Chapter twelve: The chase
991 Words
Brenda turned and ran.
Fast.
Her heartbeat thundered in her ears as she sprinted down the dark hallway.
Footsteps exploded behind her.
They were chasing her.
“Stop her!”
She pushed harder, turning a corner sharply—
Almost slipping—
But catching herself just in time.
Her breath came in gasps.
Think, Brenda. Think!
She spotted the emergency stairwell.
And ran for it.
Impact
Just as she reached for the door—
A hand grabbed her wrist.
Hard.
She gasped, struggling instantly.
“Let go of me!”
One of the men had caught up.
His grip tightened.
“You’re making this difficult.”
She fought back, using all her strength—
Kicking.
Twisting.
Desperate.
“HELP—!”
Before she could scream—
A Sudden Shift
The man holding her froze.
Then—
His grip loosened.
Slowly.
Confusion flashed across his face.
Then pain.
A sharp object had pierced his arm from behind.
He staggered back.
Brenda stumbled free, breathing hard.
And then she saw—
Calvin.
Standing there.
Cold. Controlled. Dangerous.
Two guards behind him.
The air shifted instantly.
Calvin Arrives
Calvin’s gaze swept over Brenda briefly.
“Are you hurt?”
She shook her head, still shaken. “No…”
Then his attention snapped to the men.
And whatever calm he had before—
Disappeared.
“You made a mistake,” Calvin said quietly.
One of the intruders scoffed. “You think you can stop the Alexandra Family?”
Calvin stepped forward slowly.
“No,” he said.
Then his voice dropped—
“I think I can end this.”
Final Moment
The tension snapped.
His guards moved instantly.
The hallway erupted into chaos.
Brenda stood frozen, watching everything unfold—
Her heart racing.
Her world changing.
And in the middle of it all—
Calvin didn’t look like a businessman anymore.
He looked like something far more dangerous.Cammy Group – Private Floor
The hallway had gone quiet again.
Too quiet.
The intruders were gone—either unconscious… or taken away.
The only sound left was Brenda’s uneven breathing.
Her hands trembled slightly as she leaned against the wall, trying to steady herself.
It was over.
But her body hadn’t caught up yet.
Calvin turned to his guards. “Take one alive.”
“Yes, sir.”
They dragged one of the injured men away.
Calvin didn’t watch them leave.
His attention shifted back to Brenda.
She looked… shaken.
More than she wanted to show.
Brenda Breaks
“You said I’d be safe.”
Her voice was low.
Not loud. Not angry.
Just… cracked.
Calvin stilled.
Brenda laughed softly—but there was no humor in it.
“They found me anyway,” she continued, her eyes glistening slightly. “They came into the building… into my workspace…”
She shook her head.
“I was just drawing, Calvin. Just doing my job.”
Her voice wavered.
“And suddenly I’m being chased like I’m some kind of—”
She stopped, swallowing hard.
Her emotions finally catching up.
“I didn’t sign up for this.”
Silence.
Heavy.
Real.
Calvin’s Response
Calvin stepped closer.
Not too close.
Just enough.
“You’re right,” he said quietly.
Brenda looked up, surprised.
“You didn’t.”
A pause.
Then his voice hardened slightly.
“But it doesn’t matter anymore.”
Her brows furrowed. “What does that mean?”
“It means,” Calvin continued, “they’ve already marked you.”
Brenda’s chest tightened.
“So what? I just live like this now? Looking over my shoulder every second?”
Calvin’s gaze didn’t waver.
“No.”
That one word was firm.
Certain.
Dangerous.
A Different Side of Calvin
Brenda watched him carefully now.
Something about him had changed.
Or maybe…
She was just seeing it clearly for the first time.
“You weren’t surprised,” she said slowly.
“When the lights went out… when they came…”
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
“You expected it.”
Calvin didn’t deny it.
“I prepared for it.”
Her heart skipped.
“What… exactly are you?”
The question hung in the air.
Not playful.
Not curious.
Serious.
Calvin exhaled slowly, then gestured.
“Come with me.”
Brenda hesitated.
Then followed.
Hidden Floor
They stepped into a private elevator.
Calvin scanned his fingerprint.
Then—
A code.
A second scan.
The elevator moved.
Down.
Further than she expected.
The doors opened to a completely different world.
Dim lighting.
Security screens.
Men in suits… but not office workers.
Operatives.
Watching. Tracking. Waiting.
Brenda stopped walking.
“What is this…?”
Calvin stepped forward, completely at ease.
“This,” he said, “is the part of the company no one talks about.”
Her stomach dropped.
Truth Unfolding
“They think Cammy Group is just jewelry,” Calvin continued.
“Design. Luxury. Business.”
He turned to face her.
“But power doesn’t come from selling necklaces, Brenda.”
A pause.
“It comes from controlling who gets to wear them.”
Her mind raced.
“You’re saying… all of this—”
“Is protected,” he cut in.
“By people who don’t wear suits to meetings.”
Final Reveal
One of the guards approached.
“Sir. The captured man is ready.”
Calvin nodded once.
Then looked back at Brenda.
His voice lowered slightly.
“You wanted to know what I am?”
He held her gaze.
For a moment, she couldn’t look away.
“I’m the reason they didn’t take you tonight.”
A beat.
Then—
“And the reason they’ll think twice before trying again.”
Closing Moment
Brenda stood there, her heart still racing.
Fear.
Relief.
Confusion.
And something else she didn’t want to name yet.
Because the truth was now clear—
She wasn’t just working for a company anymore.
She had stepped into a war.
And Calvin…
Wasn’t just her boss.
He was something far more dangerous.
- Writer
