Chapter 5: After the Fire
640 Words
The mansion felt different after the gunfire. Too many shadows. Too much silence.
Elara sat at the dinning table with a small first aid kit, her hands trembling slightly as she cleaned a cut on Rafael’s arm. The smell of blood mixed with antiseptic filled the air.
“You should’ve waited.” She said softly.
Rafael smirked. “If I waited, you’d be dead.”
“That’s not the point.”
“It’s exactly the point.” He leaned back in the chair, wincing a little as she dabbed the wound. “Besides, I look better with scars.”
Elara sighed. “You’re unbelievable.”
He grinned. “You keep saying that.”
Before she could answer, Lucien walked in. His shirt was torn at the shoulder, dirt and blood staining his sleeves. His expression was calm, but his eyes cold and unreadable.
“You’re injured,” Elara said quickly, standing up.
“It’s nothing.”
“Sit.” She insisted.
Lucien hesitated, then slowly obeyed. Rafael raised a brow. “Well, look who suddenly takes orders.”
Lucien ignored him. “Where are the guards?”
“They’re sweeping the grounds,” Rafael said. “No sign of survivors.”
“Your father won’t be pleased when he hears there was an attack.” Lucien said.
“He knew this could happen,” she said quietly. Because of what I heard.”
Rafael leaned forward. “What exactly was that?”
Elara hesitated. “I only caught part of it. Something about a shipment and a list. When they saw me, they stopped talking.”
Lucien exchanged a glance with Rafael. “A list?”
“ I don’t know what it means,” she said, voice trembling slightly.
Rafael stood. “We need to find out who’s feeding them information.Because how did they know our whereabouts for tonight attack.”
Lucien nodded. “There’s a leak somewhere inside this house.”
Rafael crossed his arms. “ you think it’s one of your father’s men?”
Elara frowned. “My father’s people are loyal..”
Lucien interrupted softly. “Loyalty can be bought.”
Rafael gave a low whistle. “Spoken like someone who’s done the buying.”
Lucien ignored him. “We’ll start by checking the staff logs. Someone unlocked that back gate before the shooting started.”
“I already checked, “Rafael said. “The camera near the gate had footage erased but I recovered this. “He held out a small flash drive.
Lucien took it, studying it in silence. “You did well.”
Rafael blinked, surprised by the rare compliment. “Wow. Did the great Lucien Vale just say thank you?”
Lucien gave him a look. “Don’t get used to it.”
Despite the tension, Elara almost smiled. For a brief second, they looked less like enemies.
Then Lucien stood. “We’ll analyze this and report to Marcus in the morning.”
Elara said softly, “my father trust you both. So I will too.”
Lucien looked at her,really looked and then nodded. “Get some rest. I’ll stand guard tonight.”
Rafael scoffed. “Of course you will. Always the martyr.”
Lucien didn’t rise to it this time. “Better than being reckless.”
Rafael pushed off the wall. “You keep saying reckless like it’s a bad thing.”
Lucien lips curved slightly. “It usually is.”
As he turned to leave, Elara called after him. “Lucien.”
He paused.
“Thank you.”
He hesitated, then give a small nod before disappearing into the hall.
Rafael watched him go, his usual grin fading. “You trust him easily.”
Elara looked at him. “And you don’t trust him at all.”
Rafael smirked faintly. “That’s the problem. I think I’m starting to.”
- Writer
