If we kill him first

The door clicked shut, leaving her alone in the silent penthouse. She stared at it for a long moment, her fingers gripping the edges of the blanket as if it could somehow keep her from feeling the emptiness settling in her chest.

She hated this—waiting, worrying, knowing he was walking into danger while she remained behind, helpless. But he had been firm. Stay safe. Stay out of harm's way.

With a heavy sigh, she stood and moved to the window. The city of Zurich stretched before her, glittering under the early morning light. Somewhere out there, Aksh was hunting his enemy.

She wasn't naïve. She knew he had blood on his hands, secrets buried deep in the shadows of his past. But despite all of it, she trusted him.

A sudden vibration broke her thoughts.

Her phone.

Frowning, she picked it up. An unknown number.

She hesitated. Then, against her better judgment, she answered.

Silence.

Then a low, distorted voice crackled through the speaker. "You shouldn't have stayed with him."

Her breath hitched. "Who is this?"

A chuckle, cold and mocking. "You think he can protect you? He's already lost."

Her fingers tightened around the phone. "You're wrong."

"Am I?" the voice taunted. "You're all alone. His enemies know where you are. And soon, you'll be nothing more than a loose end."

The call cut off.

Her blood ran cold.

Her heart pounded as she turned toward the door, her mind racing. Aksh had increased security—she wasn't completely unprotected. But if they knew where she was…

She had to act.

Grabbing the knife from the kitchen counter, she pressed her back against the wall, forcing herself to breathe. If someone came for her—she wouldn't go down without a fight.

Across the city, Aksh stepped out of the car, unaware that the storm was about to reach her doorstep.

Penthouse, Zurich

Her pulse thundered in her ears. The silence of the penthouse now felt suffocating, like a predator waiting to pounce. She gripped the knife tighter, moving cautiously toward the main door.

She pressed her ear against it.

Nothing.

Her fingers trembled as she dialed Aksh's number. It rang once. Twice.

Then—"The number you're trying to reach is unavailable."

Her stomach twisted. No. No, no. She tried again, but the call refused to connect.

A noise.

Soft. Barely there.

But she heard it—just outside the penthouse.

Someone was here.

She swallowed hard, her grip tightening around the knife's handle. She wasn't trained for this. She didn't know how to fight like Aksh. But she wasn't going to just sit here and let fear paralyze her.

Carefully, she backed away from the door, moving toward the open-plan kitchen. The shadows stretched long against the dim lighting, her breaths coming in shallow gasps.

Then—

A loud thud.

She jumped. The doorknob rattled.

Someone was trying to get in.

Her heart slammed against her ribs. Was it one of Aksh's men? Or—

Another sharp noise. The lock clicked, disengaging.

Her blood ran ice cold.

She had seconds to act.

Without thinking, she bolted toward the pantry, pressing herself into the tight space just as the door swung open with a slow, eerie creak.

Footsteps. Heavy. Measured.

A voice, smooth and amused. "I know you're here, little flower."

Her breath hitched.

Not Aksh. Not his men.

The enemy had come for her.

The moment she heard little flower, her breath caught in her throat.

A flash of warmth. A memory.

"You're too soft for this world," Aksh had murmured one night, his fingers tracing the petal-like curve of her cheek. "Delicate, but stubborn. A little flower."

She had laughed then, rolling her eyes at the ridiculous nickname. But he had only smirked, brushing his thumb across her lower lip. "Even the smallest flower can grow through cracks in stone."

That had been weeks ago. Back when she was still blissfully unaware of the world he lived in.

But now—

The voice that had spoken those words was not Aksh's.

It was someone else. Someone who knew. Someone who wanted to break her.

Her grip on the knife tightened as her mind snapped back to the present. She forced herself to breathe quietly, pressing further into the dark pantry as the footsteps grew closer.

The man wasn't in a hurry. He moved leisurely, like he was enjoying the chase.

A slow chuckle. "Did you really think he could hide you from us?"

A pause.

"Aksh has taken something that doesn't belong to him. Now, he's going to know what it feels like to lose something precious."

Her stomach twisted.

This wasn't just about her.

They were trying to get to Aksh.

And if she didn't act fast she wouldn't be around to warn him.

She pressed herself against the pantry wall, forcing her breaths to slow. The dim light filtering through the small gap in the door let her see the intruder's shadow stretch across the kitchen floor.

Whoever he was, he wasn't alone. Another set of footsteps followed-a second man.

Think. Stay calm.

The knife in her grip felt small, almost useless. She had never fought anyone before. But she had no choice. If they found her, she wouldn't stand a chance.

The first man exhaled in amusement.

"Hiding, are we?" He dragged a chair across the floor with a slow screech, making her skin crawl. "I'll admit, you're braver than I thought. But not brave enough."

A silence stretched between them, thick with tension. Then-

A loud crash.

A vase shattered against the floor, sending glass skidding under the pantry door. She flinched but didn't make a sound.

"She's in here," the second man said.

Her pulse spiked.

A hand gripped the pantry handle.

No!

The door was yanked open. She didn't think she lunged, slashing the knife forward. The man barely had time to react. The blade grazed his arm, a sharp hiss of pain escaping his lips.

But she was too slow.

The other man grabbed her wrist, twisting it with brutal force. The knife clattered to the ground.

She gasped, struggling, but he yanked her forward, his grip iron-tight.

"Tch." He clicked his tongue, looking down at his bleeding arm. "Feisty, aren't you?"

Her stomach churned with fear.

"Aksh is going to kill you," she spat, despite the terror crawling up her spine. The man smirked. "Not if we kill him first."

Something sharp pressed against her throat-a knife.

Her breath stilled.

"You're coming with us, little flower."

Her blood ran cold.

She had to get out of this. Now.

But before she could even think of a way to escape-

A deafening bang shattered through the penthouse.

The front door had been kicked open. And standing in the doorway, dressed in black, his gun raised, murder in his eyes-

Was Aksh.