The air turned thick with smoke and fear.
A sharp hissing sound cut through the gunfire—a warning too late. Tear gas canisters clanked on the asphalt and burst open, releasing plumes of white fog that swallowed everything. In seconds, the world blurred. The stench burned in their lungs. Elena choked, her throat tightening, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Damian yanked her down beside the wrecked SUV, shielding her with his body. “Breathe through your sleeve,” he said, voice tense but calm, like steel under pressure.
Elena pressed her face into her shirt, heart thundering in her chest. Screams and gunfire echoed from all directions. She saw shadows running through the haze, heard the c***k of rifles and the metallic ping of bullets bouncing off car frames.
"Protect the boss!" someone s
