Flames danced behind us. Smoke curled into the night sky, painting the stars black. I coughed, trying to breathe. Gabriel's strong arms pulled me to my feet, his eyes scanning the chaos behind.
"We need to go," he said, grabbing my hand.
"Gabriel... what just happened?" I asked, voice shaking.
He didn't answer. He just kept pulling me, weaving through the back streets like he knew them by heart. My legs were weak, heart pounding hard, but I followed. I had no choice.
We reached an old, beat-up car parked by a dumpster. He opened the door fast.
"In," he said.
I slid in, still in shock. He jumped into the driver's seat and sped off. For a long while, there was only silence. The smell of smoke clung to my hair. My hands were trembling.
Finally, I whispered, "That building… it exploded. Someone could've died, Gabriel."
"I know."
"Then why are we running?"
He glanced at me. "Because whoever did that wasn't after the building. They were after us."
I stared at him. "Us?"
Gabriel gripped the wheel tighter. "This started long before tonight, Aria. I didn't want to bring you into it, but now... there's no turning back."
"Then tell me. All of it."
He pulled the car into a quiet alley, engine off. The only sound was our heavy breaths. Then he looked at me—really looked.
"My father," he said slowly, "was supposed to be dead."
I blinked. "What?"
"He faked his death years ago. I found out recently. But I didn't know he was working with Luca."
My chest tightened. "Luca… knew?"
Gabriel nodded. "The video… of them in the alley? That wasn't just a meeting. That was a deal."
I shook my head. "But why? Why would your father and Luca—"
"Because they're building something together. A network. Dirty money. They needed my company for the front. And your name? Your family business? You were part of their cover."
My breath hitched. "You mean... they used me?"
"I think so. But I also think Luca cared for you, in his own twisted way. But when he saw you with me... something shifted."
I felt sick.
Everything—my marriage, my company, my life—it was all tangled in lies.
Then I asked the question burning in me. "What about you, Gabriel? Did you ever use me too?"
He didn't answer right away. But his eyes softened.
"No. I swear, Aria. That night in the hotel? I didn't even know your name. I was broken. Lost. And then I saw you... and something changed."
I blinked back tears.
"I believed you when you said that," I whispered. "Even then."
We sat there in silence. Pain, confusion, and something deeper between us.
Then his phone buzzed.
He checked the screen. "It's Emily."
I perked up. "Put it on speaker."
Gabriel answered. "Emily?"
"I got something," her voice came through. "I hacked into one of Luca's old emails. He booked a private jet—leaving tomorrow. And guess what? Gabriel's father is on the passenger list too."
Gabriel's eyes darkened. "They're running."
"And if you don't stop them," Emily said, "everything they've built, all the evidence—it'll vanish."
He ended the call and looked at me. "We have until dawn."
My voice was low. "Then let's stop them."
---
We drove to Emily's place, where she had maps, files, and blueprints spread across her table. The jet was scheduled to leave from a private airstrip outside the city.
"Security will be tight," she warned. "You're going to need help."
Gabriel called someone. "Mark, it's time. Meet me."
Fifteen minutes later, a tall man stepped into the room—Mark, Gabriel's best friend. Sharp eyes, rough voice.
"Didn't think you'd call me this soon," he said.
Gabriel nodded. "We don't have time. They're leaving with everything."
Mark grinned. "Then let's shut the gate before they fly."
They discussed the plan fast. I barely understood most of it, but I was there. I wasn't just a pawn anymore.
---
Hours later, we reached the airstrip.
The place was dark, except for floodlights over the runway. The jet stood ready, engines humming. Black SUVs were parked nearby. Gabriel and Mark split up, circling the area from different sides. I stayed in the van with Emily, heart hammering.
Then Emily gasped. "There. Look."
We watched from the screen as Luca stepped out of one SUV.
And right behind him… Gabriel's father.
I couldn't believe my eyes. That same man who smiled at Gabriel in old photos. Now, alive. Walking like a ghost returned from the dead.
Then Emily pointed. "They've got briefcases. That's got to be the data—contracts, payments, everything."
Suddenly, one of the guards turned. Spotted Gabriel.
Gun raised.
"Go!" Emily screamed into the radio.
Gunfire exploded.
Chaos broke out.
Gabriel ran, dodging bullets, diving for cover. Mark returned fire from behind a hangar. I wanted to scream, to run out and help, but Emily grabbed my arm.
"Stay!"
"I can't—"
"You have to. If you go out there, he'll lose focus. Stay, Aria. Please."
I bit my lip, tears streaming. But I stayed.
On the screen, Gabriel took down a guard. Mark grabbed a briefcase and ran. More shots fired. Then—Gabriel tackled Luca to the ground.
They fought hard. Fists flying. Blood on the tarmac. Then Gabriel pinned him.
"Why?" Gabriel shouted. "Why work with him?"
Luca spat blood. "Because you took her from me."
Gabriel froze.
"That night," Luca growled, "I saw the hotel footage. You. With her. Before our wedding. And I still married her."
Gabriel's voice was raw. "You cheated on her first."
Luca laughed bitterly. "And yet you're the hero, huh?"
Then a shout.
Gabriel's father was running for the jet.
Gabriel turned—too late.
The engines roared to life.
"Go!" I screamed through the screen.
Mark ran after him. Emily slammed buttons on the laptop, trying to shut the jet down remotely.
But it was too late.
The jet lifted.
They were gone.
Gabriel stood in the middle of the runway, fists clenched. Briefcases on the ground. Blood on his face.
But they were gone.
---
Later, at Emily's place, we sat in silence. Mark was tending to Gabriel's cuts.
"You still got one thing," Emily said, opening the briefcase. "Proof."
Inside were documents, videos, transfers. Enough to bury Luca. Enough to shut down the empire.
But Gabriel didn't smile.
"He's still out there," he whispered. "My father."
I reached for his hand.
"We'll find him."
He looked at me then, eyes full of pain—and something else.
"You still want to be part of this?" he asked.
"I was part of it the moment I met you," I said.
His lips brushed my hand. "Then we fight together."
Just then—
Emily's laptop beeped.
She turned the screen.
A live video was playing.
Gabriel's father.
From some far-off room, looking straight into the camera.
"Son," he said, voice smooth and cold. "You were always smart. But not smart enough."
Gabriel stood frozen.
The man continued, "You want truth? Then be ready. Because what comes next… will burn."
The screen went black.