---------
The neon lights of the city blurred into streaks of electric blue and jagged crimson as Gabriella tore through the midnight streets.
The engine of her car roared, a mechanical scream that matched the one trapped in her throat. She pushed the pedal harder, her knuckles white against the steering wheel. She was a vision of shattered elegance—wearing a shimmering silk, long-sleeved white top that caught the passing streetlights and a dark pleated skirt that fanned out around her like a dark flower.
But her heart felt like lead. Dona. Her best friend . The person who knew her coffee order and her darkest secrets had been the one to pull the rug out from under her. The betrayal felt like a cold blade twisted between her ribs.
On the backseat, her phone chimed incessantly. Ding. Ding. Ring. Gabriella slammed on the brakes, the tires screeching against the asphalt in the middle of a deserted bridge. Breathless, she reached back, grabbing the device.
"Hello?" she snapped, her voice trembling with a mix of fury and exhaustion.
"Gabriella," a man's voice responded. It was deep, smooth, and terrifyingly familiar. "If you want to see your father walk out of that jail cell... come and meet me."
Gabriella's breath hitched. Her eyes widened, reflecting the glow of the dashboard. "Who the hell are you?" she shouted into the receiver.
"You know who I am," the voice whispered, laced with a chilling confidence. "I'm the only one who can rescue him."
Click. The line went dead. A map location popped up on her screen. Gabriella didn't hesitate; she slammed the car into gear and sped toward the heart of the corporate district.
---------
The air in the Obsidian Tower was cold, smelling of expensive leather and corporate secrets. At 9:00 PM, the city was a blur of neon lights thirty floors below.
Inside the executive suite, Robert sat behind a mahogany desk that cost more than most people's houses. At 48, his face was a roadmap of greed, his graying hair slicked back perfectly. He flicked through a file, the silence of the room heavy and suffocating.
CRASH.
The heavy oak doors didn't just open; they flew back against the walls from a violent kick. Robert flinched, his heart hammering against his ribs.
Standing in the doorway was Felix.
He looked like a storm contained in a human body. At 23, Felix carried a raw, dangerous energy. His expensive white dress shirt was wrinkled, the top two buttons torn open as if he couldn't breathe. Under the harsh LED lights, the three distinct white stripes dyed into his dark hair shimmered like a warning signal.
Robert recovered quickly, a cruel smirk touching his thin lips. "Congrats on the broken engagement, Felix."
Felix didn't speak. He walked toward the desk and, with a sudden movement, kicked a designer leather chair. It flipped backward, crashing into the floor with a hollow thud.
"Are you hiding from me, old man?" Felix's voice was a low growl, vibrating with the kind of love turned into pure, unadulterated hate.
"No," Robert chuckled, leaning back. "You were just too slow to find me."
Felix slammed both hands onto the glass table, the sound echoing like a gunshot. He leaned in, his face inches from Robert's. His eyes were bloodshot "I know it was you. You hired that sniper."
The room turned ice-cold. Robert's eyes darkened, the mask of the "respectable businessman" slipping.
Felix smirked, though his jaw was tight with rage. "If you want me dead, I'm right here. Stop hiding behind glass and hitmen."
"Yes, it was me," Robert suddenly roared, standing up so fast his chair rolled away. "Do you think I'd let you walk away? You have the Blue Chip. That belongs to me!"
"I have it," Felix whispered, his voice deadly calm. "And I'm keeping it."
"Don't you know who you're up against?" Robert shouted, his face turning a mottled purple.
Felix didn't blink. "I know exactly who you are. A pathetic drug dealer wearing a three-piece suit like it's a disguise."
"Felix!" Robert warned, his fists shaking.
"Don't you dare," Felix snapped back, his anger finally boiling over. "Don't you dare send another sniper. Think twice next time, because I won't come here to talk. I'll come to finish this."
Felix turned on his heel, his heavy boots thumping against the polished floor. He stopped at the door, looking back over his shoulder with a chilling smile.
"Remember... I still have the chip. Even if I die, you'll never touch it. Instead, it goes to the one place you fear most."
He leaned in one last time. "See you in prison, Robert."
Felix vanished into the hallway, leaving Robert standing in the silence of his empire, his hands trembling with a fury that promised blood.
As the doors swung shut, a shadow moved in the corner of the office. A Snipper emerged, his rifle slung over his shoulder.
"Why did you signal me to hold fire?" the hitman asked. "I had the shot."
"He has the evidence," Robert growled, his face contorted in a silent rage. "I can't kill him yet."
"There's something else," the Sniper added. "Yesterday in the park, there was a girl with him. He was... protective. She's his weakness."
Robert's expression shifted. A slow, poisonous smile spread across his face. "A girl? If we can't break him, we break what he loves. Kill her."
The Sniper nodded and vanished into the night.
Robert walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the street sixty stories below. A small, white figure was stepping out of a car and marching toward the entrance. It was a girl in a white silk top, her movements fueled by a desperate kind of courage.
Robert whispered against the glass, his breath fogging the view of the city:
"I knew you would come, Gabriella."
---------
The Weight of the Crown
Gabriella stepped into Robert's cabin, her heels clicking like a countdown on the marble floor. The office was vast, filled with the scent of expensive cigars and cold ambition. Robert stood by the window, his silhouette looming over the city lights.
"Why?" Gabriella asked, her voice like ice. "Why do you suddenly want to help me?"
Robert turned, a slow, calculated chuckle escaping his lips. "Same goal as before, Gabriella. Benefit."
"I'm leaving," she scoffed, turning toward the door.
"Do you really want him to rot in prison?" Robert's voice dropped, sharp and mocking. "Are you even his real daughter? A real daughter would do anything."
Gabriella spun around, her eyes flashing with a furious fire. "Why do you want Gabriella Enterprises shares? For money? But... "
Robert walked toward her, his smile vanishing into something predatory. "Money? I have more than your family could dream of. But I want the reputation your name holds."
Gabriella chuckled coldly,"My father is in jail. Our reputation is in the gutter. We have nothing you'd want."
Robert chuckled, " You don't know anything about Gabriella Enterprises goodwill. Look at it's history—nothing can touch the goodwill of that brand. Not even a scandal this big. Don't worry, I only want your shares."
"You want half the company," Gabriella whispered, her voice trembling. "That's not a 'portion.' That's our legacy."
Robert leaned in, his gaze piercing. "You don't have a single penny left, Gabriella. No lawyers, no allies, no hope. Can you really not sacrifice a few shares to save your father's life?"
The words hit her like a physical blow. The deep, agonizing pain of her reality settled in her chest. She was powerless.
-----------
Broken on the Pavement
Minutes later, Gabriella stumbled out of the towering building. The night air was biting, and the streetlights cast long, lonely shadows. She walked aimlessly, her pale lips trembling. The weight of Dona's betrayal, her father's imprisonment, and Robert's demands finally crushed her.
She collapsed to her knees in the middle of the sidewalk, a raw, broken sob escaping her. Tears streamed down her face, ruining her makeup as she shook with grief.
In the shadows across the street, Jake, her ex-boyfriend, watched her. His heart ached; he wanted to run to her, to pull her into his arms and tell her it would be okay. He took a step forward, then stopped. She doesn't love me at all, he thought bitterly, a scoff escaping his lips as he stayed hidden in the dark.
Further away, another pair of eyes watched. Felix stood with his guard, his expression unreadable, though his eyes softened as he watched Gabriella break down.
"I don't think she can handle this alone, sir," the guard whispered. "She's been broken since the arrest."
Felix stared at her, his voice cold but his gaze lingering. " You're right, She has been through a lot. But she can . No one is going to hold her hand. Sometimes, we have to stand on our own feet to survive."
Through her blurred vision, Gabriella saw a figure approaching through the haze of the night. She wiped her eyes hurriedly and stood up, her heart racing.
Before she could speak, the person pulled her into a fierce, protective hug. The familiar scent of home washed over her.
"You're right," Gabriella sobbed into the person's shoulder, her voice a broken whisper. "Because of this revenge... I lost my old self. I want my old life back so badly. I can't do this anymore."
A single tear escaped the eyes of the woman holding her. It was Aunt Fiona. Her face was set in a mask of cold determination as she stroked Gabriella's hair.
"Don't worry," Fiona said, her voice dropping to a deadly, protective calm. "I'm here now. And I promise you... nothing is going to happen to my brother's family. Not while I'm breathing."
High above, from his office window, Robert watched the reunion. He picked up his phone and dialed a number.
"The target just got an ally," Robert murmured into the phone, his eyes narrowing. "Change the plan. We don't just kill the girl... we take out the Aunt first."
--------
To be Continued...
--------