"What is happening?!"
He positioned himself in front of her, protecting her and searching for any signs of danger.
"Sir, we're under attack!" shouted one of his men as he ran toward them with his weapon drawn. "They're coming from the east side!"
"Secure the perimeter!" he ordered, quickly drawing his own weapon and loading it. "Don't let them get close to Liana!"
Gunfire filled the air, and the nuns ran, frightened and screaming. Artem didn't let go of Liana for a second.
"Stay calm! I won't let anything happen to you," he said, taking her hand and guiding her toward a back exit.
Artem was sure who had arrived was coming for her.
Amid the chaos, gunshots echoed loudly around them. Victor's men were fiercely confronting Artem's. Meanwhile, he tried to guide Liana through the tumult.
"Let's go!" he insisted, as bullets whizzed past them.
But suddenly, Liana broke free from his grasp and stepped back.
"No!" she shouted. "I won't go with you, or with him. I won't go with either of you!"
Artem cursed under his breath, seeing her start to run in the opposite direction. He pressed his lips together and went after her, not without muttering, "Vittorio, you bastard for leaving me in charge of your rebellious daughter!"
Liana ran toward the convent chapel, desperately seeking refuge. However, before she could reach it, one of Victor's men intercepted her, grabbing her tightly.
"There you are, pretty," he said, pressing the gun barrel to her back. "Come on, the boss wants to see you."
But without thinking twice, and even less about the consequences, she elbowed him in the stomach.
"You damn bitch!" the man growled, not letting go. "I'm going to make you pay dearly for this."
He tightened his grip and was about to take her away. Then, she bit his arm with all her strength, making him bleed. The man was about to hit her when a gunshot rang out, and he fell to the ground moaning in pain.
Liana turned and saw Artem, still aiming his weapon at the man on the ground.
"Who the hell allowed you to touch my future wife?" he spat possessively.
The man tried to lift his weapon to shoot, but Artem was faster, shooting him again and finishing him off. Terrified, Liana screamed and ran away from Artem.
"For God's sake!" he exclaimed, rolling his eyes and cursing as he ran after her. "Liana, wait!"
But she didn't stop. Her heart pounded as she ran to her room, looking for a safe place, far from the chaos everything had become. Artem, determined not to lose sight of her, continued pursuing her. He reached her room with his heart racing and tried to close the door. However, before she could secure it, Artem wedged his weapon in the frame, preventing it from closing.
She struggled with all her might, screaming desperately.
"Leave me alone!" she snapped. "I don't want to be part of any of this!"
Artem pushed the door open forcefully, causing Liana to stumble backward. His gray eyes, full of fierceness, locked onto hers as he stepped forward.
"I didn't ask for this either, Liana," he said coldly. "But it's happening, and you'd better accept your fate once and for all and stop complicating things."
She shook her head defiantly.
"No, I'm not going anywhere with you," she declared, suddenly grabbing the lamp from her table and throwing it at him.
Artem dodged the lamp with agility.
"Liana..."
But she ignored his warning, her voice trembling with fear and determination.
"Go away! Leave me alone. I'm soon to be a nun, and I don't care about my father's business or the deals he made."
"It's too late for that, darling. You're going to be my wife, not a nun," he gave her a cold, sarcastic smile. "Who would have thought stealing a bride from God would be so easy?"
He took another step toward her, but Liana instinctively stepped back.
She looked at him with her heart racing and suddenly tried to escape. However, Artem was quicker, catching her before she could succeed. They both struggled, and in their struggle, they fell onto the bed.
Now Liana was beneath him, and at that moment, the intensity of the moment enveloped them. Liana's struggle softened a bit when Artem, aware of their proximity, loosened his grip. He swallowed nervously, unable to ignore her beauty, now so close, so palpable. He looked at her intently, his eyes exploring her face with a mix of conflict and admiration.
"Stop fighting, Liana," he whispered softly. "I'm not trying to hurt you."
She looked at him, her breathing still heavy, her body vibrating from his closeness. Her lips trembled as she spoke, each word loaded with firm resolution.
"I don't want anyone else deciding my life. I've wasted too much time here, living under rules and expectations I never chose. And I'm not going to trade one prison for another, Artem."
"I don't intend to be a prison for you," he replied seriously, his hand slowly releasing her arms. "On the contrary, I want to be your only way out."
The chaos continued around them, but at that moment, Liana's world was reduced to Artem's closeness. She could feel her own heart beating strongly.
Artem, unable to help himself, leaned in a little closer. His eyes were fixed on hers, searching for something even he didn't understand. And she did nothing to stop him. From the first moment she had seen him, a strange attraction had been born in her, something she couldn't explain or ignore. She slowly closed her eyes, waiting for the contact of his lips, wanting to know what it was like to be kissed by him.
But instead of the gentle brush of a kiss, she felt a sudden prick on her neck. She opened her eyes wide, surprised and scared, meeting Artem's calm gaze.
"Everything will be alright," he assured her with a soft smile that seemed out of place amid the confusion. "This is just a desperate measure."
Furious and betrayed, she pushed him away with all her strength. She wanted to scream at him, curse him for deceiving her. But before she could speak, darkness enveloped her, and she lost consciousness.