Sacrifice in the Rain

The sky opened up, releasing a torrent of rain that hammered the ground like bullets. The heavy droplets blurred the edges of the world, turning the abandoned courtyard into a distorted, chaotic battlefield. Anastasia stood frozen, her heart slamming against her ribs as she watched Maximilian step forward, his broad shoulders cutting through the downpour with a grim determination that sent a cold shiver down her spine.

“Max, don’t!” Her voice cracked with desperation, but the words were swallowed by the roar of the storm. She could see the set of his jaw, the way his fists clenched at his sides, as he moved toward Moretti’s henchmen without hesitation. The black-clad men waited, their guns gleaming ominously under the streetlights that flickered like dying stars in the rain.