Chapter 2: Brake Failure
597 Words
A sharp ringing pierced Adrian Vale's ears.
He opened his eyes to flashing red lights and shattered glass.
For a moment, he couldn't breathe.
Rainwater dripped through the cracked windshield. The scent of smoke and burnt rubber filled the air.
The car had slammed into a concrete barrier.
The front of the vehicle was crushed beyond recognition.
"Sir..."
Adrian turned his head toward the driver's seat.
Blood trickled down the driver's temple.
"We need to get out."
The words snapped Adrian back to reality.
He unbuckled himself and pushed open the damaged car door. The cold rain soaked through his suit instantly.
People had gathered nearby, their voices rising in panic.
"Call an ambulance!"
"Oh my God, they could've died!"
Adrian ignored them.
His mind replayed the anonymous call.
You should check your car.
This wasn't an accident.
Someone had tampered with the brakes.
His jaw tightened.
Who?
And why?
"Mr. Vale."
A female voice cut through the chaos.
Adrian turned.
A woman stood several feet away beneath a black umbrella.
She wasn't dressed like someone who had just witnessed a near-fatal crash.
Her fitted cream coat was immaculate.
Dark hair framed her face, and her expression remained calm—almost detached.
As though she'd expected this.
As though she'd been waiting.
"You need to leave," she said.
Adrian narrowed his eyes.
"Do I know you?"
"No."
"Then explain how you know who I am."
The woman glanced toward the growing crowd.
"You don't have much time."
His patience snapped.
"Who are you?"
Instead of answering, she stepped closer.
"Your brakes failed at exactly 3:42 p.m.," she said quietly.
"There will be another attempt on your life within forty-eight hours."
Adrian froze.
Even the rain seemed to stop around him.
"How do you know that?"
She studied him for a long moment.
"Because this wasn't the first attempt."
Before Adrian could question her further, sirens echoed through the street.
Police.
Paramedics.
The woman turned to leave.
"Wait."
She stopped.
Adrian rarely repeated himself.
But this time, he did.
"Who are you?"
For the first time, something flickered in her eyes.
Regret.
"Someone trying to keep you alive."
Then she disappeared into the crowd.
Two hours later.
Vale Manor.
The family doctor had insisted Adrian rest.
He ignored the advice.
He stood in his private study, staring at the crash report laid across his desk.
Brake fluid line severed.
Not wear and tear.
Not mechanical failure.
Sabotage.
A knock interrupted his thoughts.
"Come in."
Clara stepped inside.
"Security footage from the parking garage, sir."
Adrian took the tablet from her.
The footage showed employees moving through the underground lot.
Drivers.
Security guards.
Executives.
Then—
A woman in a cream-colored coat walked calmly past Adrian's vehicle.
She stopped.
Looked directly into the camera.
Then continued walking.
Adrian paused the footage.
His pulse quickened.
It was her.
The woman from the crash site.
Clara frowned.
"Should I alert the authorities?"
Adrian stared at the image.
"No."
"Sir?"
"Find her."
He looked back at the screen.
At the woman whose face betrayed no fear.
The woman who knew about the brakes before anyone else.
The woman who claimed she was trying to save him.
For the first time in years, Adrian felt completely out of control.
And he hated it.
A notification flashed across the tablet.
Unknown Number
He opened the message.
His blood ran cold.
> You survived.
>
> She won't save you next time.
Adrian's grip tightened around the tablet.
Whoever was behind this wasn't finished.
And somehow...
The mysterious woman was already part of the game.
- Writer
