Mel stepped into the party, the soft click of her heels echoing through the grand hall like a drumbeat announcing her arrival. Heads turned. Cameras flashed. Conversations paused for a moment as all eyes found her — radiant in her black silky dress, her tattoos glistening under the chandelier's golden light.
But then she saw him.
His piercing gaze met hers from across the room. The man who shattered her world… standing there as if nothing had happened. A rush of memories hit her like a storm — the pain, the betrayal. Her chest tightened.
"He broke me… and now he's trying to fix me? No. Not anymore. This engagement is my way out. After tonight, he'll finally leave me alone… I hope."
Her jaw clenched as she made her way toward her parents, her dress flowing behind her like a dark wave. She didn't even try to hide the disgust that flickered in her eyes.
"To think they are selling me off like some pawn in their grand game. I am not a piece to be moved on their chessboard."
"Belly! There you are." Luke rushed to her side, his voice shaky with relief. "Where have you been? I've been searching everywhere for you—I thought you'd run away."
Mel's steps didn't falter. She looked at him coldly.
"And why would I do that, Luke?" she shot back, her tone sharp enough to cut glass.
He froze, hurt flashing across his face, but she didn't stop. She brushed past him, climbing the stairs with the same poise she entered with — determined, untouchable, and burning on the inside.
Upstairs, away from the noise and stares, she pushed open a random door, hoping for a moment of silence to collect her thoughts. But before she could exhale, a familiar presence filled the room.
"Mel," Lucas whispered.
She spun around, but before she could say a word, he pulled her close, his lips crashing against hers — desperate, longing. Their tongues tangled, his grip firm on her waist, as if trying to anchor himself to a past she was trying to escape.
For a split second, her heart betrayed her. The world melted away.
Then the memories stabbed back.
She shoved him lightly, breathless. "You don't get to do this anymore, Lucas," she whispered, her voice trembling .
---
Mel turned toward the door, determined to leave, but Lucas moved faster. He blocked her way, his body a wall of fury and desperation.
"Lucas, move," she said through clenched teeth, her pulse quickening.
He shook his head, his eyes wild. "No. I'm not letting you walk out of this room. Not this time. You're mine, Mel. Mine to claim, to protect… mine alone!" His voice roared, echoing through the walls like a storm breaking loose.
Her breath caught. The boy she once knew was gone — replaced by someone terrifyingly unhinged.
"Listen to yourself," she whispered, backing away. "You sound insane."
"If you don't call off this engagement," he spat, stepping closer, "I'll make sure that bastard doesn't live to see tomorrow as well as your parents- I'm done playing nice. I'll turn this entire engagement into a fucking bloodbath if I have to."
Mel's heart pounded in her chest. "Lucas… stop."
But he didn't. Rage clouded his judgment as he gripped her arm too tightly, his other hand trembling as if trying to control the chaos inside him. "No one takes what's mine," he growled.
"Lucas, you're hurting me!" she cried, struggling against his hold.
For a split second, something flickered in his eyes — pain, regret — but it was quickly swallowed by fury.
"You don't understand," he whispered hoarsely. "I can't lose you. Not to them. Not to him."
Mel's throat tightened. "This isn't love. This is obsession," she said, her voice breaking.
His breath hitched, his grip faltering just enough for her to push him away. She stumbled toward the door, tears welling in her eyes — not from fear alone, but from loosing herself to him.
"Damieeeen"He called while chocking her ,"get the car, I have had it with everyone here ".
Blinded by rage he tore the gown to her thighs making his way above her thighs but was interrupted by the gun shot on the door.
The door burst open with a crash. Heavy boots thundered across the floor as Hunter's men stormed in, dressed in black, rifles raised and aimed directly at Lucas.
Hunter stepped forward with a slow, menacing smile. "This isn't how you treat what's yours… don't you think?" His voice dripped with quiet threat, the room filling with a dangerous stillness.
Lucas's eyes narrowed. The air was electric — two predators facing off.
Then chaos exploded.
Gunfire erupted like a sudden storm. Windows shattered, walls splintered. Mel dropped to the floor, heart pounding, adrenaline surging through her veins. She didn't look back. She couldn't.
She bolted toward the staircase, her heels slipping on the polished floor as bullets whizzed past her ears. Shouts, gunfire, and the sharp crack of broken glass followed her down the stairs like a deadly echo.
Below, the party had turned into a nightmare. Guests screamed, huddled together as Hunter's men swept through the hall, forcing everyone to the ground at gunpoint.
Chandeliers swung wildly overhead. The once-glamorous venue now pulsed with panic.
Mel's breath came in sharp bursts as she crouched behind a marble pillar, her mind racing. Upstairs, Lucas and Hunter's forces were locked in a violent standoff. Downstairs, dozens of innocent people were now hostages.
Gunfire cracked through the air as Melody's father made a desperate dash toward the exit. A single shot rang out—he fell instantly. The room erupted into screams and chaos. Hunter's men turned their attention to the body, dragging it aside while others fired warning shots into the air, shouting threats to keep everyone frozen. The once-elegant hall now echoed with terror and the acrid sting of gunpowder.
---
Gunfire continued to cracke like thunder, smoke hung in the air, and terrified screams echoed against the marble walls.
Mel ducked behind an overturned table, her hands shaking but her eyes sharp. She refused to be a helpless pawn anymore. Just as one of Hunter's men charged forward, a blur moved beside her — Damien. His dark coat swept behind him like a shadow, his eyes locked on the chaos.
"You picked a good time to come back," she shouted over the noise.
"Couldn't let the fun start without me," he replied with a half-smile before spinning and disarming a gunman with brutal precision.
Mel didn't hesitate. She grabbed a fallen guard's baton, swinging it hard against another attacker's wrist. The weapon clattered to the ground as she followed up with a sharp knee to his stomach. Damien moved like a storm beside her — a sweep here, a punch there, using the environment to take down two more men in seconds.
Through the haze, Mel spotted a young boy cowering near the stage, frozen as one of Hunter's men raised his weapon toward him. Instinct kicked in. She sprinted across the floor, shoving through the chaos, and leapt between the gunman and the boy just as the attack came.
The impact knocked the breath out of her. Pain bloomed sharply at her side, but she gritted her teeth, refusing to collapse.
Damien's shout cut through the noise. He rushed to her side, taking down the assailant with a swift blow and catching Mel before she hit the floor.
"You're bleeding ," he said, his voice low but urgent.
Mel winced, holding her side, but her eyes were fierce. "I'm fine. Keep fighting."
Damien hesitated for half a heartbeat, then nodded. Together, they turned back to the fray, covering each other as Hunter's men regrouped. The battle wasn't over — and Mel refused to be a victim.