The alley turned into a battlefield in seconds. From the shadows, dark figures appeared—men dressed in black, their faces hidden, their steps precise like hunters who had cornered their prey.
Adrian's grip on Lina's hand tightened. His voice was low, commanding:
"Stay behind me. No matter what happens."
But Lina shook her head, fear and courage colliding in her chest. "I won't leave you to fight alone."
The leader of the masked men stepped forward, his tone mocking.
"Adrian… still running? You know you can't hide her forever."
Her.
Lina felt a chill crawl down her spine. They were after her?
Adrian's eyes darkened, his jaw clenched. "You'll have to go through me first."
Before Lina could react, the fight began. Adrian moved with a speed and precision that shocked her. Every punch, every move carried both skill and desperation—as if he had trained his entire life for this moment.
But the enemies were many. Too many.
One of them lunged toward Lina. She gasped, stumbling back, but before he could touch her, Adrian's fist connected with the man's jaw, sending him crashing into the wall.
"Don't touch her!" Adrian roared, his voice filled with a rage Lina had never heard before.
For a moment, time seemed to freeze. She saw him—this man who had always been mysterious, distant—fighting like a warrior, bleeding for her, risking everything.
But then… the leader raised a gun. The cold metal gleamed under the dim streetlight.
"Enough games," he said coldly. "Hand her over, Adrian. Or I'll end this now."
Adrian froze, his chest heaving. His eyes flickered to Lina, filled with both love and torment. Slowly, he whispered, almost to himself:
"I can't lose her… not again."
Again?
Lina's breath caught. Her heart pounded with questions. What did he mean? What past was he hiding from her?
The sound of the gun being cocked echoed in the air.
And in that instant, Lina realized—this night would either reve
al everything… or destroy them both.