Another car entered from a side street ahead, blocking part of their route for a moment. Giuseppe reacted instantly, swerving hard and slipping through a narrow gap between parked vehicles. Metal screamed faintly as they grazed past.
Hak remained focused, checking angles, counting movement, tracking every shadow that could become a threat.
No police lights. No interventions.
Just silence and pursuit. "This is not local chaos," Hak said quietly. "This is targeted."
Giuseppe nodded once. "Someone knew we left."
Hak glanced at Ulyana again. Her breathing was shallow but steady.
"She is the target," he said.
Giuseppe did not disagree. The road opened briefly into a wider stretch leading toward the outskirts of the city. Giuseppe pushed the car harder, engine rising as they broke into open ground. Behind them, the pursuit did not slow.
Hak's hand rested lightly against the seat near Ulyana, steadying her as the car moved faster.
"We get her to the estate," he said firmly. "No deviations."
Giuseppe's grip tightened. "Understood."
The city lights began to fade behind them as they pushed toward the coastline road, the night stretching ahead, unstable and quiet.
And the chase continued.
- 21:02
The coastline road stretched ahead in a long, dim curve, the ocean on one side reflecting faint silver light, the cliffs on the other fading into darkness. The engine hummed steadily now, but the tension inside the car had not eased.
Ulyana stirred. Her eyelids fluttered before slowly opening, her gaze unfocused at first. She shifted slightly, immediately aware of the movement of the car and the weight of Hak's jacket still draped over her.
For a moment, she just breathed, trying to orient herself.
Then her eyes found him. "Hak…" Her voice was soft, hoarse from unconsciousness. "Where are we?"
Hak's attention snapped to her instantly. The sharp focus in his eyes softened just slightly.
"You're awake," he said quietly.
Ulyana blinked again, sitting up a little more carefully, her hand brushing her forehead as if trying to piece together missing time.
"How are you here?" she asked, still confused but not panicked. Her tone held familiarity, not fear. "And why are we taking the long way home?"
Hak glanced briefly toward Giuseppe before answering, his voice steady.
"There was an incident at the hotel. We're moving you to the estate."
Ulyana frowned slightly, processing that. Her gaze drifted toward the front seat, then back to Hak.
"I don't remember leaving," she admitted.
"You passed out," Hak said simply.
That made her pause, but she didn't seem alarmed. Instead, she exhaled slowly, as if accepting the explanation without question.
"Okay," she said quietly.
The car continued along the coastline, tyres whispering against the road. Outside, the ocean moved in dark, endless waves.
Ulyana shifted again, more alert now, her eyes moving between Hak and the road ahead.
"You're driving me home personally?" she asked, a faint trace of curiosity in her tone.
Hak nodded once. "Yeah."
She studied him for a second longer, then leaned back slightly into the seat, still calm despite everything.
"Alright," she said simply. "If you're here, it's fine."
Hak's expression tightened almost imperceptibly at that.
Giuseppe glanced at them through the rearview mirror but said nothing. For a few moments, it almost felt normal.
Then Hak's phone vibrated again.
He didn't answer immediately. His eyes flicked to the coastline behind them, then forward.
Ulyana noticed the shift. "What is it?" she asked.
Hak hesitated for half a second, then answered honestly. "We're not alone on the road."
Ulyana didn't panic. She just looked out the window, taking in the dark stretch of coastline as if finally seeing it properly.
"Oh," she said quietly. Then, after a pause, she looked back at Hak. "Are they after me?" she asked, calm but direct.
Hak met her gaze. "Yes."
She nodded once, as if that was enough information. "Okay," she said again, softer this time. "I trust you'll get me home." And she leaned her head back against the seat, trusting him completely without question.
Ulyana's head tilted slightly as she processed his answer, like she was filing it away without emotional weight. "What happened to Grayson?" she asked, almost casually.
"Broken shoulder," Hak replied without looking away from the road.
A small smile tugged at her lips at that, brief and almost satisfied. She didn't comment further, just exhaled through her nose like the matter was already finished in her mind.
Then her expression softened. "I missed you," she said quietly, turning her head slightly toward him. "Were you doing something for Deda?"
"Yeah," Hak answered simply.
She nodded once. No follow up questions. No digging. Just acceptance. That was how she was with him. If Hak said it, it was enough.
Outside, the coastline opened into a longer, darker stretch of road. Fewer lights. Fewer exits. Just ocean to the left and rock face to the right.
Giuseppe's grip on the wheel tightened.
Hak noticed it first. The headlights had appeared again. Not behind this time.
Ahead.
"Brake," Hak said immediately.
Giuseppe slowed sharply.
A vehicle emerged from a side cut in the road, angled to force them into a stop or a crash. At the same moment, another set of headlights flickered into view behind them again.
They were boxed in. Hak's posture shifted instantly, body fully alert. Ulyana felt the change before she fully understood it.
"What's happening?" she asked, still calm but more awake now.
"Stay down," Hak said firmly.
But she didn't panic. Instead, she reached out and instinctively grabbed his arm, holding onto him like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"I'm here," she said quietly, not frightened, just steady.
Hak glanced at her hand on his arm for a fraction of a second, then back to the road.
"Stay with me," he said.
"Ok," she replied.
The first impact came seconds later. A vehicle from behind surged forward, forcing Giuseppe to swerve hard toward the narrow shoulder. Gravel sprayed as the tyres fought for grip.
Hak pulled Ulyana slightly closer without thinking, bracing her as the car jolted.
"Hold on," Giuseppe muttered through clenched teeth.
Another set of headlights cut in from the side again, trying to trap them against the cliff edge.
Hak's voice dropped, sharp and controlled. "They're trying to force a stop."
Ulyana tightened her grip on his arm but still didn't show fear. Her eyes tracked the movement outside, calm in a way that didn't match the chaos unfolding around them.
"Are we going to crash?" she asked.
"No," Hak said immediately.
That was enough for her.
Giuseppe made a sudden decision, accelerating instead of braking, slipping the car between the narrowing gap ahead. The vehicle scraped close to the edge of the road, ocean dropping away into blackness just meters to their left.
Thr car jolted violently from the inside. Ulyana leaned further into Hak's arms without hesitation, grounding herself there as the movement intensified.
Hak kept one hand braced near her shoulder, steadying her through each impact. "Keep going," he told Giuseppe.
"On it," Giuseppe replied, voice tight.
Behind them, the pursuing vehicles adjusted, trying to match their escape route.
Hak's eyes stayed forward, calculating, reading each movement. Then, quieter, to Ulyana: "We're getting you home."
She looked up at him briefly. "I know," she said.
And even as the chase tightened again around them, she didn't let go of his arm once.
-
The chase did not end quickly. It stretched across hours.
Coastline roads turned into inland cuts, then industrial stretches, then back again toward the city's outer edges. Every time it felt like they were gaining distance, another vehicle would appear, forcing them to change direction, abandon routes, and burn through the night with no real rest.
Eventually, Giuseppe's voice broke through the strain.
"Car's done," he said tightly.
Smoke had started to rise faintly from the engine. The vehicle had taken too much impact, too much distance, too many forced turns.
Hak looked once at Ulyana. She was still awake quieter than before, her hand still loosely holding his sleeve. Tired, but steady.
"We go on foot," Hak decided immediately.
Giuseppe nodded once.
They abandoned the car in a narrow service road off the main stretch. The moment they stepped out, the night felt louder. Wind off the coast, distant engines, the hum of the city far ahead.
Hak guided Ulyana without hesitation, keeping her close behind him.
"You stay with me," he said.
"Mmmhm," she hummed in response.
The movement through the side streets was controlled and fast. Hak and Giuseppe moved like they had done this before, silent where possible, direct where necessary. Any opposition they encountered was dealt with quickly and cleanly enough that they never had to stop moving for long.
Ulyana stayed close, never asking questions. When things got close, she simply tightened her grip on Hak's sleeve again and kept pace.
Eventually, they reached a secondary road where a parked vehicle sat unattended near a loading zone.
Giuseppe checked it once, then nodded. "It'll do."
Hak didn't hesitate. Within moments, they were moving again. The stolen car blended into traffic as they re-entered the city routes. For a brief stretch, it almost felt like they could breathe again.
The plan shifted quickly.
"We go back to the hotel," Hak said.
Giuseppe glanced at him. "After everything, that might be the safest move. Blend in. Act normal."
Hak agreed immediately. "No pattern. No panic. We don't run."
Ulyana looked between them but didn't question it. "If we're going back," she said quietly, "then I'm going with you."
Hak glanced at her.
"You already are, Bunny" he replied.
The old hotel came into view again, glowing with lights and activity. From the outside, nothing looked wrong. Guests still came and went. Security still stood at the entrance. Music still carried faintly from inside.
But the moment they slowed near the entrance, Hak felt it.
Too many eyes.
Too much coordination.
His hand moved slightly, subtly closer to Ulyana. "Something's wrong," he murmured.
Before Giuseppe could respond, movement surged near the entrance.
Security shifted position.
Too late.
The moment they tried to turn, vehicles blocked their exit points from both sides.
Hak exhaled once through his nose.
"Inside," he said immediately.
They moved fast.
The car doors opened before they fully stopped. Hak stepped out first, immediately shielding Ulyana as they crossed toward the entrance. Giuseppe followed close behind.
The hotel doors slid open.
And the moment they stepped inside, the atmosphere changed instantly.
Music. Glass. Light.
Security at the entrance froze for a fraction of a second too long.
Hak spotted it immediately. Not their security.
Not neutral. A breach.
He didn't stop moving.
"Now," he said sharply. They pushed through the lobby, blending into the sudden chaos as people turned to look.
Ulyana stayed close behind him, her hand now fully gripping his sleeve again, trusting his direction without hesitation.
"What's happening?" she asked quietly.
Hak didn't look back. "We're already inside," he said. "We finish it here."
And as the hotel doors behind them began to close, the situation shifted from escape to containment.
It was just after 2:00 a.m. by the time they were fully back inside the hotel.
The moment they crossed the threshold, everything shifted from open chaos to controlled danger. The building itself became the battlefield now.
Cameras were everywhere, security systems layered through every corridor, every elevator, every public space.
Hak slowed his pace slightly, eyes scanning the ceiling corners and reflective surfaces. "From here on, we move smart," he said quietly.
Giuseppe nodded once. "No unnecessary exposure."
Ulyana stayed close behind Hak, her hand still lightly holding his sleeve. She was quieter now, more observant, but still calm. She trusted his lead without hesitation.
They moved through service-adjacent corridors, avoiding main lobby sightlines and keeping to quieter access routes where possible. Staff passed them occasionally, but none stopped. Most didn't even register the full picture, just a blurred sense of movement and authority.
For a brief stretch, it worked. But they collectively felt a shift in attention.
Someone had locked onto them.
He turned slightly just in time to catch movement at the far end of the corridor. A man had stopped, watching too long.
Not hotel staff behaviour.
Hak's expression hardened. "Contact," he said under his breath.
Giuseppe saw the man. "he's not ours," Giuseppe confirmed.
The man moved toward them and he moved fast.
"Go," Hak said immediately.
The hotel, once a controlled maze, turned into a layered pursuit. Doors opened and closed behind them. Elevators were bypassed instantly. They took stairs when necessary, corridors when possible, never staying in one place long enough to be tracked.
Ulyana kept pace, breath steady, eyes focused forward. She didn't panic, but her grip on Hak's sleeve tightened slightly as the urgency increased.
They turned a corner, another large figure appeared ahead.
That's another exit blocked.
"Back," Giuseppe snapped.
They pivoted instantly. Now they were being pushed upward through the building instead of down, forced floor by floor into tighter spaces. Footsteps echoed behind them.
Closer this time.
Hak stayed in front of Ulyana, using his body position to shield her path as they moved. "Stay with me," he said again.
"I'm here," she reassured.
They reached a junction corridor, another turn and then they became cornered. Two exits sealed. Movement behind them. No clean route forward.
For a split second, everything paused. Hak and Giuseppe were weigjing their options for an all out fight.
Then a voice cut through the tension.
"Psst! This way."
The trio turned and spotted a service staff member stood partially hidden near a side door, holding it open. She gestured for them to come this way.