The city didn't sleep.
It watched.
Neon lights bled across rain-soaked streets, reflecting off black cars and darker intentions. Somewhere in the distance, sirens screamed—but no one cared.
In this city… power spoke louder than law.
Inside the Marquez mansion, everything was quiet.
Too quiet.
Elena Marquez stood near the tall glass window, her fingers lightly touching the cold surface. The rain blurred the skyline, turning the world outside into something distant… unreal.
Something felt wrong.
She didn't know what.
But she felt it.
A shift in the air.
A warning.
Then—
A scream.
Sharp.
Violent.
Close.
Elena turned instantly.
Another scream followed. Then a gunshot.
Her heart slammed against her chest.
"Dad…?" she whispered.
No answer.
Only silence.
Heavy. Suffocating.
She moved.
Fast.
Barefoot against the marble floor, she ran down the hallway, her breath uneven but controlled. She wasn't panicking.
Not yet.
But when she turned the corner—
Everything stopped.
A body lay on the floor.
One of the guards.
Blood pooled beneath him, spreading slowly across the white marble like spilled ink.
Her stomach twisted.
Footsteps echoed behind her.
Not rushed.
Not chaotic.
Measured.
Professional.
She turned—
A man in black stood at the end of the corridor.
Masked.
Still.
Watching her.
Her instincts screamed.
Run.
She did.
She sprinted down the hall, turning sharply, trying to remember every exit, every door. Another gunshot rang out—too close.
A bullet shattered the wall beside her.
Dust filled the air.
She didn't stop.
Didn't look back.
Another turn—
Wrong choice.
A hand shot out from the shadows and grabbed her.
Hard.
She reacted instantly—twisting, struggling, her nails cutting into his skin. He didn't react.
Didn't even flinch.
More shadows stepped out.
Surrounding her.
Closing in.
Her breathing grew heavier—but her eyes…
They didn't break.
They sharpened.
"Let me go," she said, her voice low… steady.
No answer.
One of them stepped closer.
A blade flashed.
For a second—
Time froze.
Then—
A gunshot.
The man beside her dropped.
Dead.
Elena's eyes widened.
Another man stepped forward.
Different.
Calm.
Dangerous.
He grabbed her arm.
Firm.
Unyielding.
"Move," he said coldly.
She didn't.
So he pulled her.
Forced her forward.
She struggled—but it was useless.
They dragged her through the mansion—
Past blood.
Past bodies.
Past the life she knew.
Gone.
In seconds.
Outside, black SUVs waited.
Engines running.
Rain pouring down like the city itself was trying to wash away what just happened.
She was thrown inside.
The door slammed shut.
Darkness swallowed her.
As the car sped away, Elena pressed her back against the seat, her breathing slowing…
Not from calm.
But from control.
Her fear was still there.
But something else was rising.
Something colder.
Stronger.
More dangerous.
And far away, in another part of the city…
Someone was already smiling.