"Everybody! Shut the fuck up!"
The tension in the room had barely settled into fear when everything broke down.
What started as a controlled takeover spiraled in an instant.
A second group… disguising as hosts' security… moved with sudden precision, weapons drawn, their allegiance no longer hidden. One of them shouted something sharp and before anyone could process it… gunfire erupted.
Not the kind of warning shots this time.
It was real with the intent to kill.
The sound tore through the hall as bullets shattered glass, ripped through decor and sent guests scrambling in every direction.
The carefully curated gathering of powerful individuals collapsed into pure chaos, their authority meaningless in the face of violence they couldn't control.
"Stay behind me!" Alaric snapped, pulling Elena close as he instinctively moved them toward the side of the hall, his mind already calculating exits, blind spots, any path that didn't lead them straight into the line of fire.
"This wasn't part of the plan…" Elena whispered, her voice barely audible over the gunshots.
"No," he replied sharply, his jaw tight. "This is something else. This looks like a war between gangs."
Another round of shots rang out, closer to them this time. One of the chandeliers above trembled as glass rained down, sending people ducking, screaming, pushing against each other in desperation to escape.
Alaric grabbed Elena's hand firmly. "We're getting out. Stay with me… don't let go."
She nodded, her fingers tightening around him, the first real flicker of fear breaking through her composure.
They moved quickly, keeping low, weaving through overturned tables and fallen chairs. The exit wasn't far… he could see it through the shifting bodies and flashing lights.
Just a little further.
And then… she was gone.
The grip on his hand vanished so suddenly it took him half a second to register it.
"Elena…"
He turned to look out for her when his eyes fell on a man… he had her.
The same one.
His arm locked around her wrist, pulling her back with force as she struggled against him, her balance faltering under the sudden drag.
"Let go of me!" Elena snapped, trying to pull free, but his hold didn't budge.
"Got orders," the man said, his tone almost casual despite the chaos around them. "You're coming with me."
Elena froze for a fraction of a second, the words hitting harder than the grip itself.
"Orders? From who…"
He didn't answer.
Instead, he pulled her further back, away from the direction Alaric had been taking her.
Away from safety.
"Alaric!" She called out, her voice cutting through the noise, sharper than before.
He saw it. Saw her being dragged. Saw the distance growing between them.
Shit!
"Let her go!" He shouted, already moving, already pushing through the crowd, his focus locked entirely on her.
One of the armed men stepped into his path.
Wrong move.
Alaric didn't slow down. His fist connected hard, knocking the man off balance before he shoved past him, ignoring the chaos, the gunfire, everything except the single point ahead of him.
"Elena!"
She struggled harder now, trying to twist out of the man's grip, her heels slipping against the floor as she was dragged further toward a side exit.
"Alaric!" She called again, her voice breaking through the noise, through the panic… straight to him.
He pushed forward again but another man blocked him, grabbing at his shoulder. Alaric turned sharply, driving his elbow back, freeing himself just enough to keep moving, but it cost him seconds.
Seconds he didn't have.
Because every step he took… She was pulled further away.
Their eyes met for a brief moment across the chaos.
Fuck! Elena looked afraid.
That was enough to make him move faster and recklessly.
But by the time he broke through… she was already at the exit.
The man didn't look back as he dragged her through the door, disappearing into the darkness beyond.
"Elena!" Alaric's voice echoed but it was swallowed by the chaos behind him.
The door slammed shut.
And just like that… she was gone.
No! I won't let them take you away!
_________________________
Elena barely registered how far they had moved from the hall.
The noise of gunfire still echoed in the distance, muffled now by walls and corridors, but her mind couldn't keep up with any of it.
The only thing that felt real was the iron grip around her arm and the force with which she was being dragged forward.
Orders.
The word kept ringing in her head.
Orders to do what?
Kidnap her?
Kill her?
What was going on?
"Who are you? What are you going to do to me?" She demanded, struggling against him, trying to twist her wrist free despite the pain shooting up her arm.
"Stop talking and walk… bitch!," The man snapped, tightening his hold without even looking at her.
"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me…"
"Move!"
He yanked her forward so hard she stumbled, barely managing to keep herself from falling. Panic was beginning to settle in now, not loud or hysterical but cold and creeping, tightening around her chest.
This wasn't random.
This wasn't part of the chaos.
This was planned.
For her.
Footsteps approached from the other end of the corridor.
Another man.
He slowed when he saw them, confusion flashing across his face as his gaze moved from Elena to the man holding her.
"What are you doing?" He demanded, lowering his weapon slightly. "Who is she? We're here for the Cortez family. Since when are we picking up strays?"
"Mind your own business," the man holding Elena replied sharply. "I took an extra job."
The other man frowned. "An extra job? Are you serious right now?"
"Rich bastard paid good money," he said, almost dismissively, as if that explained everything. "Wanted her out of here. Alive."
Elena stilled.
Alive.
Her heart skipped.
"Who?" She demanded, her voice sharper now despite the fear tightening in her throat. "Who sent you?"
Neither of them answered.
"Who is he?" She pressed again, more forcefully this time, trying to pull free once more. "If you think you can just take me…"
The slap came without warning.
Her head snapped to the side, the impact sharp and disorienting. For a moment, everything blurred… even the grip on her arm fading into a dull echo.
"Shut up," the man hissed, his voice dropping into something far more dangerous. "You'll speak when you're told to."
Silence followed.
Elena slowly turned her face back toward him, a faint sting still burning against her skin where he had struck her. Her eyes didn't flare with anger, didn't fill with tears.
They just… glared.
And somehow… that unsettled him more.
"Careful," the second man muttered under his breath, watching her now with a different kind of attention. "She doesn't look like someone you should be hitting without thinking."
"Not my problem," the first one snapped, tightening his grip again. "I just deliver them."
By the time Alaric reached the corridor, his breathing had turned uneven, each step heavier than the last, his body already pushed far beyond its limit.
Blood from the cut on his forehead had begun to dry along his temple, though fresh streaks still slipped down, threatening to blur his vision.
He ignored it.
He ignored the ache in his ribs, the burn in his lungs, the way his strength was slowly slipping away with every passing second.
None of it mattered. Not when he knew she was somewhere ahead of him.
He turned the corner… and everything else stopped.
Elena.
She was on the ground, one of the men forcing her wrists down while the other tried to drag her away, her body resisting in frantic, unsteady movements.
Her heels scraped harshly against the floor, her strength fighting against theirs, but it wasn't enough. She was slipping away, right in front of him.
Something inside Alaric broke completely.
"Elena!"
Her name tore out of him, raw and unrestrained, echoing through the corridor as both men snapped their attention toward him.
But by then, it was already too late.
He was moving, charging forward with whatever strength he had left, his focus locked entirely on her as if nothing else in the world existed.
What he didn't notice is that a gun was raised.
BANG!! BANG!!
The first shot rang out, the bullet slicing past him, close enough to graze but not enough to stop him. He didn't even flinch but the second shot found its mark.
"Shit!" He cursed under his breath.
The impact hit hard, tearing through his suit and lodging into his side, forcing a sharp breath out of him as his body jerked from the force. Blood began to spread instantly, dark and unforgiving, soaking into the fabric.
Elena saw it.
"Alaric… no!"