Chapter Six

The tension in the room thickened like a storm ready to break. Mia stood in front of Ethan, her arms crossed, her pulse hammering beneath her skin.

"I'm done with the vague answers, Ethan. Either you tell me what's really going on, or I walk out of here with Oliver tonight."

Ethan's expression was unreadable, his blue eyes dark with something she couldn't quite place. He set his whiskey glass down, the sound sharp in the thick silence. "You're not going anywhere."

Mia's jaw clenched. "You don't get to decide that."

"Actually, I do," he said, stepping closer. His presence was overwhelming, towering, commanding, and maddeningly controlled. "Because the moment you step outside, you're a target."

Mia swallowed hard, refusing to let him intimidate her. "A target for who, Ethan?"

His lips pressed into a thin line, but before he could answer, the lights flickered.

Then….darkness.

A second later, a loud crash echoed from the hallway. Mia's breath hitched as adrenaline flooded her system.

"What was that?" she whispered.

Ethan was already moving. In a swift motion, he grabbed her arm and pulled her behind him. The glow from the city skyline barely illuminated the penthouse, casting eerie shadows against the walls.

"Stay behind me," Ethan murmured, his voice low and lethal.

Mia's heart pounded as heavy footsteps echoed closer. The air turned electric with danger. She heard the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked.

Intruders.

Before she could react, the front door burst open. Dark figures poured in—three, no, four men, dressed in black, masks obscuring their faces.

A gunshot exploded, shattering a glass vase near Mia's feet. She let out a sharp gasp, but Ethan didn't flinch. In a fluid, almost practiced motion, he shoved her toward the hallway.

"Run, Mia. Now."

But she couldn't move.

Her breath came in short, frantic bursts as the masked men advanced. One of them lunged only to be met with Ethan's fist slamming into his jaw.

The man staggered back, groaning. Another attacker aimed a gun, but Ethan moved fast, knocking the weapon aside before landing a brutal elbow strike.

Mia had never seen him fight before. He was lethal. Precise. Dangerous.

And yet, some twisted part of her felt safer with him than she ever had before.

A rough hand suddenly grabbed her wrist.

She let out a startled scream as one of the intruders yanked her toward him.

Ethan's head snapped up. His expression turned feral.

He moved with terrifying speed. One second, Mia was being pulled, and the next, Ethan had the man in a chokehold, slamming him into the wall. The sickening crunch of bone followed.

Mia stumbled back, breathless. Her pulse roared in her ears.

But the fight wasn't over.

Another attacker charged at Ethan, wielding a knife. Ethan barely dodged, twisting his body at the last second before grabbing the man's wrist and snapping it backward.

The attacker howled in pain. The knife clattered to the floor.

"Get to the safe room!" Ethan barked at her.

Mia hesitated. She didn't want to leave him. But another gunshot ricocheted off the marble floors, sending glass and debris flying.

She didn't need to be told twice.

With shaky steps, she darted toward the back of the penthouse, following the path Ethan had pointed to. A hidden panel in the hallway slid open, revealing a steel-reinforced door.

She turned just in time to see Ethan land a final devastating blow to the last intruder. The man collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Ethan's chest rose and fell in deep, controlled breaths. Blood smeared the corner of his lip. His knuckles were bruised. He looked every inch the ruthless businessman she had read about in tabloids—except now, she knew he was more than just a businessman.

He was a fighter. A protector.

And yet, she still didn't know if she could trust him.

As Ethan reached her, he entered a code into the keypad, and the safe room door slid open.

"We're not safe yet," he said, voice tight. "Inside. Now."

Mia stepped in, her mind racing. The room was sleek, modern, lined with monitors showing security feeds from the entire building.

Ethan followed her in, locking the door behind them. A tense silence filled the air.

Mia turned to him, her body still trembling. "Who the hell were they?"

Ethan wiped the blood from his lip with the back of his hand. "Hired men. But not professionals. Someone is trying to scare you."

"Scare me?" she let out a hollow laugh. "I was nearly killed, Ethan!"

He exhaled, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "I know."

His gaze flickered to hers, something dark and unreadable in his expression.

Mia's breathing slowed as the realization hit her. "You're used to this, aren't you?" she whispered.

Ethan didn't answer.

A shiver ran down her spine. What kind of life had he been living?

Before she could press further, the door clicked.

Mia stiffened. Ethan's muscles tensed.

The security lock should have held.

But the door was opening.

Someone had overridden the system.

A shadow moved at the entrance. Then Lena stepped inside.

Mia's stomach dropped.

Lena—Ethan's head of security. The woman he had trusted with everything.

She stood there, a gun in her hand, her expression calm.

Mia's throat went dry. "Lena?"

Ethan's entire body coiled like a predator sensing a trap. "Put the gun down."

Lena didn't move. Her gaze flicked to Mia. "I told you to stay away from him."

Mia's blood ran cold.

It was her.

She was the unknown sender. The one who had been warning her all along.

Ethan took a slow step forward. "Lena, don't do this."

Lena's grip tightened on the gun. "You should have listened, Ethan. You always think you can control everything. But this time, you're not the one in power."

Mia's breath came in shallow gasps. This wasn't just about her.

This was about Ethan. His past. His enemies.

And Lena she was working with them.

Ethan's jaw ticked, but his voice remained eerily calm. "If you hurt her, Lena, I will end you."

Lena smirked. "You won't have the chance."

The gun shifted slightly now aimed directly at Mia's chest.

Mia's heart stopped.

Then a gunshot rang out.