The sound of gunfire echoed through the Valentino estate.
Sharp.
Violent.
Too close.
Elara stood frozen on the balcony for only a second before instinct took over. Adrian's warning echoed in her mind — Stay in your room tonight.
But Elara had never been good at following orders.
Especially his.
Another gunshot rang through the mansion.
This time followed by shouting.
Security alarms suddenly exploded to life.
Red emergency lights flickered along the hallways inside the estate, bathing the marble walls in a dangerous crimson glow.
Something very wrong was happening.
Elara pushed the balcony doors open and stepped into the hallway.
The once quiet Valentino mansion had turned into chaos.
Guards rushed past with weapons drawn.
Footsteps thundered down the corridors.
Someone shouted through a radio:
"Secure the lower level!"
"Eliminate anyone near the vault!"
Elara's heart began racing.
The underground vault.
That was where Adrian had gone.
Without thinking, she started moving.
Fast.
Down the corridor.
Past the grand staircase.
Past the giant oil paintings that lined the walls.
The deeper she moved into the mansion, the darker the halls became.
The emergency lights flickered again.
Then suddenly—
Two guards ran past her.
They didn't even notice her standing there.
Which meant something worse was happening below.
A hidden elevator at the end of the hall slid open.
Elara had seen Adrian use it before.
She stepped inside.
Her hand hovered over the control panel.
Only one button was glowing red.
LEVEL -3
The vault level.
For a moment she hesitated.
Then she pressed it.
The elevator doors closed silently.
And the descent began.
The deeper it went, the colder the air became.
Her reflection stared back at her from the mirrored walls.
Pale.
Uneasy.
But determined.
The elevator suddenly jerked.
Then stopped.
The doors slid open.
And the smell of smoke hit her immediately.
The vault level looked like a battlefield.
Broken lights flickered.
Two guards lay unconscious near the hallway entrance.
The security doors had been blown open.
Whoever had attacked this place…
They had come prepared.
Elara slowly stepped out.
Her heart hammered loudly in her chest.
Then she heard voices.
Male voices.
Coming from the vault chamber.
One of them was calm.
Cold.
Controlled.
She recognized it instantly.
Adrian.
The other voice was unfamiliar.
Rough.
Mocking.
"Well well… the famous Valentino vault," the stranger laughed. "I expected something bigger."
Elara quietly moved closer.
Peeking around the corner.
Inside the vault chamber stood three armed men.
Black tactical gear.
Professional.
Not amateurs.
And standing in front of them…
Completely calm.
Was Adrian.
His black suit was slightly torn.
Blood stained one sleeve.
But his expression remained terrifyingly composed.
Like a king standing in the middle of a war.
"Leave," Adrian said quietly.
The leader of the attackers laughed.
"You think we came all this way to leave empty handed?"
Adrian tilted his head slightly.
"You won't be leaving at all."
The man smirked.
Then raised his gun.
"You're outnumbered."
Adrian's lips curved slightly.
"That's never stopped me before."
Before the man could react—
Adrian moved.
Fast.
Too fast for Elara's eyes to fully follow.
A gunshot exploded.
One of the attackers collapsed instantly.
The second man fired back.
Two shots.
Three.
Bullets shattered the glass panels around the vault.
But Adrian had already grabbed the first attacker's weapon.
Another shot.
The second man dropped.
Now only the leader remained.
Breathing heavily.
Gun shaking slightly.
For the first time, fear appeared in his eyes.
Adrian slowly walked toward him.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Every movement controlled.
Deadly.
"You chose the wrong house," Adrian said quietly.
The man suddenly shouted—
"You think this is about money?!"
Adrian stopped.
The attacker smiled.
A dark smile.
"This was a message."
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
"From who?"
The man laughed.
"You really don't know?"
Then he said the name.
And Elara felt the world stop.
"From Suryavanshi."
Elara's breath caught in her throat.
That was her family name.
Her father's name.
Inside the vault chamber, Adrian went completely still.
The air suddenly felt heavier.
More dangerous.
"You're lying," Adrian said slowly.
The attacker shrugged.
"Ask your little guest upstairs."
Adrian's expression turned deadly.
Before the man could say another word—
Adrian fired.
The shot echoed violently through the vault chamber.
Silence followed.
The attacker collapsed.
Dead.
For several seconds Adrian didn't move.
Then suddenly—
"Come out."
Elara froze.
Her heart dropped.
Adrian turned his head toward the hallway.
Directly toward where she was hiding.
"I know you're there."
Slowly…
Elara stepped into the room.
His eyes immediately found hers.
Dark.
Stormy.
Dangerously intense.
"You disobeyed me," he said quietly.
But this time…
He didn't sound angry.
He sounded worried.
Elara ignored that.
Instead she asked the question that was burning in her chest.
"Did he just say my father sent them?"
Adrian didn't answer.
That silence was worse than any lie.
Elara's voice trembled.
"Tell me."
Adrian walked toward her slowly.
Blood still on his sleeve.
Gun still in his hand.
"Elara…"
"Tell me the truth!"
The vault lights flickered again.
Adrian finally spoke.
"Yes."
The word hit like thunder.
Elara stepped back.
"No."
"Yes."
Tears burned in her eyes.
"You're lying!"
Adrian's voice remained calm.
"I wish I was."
The silence between them felt unbearable.
Then suddenly—
Adrian's phone rang.
He looked down.
His expression darkened immediately.
Elara saw the name on the screen.
Unknown Private Line
Adrian answered slowly.
"Speak."
The voice on the other end came through the speaker.
Calm.
Cold.
Familiar.
"Elara there with you?"
Elara's heart stopped.
She recognized that voice instantly.
Her father.
He continued speaking.
"I assume you've discovered the message I sent."
Adrian's eyes darkened dangerously.
"What do you want?"
The man chuckled softly.
"Oh nothing complicated."
A pause.
Then the words that shattered everything.
"I just want my daughter back."
Elara felt Adrian's hand suddenly grab her wrist.
Firm.
Protective.
Possessive.
Her father's voice came again through the phone.
"And Adrian…"
Adrian didn't speak.
The man finished calmly.
"If you don't hand her over…"
Another pause.
"…the next attack won't be on your vault."
Silence.
Then the threat.
"It will be on her."