THE RUIN HE CHOSE

BLOOD AND ASHES

AURELIA

I hurriedly got out of the car after him, my guns appeared in my hands and I pointed them forward. Someone rolled out of the car, a gun in hand. I fired at him before he could pull the trigger. The bullet caught him in his shoulder and the gun dropped from his hands with a clatter as he cried out.

Zayn shot the guy in his chest, finishing him off before tucking his head inside to drag out a second guy. The woman was lying on the seat, not moving, blood pooling around her chest while the other man tried to suppress her bleeding with both hands, his temple wet with sweat as he desperately tried to make sure she didn't die but I could tell that it was a lost cause and she was already far gone. Zayn grabbed him by his collar and hauled him out.

The man instantly went on his knees, begging for mercy.

“Please I promised I was going to pay the balance, why did you have to do this…” he wailed.

“It's not about the money Tom… you came into the ballroom with the intention of trying to pull a fast one but you've forgotten that I don't let my target walk freely, I had someone keep an eye on you until you showed your disgusting little face around again.”

“You killed my brother…” the man suddenly yelled out in anger.

“I said I was going to give you your money but you had to go after my brother, he didn't do anything, now you've killed my wife…” he broke down in tears, his shoulders shaking profusely as he sobbed.

“You shouldn't have involved them into your dirty life if you cared about them so much,” Zayn said without remorse, his face devoid of pity.

My heart hammered in my chest as he yanked the man up.

“You don't take my drugs and just run away Tom. You pay for it… I didn't get those drugs on a platter of gold, you wanna stone yourself to death? Not my problem but pay me my f*****g money instead of finding ways to kill me because you can never get the chance to.”

It felt like he was indirectly talking to me. I wasn't here to kill him, I was doing much worse. I adjusted the button on my suit.

Expect it wasn't really a button. It was a hidden camera. I stood in a position that recorded everything that was going on, the conversations between Zayn and this man named Tom and when Zayn finally put a bullet through his head, I had everything recorded.

My fingers trembled as he turned. The car laid on the road, three dead bodies around it. He brought a lighter from his pocket and lit it. He flung it back and walked towards me.

“Let's get out of here.”

I got into the car, drove it around the car and the man's body and zoomed off after the two cars ahead of us. Seconds later, I heard the unmistakable sound of an explosion as the car blew into bits.

I stared at the review mirror, looking at the orange glow in the distance.

I gripped the steering wheel tighter, my knuckles pale against the leather. The city lights blurred past as I trailed the two sleek black cars ahead. Every few seconds, my eyes flicked to the rearview mirror. There he was, Zayn, lounging in the back seat like he owned the night itself. His silhouette was sharp, unmoving, but I could feel the weight of his presence even from here. Dangerous and ruthless. Those words had always been abstract until tonight.

I’d seen what he was capable of. A brutal 0.001% that still made my stomach twist. The way he’d handled that situation back there, calm and absolute, like breaking a man was no different from snapping a pencil. My heart hadn’t stopped racing since. I told myself I was doing this for the right reasons, that I could handle it. But right now, alone in this car with the low hum of the engine, terror sat heavy in my chest like wet concrete. What the hell had I gotten myself into?

The penthouse gates swung open smoothly as we approached, then locked behind us with a solid, final clang that echoed in my bones. I parked and killed the engine, sitting there for a second longer than necessary, trying to steady my breathing.

Zayn was already out of his car, moving with that effortless predator grace. He glanced at me as I stepped into the cool night air, his dark eyes catching the security lights. “Get some rest. Tomorrow’s going to be busy.” His voice was low. Before I could even nod, he disappeared inside, swallowed by the shadows of the hallway leading to his private wing.

I let out a shaky breath I didn’t know I’d been holding and headed to the room I borrowed my outfit. The fabric still smelled faintly of chaos. I closed the door softly behind me, the click sounding too loud in the quiet. Piece by piece, I peeled off the clothes, letting them drop to the floor in a careless heap. My fingers brushed the hidden camera tucked into the jacket lining. Small, discreet, still warm from hours against my skin. I set it carefully on the nightstand.

The bed welcomed me, soft sheets cool against my bare legs as I sank down. I stared at the ceiling, the faint hum of the air conditioning, the only sound breaking the silence. My mind went wild. It wasn't too late to go back to Vincenzo and tell him I don't have the balls for this mission.

Did I even have the balls to go back to Vincenzo that way?

My fingers closed around the gun under my pillow, the feel of it bringing me comfort

As my eyes finally drifted shut, one thought lingered like smoke: I was playing with fire, and the flames were already licking at my heels.