Rain mixed with smoke as Dominic's men broke through the penthouse's outer defenses. Gabriel fired from behind the kitchen counter, the muzzle flash illuminating the grim determination in his eyes. Amira moved like a shadow through the halls, her gun steady, her heartbeat thundering. Rosalie barked coordinates from her laptop, feeding real-time data to Gabriel and Zion as they held the line.
Amira confronted Dominic face to face near the grand staircase, their guns trained on each other as smoke curled around them. Dominic taunted her with memories of Celeste, threatening to slaughter everyone she cared about. Amira, trembling with rage, fired first. The bullet grazed Dominic's cheek, and chaos erupted.
As flames consume the penthouse, Dominic corners Amira in the library, gun to her head. Zion charges in, tackling Dominic as the building begins to collapse around them. The chapter ends with Amira whispering into Dominic's ear as she holds her blade to his throat: "I'm not afraid of you anymore."
Rain pounded against the windows as the old farmhouse groaned under the weight of wind and secrets. Amira stood by the doorway, her hands trembling around the cold steel of her gun. Her breath came in shallow gasps, each one clouding the glass in front of her. She could almost hear Celeste's laughter echoing in the back of her mind, mocking her fear, urging her forward.
Zion leaned against the kitchen counter, a makeshift bandage wrapped around his arm. Blood still seeped through, staining the white gauze crimson. He watched her, eyes dark with exhaustion and something deeper, something he hadn't yet dared to say aloud.
Rosalie was in the corner, hunched over the glowing screen of her laptop, fingers moving so fast they blurred. Her voice shook as she spoke. "I'm trying to find him, Amira. Dominic's trail is cold, but I'm not stopping until I crack it."
Lucia smoked by the window, her eyes distant. "You're not the only one he's ruined," she murmured. "We'll make him pay."
Amira didn't respond. Her mind was a churning storm. Every memory of Celeste, her laughter, her tears, the last sight of her body fueled the fire in her chest. She had promised vengeance. Tonight, that promise would be kept.
The group barely escaped as Dominic's men storm the farmhouse. As they flee into the night, Amira whispers, "I won't stop until Dominic's blood soaks the ground."