"Boss," Aiden's panicked voice cut through the silence, urgent and rushed. "Your plan's been leaked, Luca is escaping!"
Kieran sat up instantly on the bed, sheets falling from his chest. His heartbeat slammed against his ribs, the fog of sleep vanishing instantly. "What?"
"Yes, boss," Aiden's breath came hurriedly, the sound of distant footsteps and men's voices in the background. "I happened to hear this from the bugging device you planted. The lady in the building told Luca that you've been spying on him. She said Luca needs to leave immediately, and that she'll take care of the traitor."
The word traitor sank into Kieran like ice. His jaw clenched. "What else?"
"They're preparing to move the goods, too. Talking about shifting them somewhere safe. Boss, Luca won't stay there long. If we don't act now—"
Kieran swung his legs off the bed, snatching the gun from his nightstand. His voice dropped, cold and merciless. "Get the men ready. We're attacking tonight. I'll be there soon."
"Yes, boss."
The call ended, and for a single moment, Kieran sat frozen on the edge of the mattress. His chest rose and fell in sharp bursts. The traitor… The only person she could have meant was Alena. His stomach twisted, unease clawing at his insides. He grabbed his blazer, checked his magazine, and stormed out.
Redlight District. 5 a.m.
The streets reeked of stale smoke, dampness, and the lingering perfume of a thousand sins. Neon lights still flickered weakly in the distance, but the building Kieran's convoy surrounded looked almost lifeless from the outside. Almost.
Engines cut, doors slammed, and within seconds, the Moretti men rushed out in formation.
"On my mark," Kieran ordered. His tone was low, dangerous.
The signal came. Gunfire cracked the stillness of dawn. Bullets fired into the air, the echo bouncing off concrete walls as screams erupted inside.
Kieran stepped out of his car, every line of his body taut with fury. He didn't pause or wait for cover. He marched straight for the entrance.
Bouncers lunged toward him. He raised his gun and shot them both in the legs without hesitation. They crumpled, howling, clutching bloody wounds. Kieran didn't look back. He rushed forward, boots pounding against the floor as the chaos spread.
Behind him, Aiden barked orders. Half the men pinned down Rosa's guards, while the other half swept the hallways, searching for Luca.
Kieran's steps quickened. His heart thudded harder with every door he passed, until finally he reached hers. Alena's.
The door was half-shut.
He froze, chest constricting. His hand trembled on the knob. Please… he prayed, though he wasn't a man who prayed. He pushed the door open.
And his world shattered.
Alena lay on the bed, bare. Not a single piece of clothing was left on her battered body. Her legs twisted unnaturally, as though fractured. Her skin was littered with bruises, her lips bleeding at the corner. Her nails were broken, jagged. Dark marks of rough, cruel hands tainted her neck and chest. Her eyes were open, glassy, and tears had pooled but never fallen, clinging desperately at the corners.
Kieran's breath caught. His vision blurred instantly, eyes burning. The man who had faced a hundred enemies without flinching now staggered.
"Alena…" His voice broke.
He ran to her side, dropping to his knees. He pulled off his blazer in a single motion, wrapping it around her frail body, desperate to give her even a shred of dignity back. He gathered her against his chest, holding her as though she might vanish if he loosened his grip.
Her faint breath tickled against his throat weak, shallow, fragile.
Tears spilled down his face before he could stop them. His heart cracked, the weight of guilt crashing down like steel chains. He had promised her freedom. Promised her protection. And yet here she was, broken before him.
Something inside him snapped.
He laid her gently back on the bed, tucking the blazer tighter around her. Then he stood.
The demon inside him awakened.
The first man who dared to step inside the room was dead before he could speak. Kieran's bullet tore through his skull.
He stormed through the hallways, gun raised, firing without hesitation. Each shot was precise, merciless. Bouncers dropped one by one, blood painting the walls, their screams drowned by the deafening echo of gunfire.
His men watched in silence, unnerved. They had seen Kieran ruthless before. But this was different. This wasn't strategy or control. This was slaughter, merciless, brutal.
Kieran descended the staircase, eyes glowing red with fury. And there at the end of the hall, Madam Rosa stood frozen. Panic flickered across her heavily painted face.
"Kieran—" she started.
He didn't let her finish. His bullet cut through her forehead, snapping her head back. She collapsed in a heap, lifeless before her body even hit the floor.
The building erupted in chaos. Luca's men tried to escape, but Kieran hunted them down like prey. He shot through locked doors, burst into rooms, and dragged bouncers out only to put bullets in their skulls. His rage was unstoppable. He was unrecognizable. Less man, more beast.
When the smoke finally cleared, his chest heaved with exertion, sweat dripping down his temples. He turned toward the basement.
"LUCA!" he roared, firing into the lock. The door split into fragments, and he stormed inside.
But the room was empty. Chains hung loose, boxes stacked against the walls. Luca was gone.
Kieran's scream ripped through the air, raw and guttural. He emptied his magazine into the walls, Bullets firing wildly. His voice broke with the sound, echoing like a beast in mourning.
Aiden caught up, panting, gun still in hand. "Boss! The stocks are still here!" He pointed toward the crates. "High-grade weapons, military level. And some… white substance."
Kieran's hands shook, still gripping the gun. His voice cracked with both rage and anguish. "Seize them. Everything. Don't leave a single box behind."
"Yes, boss."
But Kieran didn't wait to watch. He turned back, retracing his steps, rushing toward Alena's room.
She hadn't moved. Her chest rose barely, her lips dry.
Kieran scooped her up in his arms, holding her like something sacred, fragile, too precious to risk another second. His tears wet her hair as he whispered brokenly, "I'm here. I've got you. You're safe now… please, please hold on."
Her head lolled against his chest. She didn't respond.
"Start the engine!" Kieran barked the moment he reached the car. His voice cracked, hoarse.
"Yes, boss!" Aiden sprinted, jumping into the driver's seat.
Kieran slid into the back, cradling Alena against him, covering her with his blazer, rocking her as though it would keep her alive.
Kieran said, "Drive to my farmhouse fast and call the doctor."
Aiden said hurriedly, "Yes, boss".
Kieran's tears fell freely now. His lips pressed to her temple, his voice trembling with every word. He patted her cheeks,
"Alena, please wake, wake up, Alena. You're out of that hell, do you hear me? You're free now. Just hold on. Please hold on."
She didn't blink. Didn't move.
"Please don't lose yourself, Alena. See, we are going towards my farmhouse, you got the freedom, Alena. You don't have to live in that hell anymore, please hold yourself, Alena, please." His voice almost came begging.
But her heartbeat was fading, and her breath was becoming weak.
Kieran's panic rose, his voice breaking into a scream.
"ALENA!"
His roar shook the car, his body trembling as his tears refused to stop.
Aiden drove faster, jaw tight, glancing in the mirror. He had never seen his boss like this vulnerable, undone, begging for someone. Not for power, not for revenge. For her.
And in that moment, Aiden realized something had changed.
Kieran Moretti was no longer fighting for power.
He was fighting for Alena.