Chapter 52 Nothing left

Chapter 52 Nothing left

“They’re here.”
The words were barely louder than a breath, but they froze my blood.
Max stood by the window, his back stiff, his eyes sharp. I followed his gaze and saw the dark shapes moving beyond the gates. Cars without headlights. Shadows slipping between trees. Quiet, careful steps.
My heart slammed against my chest.
“How many?” I whispered.
“Too many,” he said. “And they’re not here to talk.”
The mansion, which had felt like a shield, suddenly felt like a trap.
Max moved fast. He locked the doors, checked the cameras, and pulled weapons from hidden drawers. I stood frozen in the middle of the room, trying to breathe. My hands shook, but I forced them to stay still.
“What do I do?” I asked.
“Stay close,” he said. “And don’t make a sound.”
The first gunshot shattered the silence.
Glass exploded near the entrance, spraying across the marble floor. Alarms screamed. My ears rang, and I dropped to the ground without thinking.
More shots followed. Heavy footsteps rushed inside.
“They’re breaching,” Max said. “We move. Now.”
He grabbed my wrist and pulled me down a narrow hallway I had never seen before. The walls were bare, the lights dim. My shoes slipped on the smooth floor, but I kept running.
Behind us, voices shouted. Angry. Urgent.
My lungs burned.
We turned sharply, then again, until I lost all sense of direction. The hallway ended at a steel door. Max punched in a code and shoved it open.
Cold air hit my face.
We were outside.
The back grounds stretched wide, dark, and open. Trees lined the edges. Beyond them, nothing but empty land.
“Run,” Max said.
We sprinted across the grass. Bullets whistled past us. I screamed as something tore through my sleeve, grazing my arm. Pain flared, but I didn’t stop.
We reached the trees and dove behind thick trunks. Max returned fire, keeping their heads down.
My chest heaved. My vision blurred. Fear pressed into every part of me.
“They won’t stop,” I said. “They’ll hunt us.”
“I know,” Max said. “That’s why we need to disappear.”
He grabbed my hand and pulled me deeper into the trees. Branches scratched my face. Thorns snagged my dress. I didn’t care.
We reached a narrow dirt path where a motorcycle waited, hidden under leaves.
“You know how to hold on?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said, even though I wasn’t sure.
He swung on and pulled me behind him. The engine roared to life, ripping through the night. We sped away, wind tearing at my hair, fear knotting my stomach.
Behind us, headlights burst through the trees.
“They’re following,” I shouted.
“I know.”
The path twisted sharply. Max leaned into each turn, taking risks I could barely stand. My fingers dug into his jacket. My teeth chattered, though I wasn’t cold.
We burst onto a main road. Cars swerved. Horns blared.
Max pushed the bike harder.
The chase lasted only minutes, but it felt endless. Finally, he cut sharply into a narrow alley and killed the engine. Silence crashed down around us.
We stayed still, listening.
No engines.
No voices.
Nothing.
Only our breathing.
My legs shook as I slid off the bike. I pressed my back against the wall and closed my eyes, fighting tears.
“That was Matteo,” I said.
“Yes,” Max replied. “That was his answer.”
He studied the empty street. “We can’t go back. Not yet.”
“Where do we go?”
“Somewhere he won’t expect.”
We moved again, this time on foot, weaving through dark streets, crossing abandoned blocks, slipping into quiet neighborhoods. At last, we reached a small building hidden between two empty stores.
Inside, the room smelled of dust and old paint. A single light bulb hung from the ceiling.
“This is safe,” Max said. “For now.”
I sank onto the floor, my body finally giving in to exhaustion. My arm throbbed where the bullet had grazed me.
Max wrapped it quickly, tight and careful.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
He nodded. “You did well. You stayed calm.”
“I didn’t feel calm.”
“That doesn’t matter.”
I stared at the cracked wall. “Matteo knows about me now.”
“Yes.”
“And he’ll use that.”
“Yes.”
Fear curled deep inside me, but beneath it, something else stirred. Anger. Resolve.
“Then we use that too,” I said.
Max studied me. “What are you thinking?”
“He thinks I’m weak. He thinks I’m just bait. Let him. I can get close. Closer than anyone else.”
“That’s dangerous.”
“I know.”
“But it might work,” he admitted.
I hugged my knees. “He wants Charles dead. He wants power. He won’t ignore a chance to break him. And I’m that chance.”
Silence filled the room.
“You’re sure?” Max asked.
“No,” I said honestly. “But I’m willing.”
He sighed. “Then we prepare.”
The next days blurred together. We moved between safe houses. We changed vehicles. We stayed quiet. News spread of the attack on the mansion. No one claimed it, but everyone knew who was behind it.
Matteo had made his move.
Now it was our turn.
One night, Max returned with information. “Matteo will be at a private club tomorrow. Heavy security. High risk.”
“Good,” I said. “That’s where I’ll go.”
He stared at me. “You’ll need a cover. A story. A reason.”
“I’ll find one.”
The mirror reflected a face I barely recognized. Harder. Sharper. Focused.
Fear still lived inside me, but it no longer ruled me.
If I wanted to save my family, I had to step into the lion’s den.
And I would.
Because I had nothing left to lose.