The drive back to the penthouse felt endless.
Brevis's car cut through the morning traffic like a blade, speeding through the city streets.
Inside the car, no one spoke.
Luna stared out the window, but she wasn't really seeing the buildings passing by.
Her mind was somewhere else.
Adrian.
Marcus's words echoed in her head.
"The target… is you."
Brevis sat beside her, his jaw tight.
His phone was pressed against his ear.
"Lock down the entire building," he ordered.
His voice was cold and controlled.
"No one enters. No one leaves."
He ended the call.
Then he looked at Luna.
"You should have told me."
"Told you what?"
"That Adrian would come for you directly."
Luna looked back at him.
"He always does."
Brevis leaned back slightly.
"You sound almost certain."
"I am."
Brevis studied her carefully.
"You don't seem surprised."
Luna's voice was quiet.
"Because Adrian doesn't play slowly."
Brevis muttered under his breath.
"Yeah… I'm starting to see that."
The car turned into the private road leading to the building.
Brevis immediately noticed something wrong.
Too many security vehicles.
Guards were standing outside the entrance.
When the car stopped, Brevis stepped out quickly.
"What happened?"
One of his men approached.
"Sir… we found something in the penthouse."
Brevis's expression hardened.
"What?"
The guard hesitated.
"Someone broke in."
Luna's chest tightened.
Brevis walked inside immediately.
Luna followed.
The elevator ride to the top floor felt suffocatingly quiet.
When the doors opened—
Luna froze.
The penthouse was a mess.
Furniture overturned.
Broken glass across the floor.
The large window near the living room had been shattered.
Brevis stepped forward slowly.
His eyes scanned the damage.
"How long ago?"
"Less than twenty minutes," a guard said.
Brevis clenched his jaw.
"He was here."
Luna walked further inside.
Her heart beat faster.
She felt it.
Adrian had been here.
Then she saw it.
On the glass table in the center of the room—
Another chess piece.
A black king.
Brevis noticed it too.
He walked over and picked it up.
"What does this one mean?"
Luna's voice was almost a whisper.
"It means…"
She stopped.
Brevis looked at her.
"What?"
Luna's stomach dropped.
"It means the king is in play."
Brevis frowned.
"That doesn't explain why he broke into the penthouse."
Before Luna could answer—
A phone rang.
But it wasn't Brevis's.
It was coming from the table.
Brevis picked it up.
Unknown number.
He answered.
"Speak."
A familiar voice came through the speaker.
Calm.
Cold.
Amused.
"Hello, Brevis."
Luna froze.
Adrian.
Brevis's eyes darkened instantly.
"You're braver than I thought."
Adrian chuckled softly.
"And you're slower than I expected."
Brevis's grip tightened around the phone.
"If you touched her—"
Adrian interrupted.
"Oh, relax."
Brevis's voice became dangerous.
"Where are you?"
Adrian ignored the question.
Instead, he said something that made Luna's blood run cold.
"You should turn around."
Brevis frowned.
"What?"
Luna's eyes widened suddenly.
"Brevis—"
But it was too late.
A sudden movement behind them.
Three armed men stepped out from the hallway.
They had been hiding inside the penthouse.
Before Brevis could react—
One of them grabbed Luna.
A gun pressed against her side.
"Don't move."
Brevis turned instantly.
His entire body went still.
"Let her go."
The man holding Luna smirked.
"I don't think so."
Brevis spoke calmly.
"You have five seconds."
The man laughed.
"You think you're in control here?"
Brevis's voice dropped lower.
"You're making a mistake."
The man pressed the gun harder against Luna.
"Drop the phone."
Brevis didn't move.
On the phone—
Adrian was still listening.
And he sounded entertained.
"See?" Adrian said softly.
"You really are slow today."
Brevis finally placed the phone on the table.
"Let her go."
The man shook his head.
"Not happening."
Another man stepped forward and grabbed Brevis's arms.
But Brevis didn't fight.
Not yet.
His eyes stayed locked on Luna.
"You okay?"
Luna nodded slightly.
"Yes."
But she knew exactly what was happening.
Adrian had planned this perfectly.
The man behind her whispered,
"Time to go."
They started dragging Luna toward the broken window.
Brevis's patience snapped.
In one explosive movement—
He elbowed the man holding him.
The man collapsed instantly.
Brevis grabbed the gun from his hand and fired.
One attacker dropped.
The second tried to shoot—
Brevis punched him before he could.
But the third man had already reached the window with Luna.
A helicopter blade sound suddenly filled the air outside.
Brevis's eyes widened.
A helicopter hovered just outside the building.
The man shoved Luna toward the open window.
Brevis rushed forward—
But the man pulled Luna outside onto the rope ladder.
The helicopter lifted immediately.
Brevis reached the window just in time to see Luna being pulled inside the aircraft.
His heart pounded.
"LUNA!"
For a moment—
She looked down at him.
Their eyes met.
Then the helicopter pulled away into the sky.
Brevis stood frozen at the shattered window.
The phone behind him rang again.
Slowly—
He turned and answered.
Adrian's voice returned.
Calm as ever.
"Now you understand."
Brevis's voice was deadly quiet.
"You're going to regret this."
Adrian chuckled softly.
"You should focus on something else."
"What?"
Adrian's voice lowered slightly.
"How you're going to get her back."
Brevis didn't respond.
Adrian continued.
"Because if you fail…"
There was a brief pause.
"…Luna comes back to me."
The line went silent.
Brevis lowered the phone slowly.
His eyes were filled with something dangerous now.
Not fear.
Not panic.
Pure rage.
He turned toward his guards.
"Prepare everything."
One of them asked carefully,
"For what, boss?"
Brevis looked toward the sky where the helicopter had disappeared.
His voice became ice.
"For war."