Amelia lurching forward. She looked up, her breath catching in her throat.
Blocking the road ahead was another black car, its headlights glaring like twin eyes.
Ethan cursed under his breath.
“Stay in the car,” he ordered, opening the door and stepping out of it.
Amelia watched in horror as three men stepped out of the other vehicle, their movements purposeful and menacing. One of them, taller and more imposing than the others, smirked as he approached Ethan.
“You’ve got something that doesn’t belong to you,” the man said, his voice dripping with malice.
Ethan didn’t flinch at all.
“You’ll have to go through me to get her, young man.”
Amelia’s heart thundered in her chest as the two men stared each other down. She gripped the door handle, torn between staying put and running for her life.
Then, without warning, the taller man pulled out a gun and aimed it directly at Ethan.
A single gunshot shattered the whole night.
- Writer
