The gun's barrel gleamed under the faint light, aimed straight at Adrian's chest. The leader's voice cut through the silence like a blade:
"Move aside, Adrian. You know she's the key."
Lina's blood ran cold. The key? What did that mean?
Adrian stood firm, his fists clenched, his body a shield between her and the danger.
"I told you before," he growled, "you'll never touch her. Not while I'm alive."
The leader's finger tightened on the trigger. Time slowed. Lina's breath caught, her heart screaming in her chest. But before the shot was fired, Adrian lunged forward, slamming into the man with raw desperation. The gun clattered to the ground, skidding across the pavement.
Chaos erupted again. The masked men rushed forward. Adrian fought like a storm unleashed, his every move fueled by something deeper than survival—fueled by love, by guilt, by the weight of secrets untold.
In the chaos, Lina grabbed the fallen gun. Her hands trembled, but her grip was firm. She aimed at the men, her voice breaking yet fierce:
"Stay back!"
The attackers hesitated for a moment, eyes narrowing at her sudden boldness.
Adrian, bloodied and panting, pushed the last man to the ground. He turned to Lina, his gaze locking onto hers. For the first time, the mask he always wore cracked, and pain flooded his eyes.
"You don't understand," he whispered, stepping closer. "They're after you… because of me. Because of what I did years ago."
Lina's heart twisted. "Adrian… what did you do?"
He swallowed hard, his voice low and broken.
"I made a choice once. A choice that cost someone their life. And now… they think you're the price I have to pay."
Her grip on the gun loosened, her eyes wide. "What are you saying? Who… who died because of you?"
Before Adrian could answer, headlights cut through the alley. A black car screeched to a stop, its doors flinging open. More shadows emerged. More danger.
Adrian's jaw tightened. He grabbed Lina's hand again, his voice urgent, almost begging:
"Trust me, Lina. No matter what you hear about me… don't let go."
And with that, they disappeared once more into the darkness—he, carrying the burden of a secret past, and she, torn between fear… and the love that was slowly consuming her.