Miles away, in a dimly lit penthouse overlooking Eldoria's skyline, three figures stood amidst the carnage of Alex and Elena's apartment. The bodies of the fallen attackers lay strewn across the floor, their blood pooling like dark mirrors. The two women—twins, identical in their lithe frames, raven hair, and cold gray eyes—surveyed the scene with clinical precision. They were the Sable Sisters, assassins of equal renown to the Viper in her prime. Beside them stood a tall man, his long hair tied back, his scarred face illuminated by the city's glow. He was Jericho, a broker of death, his name whispered in fear across the underworld.
One twin, Mara, crouched beside a body, tracing the clean, lethal cut across its throat. "This wasn't Elena," she murmured. "Too raw. Precise, but not her style."
Her sister, Lila, nodded. "The husband. Look at the angles. He's trained. Dangerous."
Jericho's eyes narrowed as he examined another corpse, its neck snapped with brutal efficiency. "The Viper's gone soft, but this man… he's a problem. They said he was just a civilian."
Mara stood, wiping her hands. "He's no civilian. Not with moves like these."
Lila smirked. "Makes it more fun. A challenge."
Jericho's voice was gravel. "No mistakes this time. Put out a bounty—two million, dead or alive, for the Viper and her husband. Make it clear: don't underestimate him. He's not just her shadow."
Mara tapped her comms, relaying the order to their network. "The Viper and her guard dog. Let's see how long they run."
As the trio vanished into the night, the city pulsed below, unaware of the storm brewing in its shadows. For Alex and Elena, love was no longer a sanctuary—it was a battlefield.
To be continued…