The flames crackled louder now, licking at the edges of the surrounding woods. Smoke curled into the night air like fingers reaching for the sky. Inside the safehouse, chaos ignited.
Dylan moved like a shadow, calm yet deadly. He barked orders to his men, guiding them through the thick tension. "Secure the perimeter. Jayden, take the west side. I want snipers on the roof."
Jayden nodded, his expression grim. "We're outnumbered."
"Then we fight smarter."
Meanwhile, Heaven struggled to stay calm. Michael's breathing had turned shallow, and the heat was making it worse. She dabbed his forehead with a damp cloth, whispering soothing words.
A loud bang from the backdoor made her jolt.
One of Dylan's men stormed in. "Boss! They've breached the northern wall!"
Before Dylan could respond, bullets shattered the windows. Dylan threw himself over Heaven and Michael, shielding them.
Glass flew. The air turned thick with dust and smoke.
"Get them to the bunker!" Dylan roared.
Jayden appeared at the doorway. "It's not safe there anymore—they've surrounded the lower levels."
Dylan's mind raced. They had to move, fast.
He looked at Heaven. "Can you carry him?"
She nodded, even though fear trembled in her limbs. She picked Michael up gently, tears streaking her face.
"I'm going to get you out of this," she whispered to her brother.
Dylan led the way, taking them through a hidden path beneath the floorboards. It led into an underground passage carved out decades ago—one of the last secrets of his grandfather's empire.
As they ran through the tunnel, Dylan kept checking behind them. Gunfire echoed faintly, but it was getting closer.
They emerged in a small clearing in the woods behind the property, moonlight casting eerie shadows. Dylan helped Heaven and Michael into a waiting vehicle—one Jayden had hidden earlier as a backup.
Jayden appeared moments later, bleeding from a wound on his side.
"Go!" he said. "I'll hold them."
"You're not dying here," Dylan growled, pulling Jayden into the car.
As they sped off, the flames behind them consumed the house Dylan once used as a fortress.
He watched the smoke in the rearview mirror. This wasn't just an attack.
It was a declaration of war.
---
Meanwhile – Richard's Side
Richard stood among the ruins, his coat flapping in the wind. He stepped over broken glass and burned wood, completely unaffected by the destruction.
"They got out," one of his men reported nervously.
Richard narrowed his eyes. "Let them run. The game has only just begun."
He turned to his second-in-command. "Track them. No matter where they hide… I want them cornered."
A cruel smirk spread across his face.
"I'll rip everything away from him. Piece by piece."