CHAPTER 5

Chapter 5: No More Running

1

The city hummed with restless energy outside the motel window, but inside, the air was thick with tension. The yellowed lamps cast long shadows over the battered furniture, and the smell of stale cigarettes lingered from previous tenants.

Elena sat on the bed, her fingers tracing the edges of the surveillance photos Luca had just handed her. Each one was a dagger to the gut.

Gabriel had been watching her for years.

Her face stared back at her from different points in time—leaving their old townhouse, meeting friends for coffee, walking alone in the park. Moments when she had felt safe, oblivious to the unseen predator tracking her every step.

Her pulse pounded as she clenched the edges of the photos. He was always ahead of me. Always planning.

Luca stood near the door, arms crossed, watching her reaction. "Elena," he said cautiously, his voice low. "What do you want to do?"

She inhaled sharply, steadying herself. Her emotions—anger, fear, betrayal—couldn't cloud her judgment. Not now.

"We go after him," she said, her voice cold and sharp. "No more waiting. No more running."

Luca exhaled, rubbing his temples. "We're talking about Gabriel. He's not some small-time criminal we can outmaneuver overnight. He has resources, contacts, people willing to kill for him."

"Then we burn it all down," Elena said.

Luca cursed under his breath. "Do you even have a plan?"

Elena picked up another folder from the nightstand, one she had been compiling over the past few weeks. Bank accounts, offshore holdings, shell corporations—all tied to Gabriel's empire.

She looked up at Luca, determination blazing in her eyes. "I do now."

2

The first step was severing Gabriel's control.

Elena and Luca moved quickly, leaving the motel and driving toward the city's financial district. Their target: Westbridge Holdings, one of Gabriel's many front companies. If they could freeze his assets, they could weaken him.

Inside the parking garage, Elena adjusted the baseball cap on her head and pulled her hoodie tight. Luca leaned against the car, scanning their surroundings.

"We have about twenty minutes before someone notices we're in the system," he said.

Elena nodded. "Then let's not waste time."

They entered the building through a side door, taking the service elevator to the twenty-third floor. The security was tight, but Luca had an old contact on the inside—a disgruntled IT specialist who owed him a favor.

Inside the dimly lit office, Elena worked fast, inserting a USB into the mainframe. Lines of code flashed across the screen as she accessed Gabriel's accounts.

Come on, come on…

Finally, the numbers appeared. Millions spread across multiple banks. She initiated a transfer to freeze the funds, knowing it would trigger alarms within minutes.

Then, she hesitated.

A single account stood out. Not just another offshore deposit—this one was personal. Labeled "E. Delgado Fund."

Her breath caught. Elena Delgado. Her maiden name.

She clicked on it. A secure savings account, untouched for years, holding nearly five million dollars. Gabriel had been keeping it for her.

Her stomach twisted. Was this guilt money? A backup plan in case she ever tried to leave?

"Elena, we need to go," Luca urged.

Shaking off her thoughts, she exited the system and pulled the USB drive free. "Done."

They slipped out just as security alerts began blaring. By the time Gabriel's people realized what had happened, it would be too late.

3

Gabriel sat in his penthouse office, the city lights sprawling beneath him. His fingers drummed against the sleek wooden desk as he stared at the bank alerts flashing across his screen.

Elena was getting bolder.

A slow smile curved his lips. He had expected her to run, to hide. Instead, she was fighting back.

Intriguing.

His phone buzzed. He answered without looking. "Speak."

A gruff voice responded. "Sir, we've traced the breach. She was inside Westbridge Holdings."

Gabriel exhaled. "And?"

"She froze several accounts. We're working to reverse it, but… she found something else."

There was a pause.

"…She accessed the E. Delgado fund."

Gabriel's expression didn't change, but something flickered in his gaze.

So, she knew.

He ended the call and leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers. She's finally playing the game.

Good.

He had given her a chance to walk away. She had refused.

Now, she would see what it truly meant to betray him.

4

Elena knew Gabriel would retaliate.

She and Luca drove in silence, the tension thick. Rain started to drizzle, streaking the windshield as the city blurred past.

Finally, Luca spoke. "You saw something back there, didn't you?"

Elena tightened her grip on the steering wheel. "He had an account in my name."

Luca's head snapped toward her. "What?"

"He was keeping money for me. Five million dollars."

Silence.

Luca swore. "That's not just an account. That's leverage. A way to pull you back in."

Elena exhaled. "I know."

Gabriel had always been ten steps ahead. Even now, he had left breadcrumbs, pieces of a puzzle meant to manipulate her.

But she wouldn't fall for it.

Luca checked the rearview mirror. "We're being followed."

Elena's pulse spiked. "How many?"

"Two cars. Black SUV and a sedan. Could be Gabriel's men."

Elena's mind raced. They were too exposed. If they kept driving, they'd be boxed in.

She made a split-second decision.

"Hold on."

Slamming the gas pedal, she veered sharply into an alleyway, tires screeching. The SUVs followed, headlights glaring through the rain.

Gunfire erupted.

Bullets shattered the rear windshield. Luca pulled out his pistol, firing back through the broken glass. One of the SUVs swerved, crashing into a dumpster.

"Elena, we can't outrun them forever!" Luca shouted.

She spotted a parking garage up ahead. If they could get inside, they could disappear.

Gritting her teeth, she made a sharp turn, speeding up the ramp. The remaining SUV followed.

They skidded to a stop on the third level, doors flying open.

Elena crouched behind a pillar, gun in hand. Footsteps echoed through the garage. Shadows moved.

Then—

A voice. Smooth. Amused.

"Well played, Elena."

Gabriel.

He stepped forward from the shadows, dressed in his usual crisp black suit, his expression unreadable. Behind him, three of his men stood armed.

Elena's heart pounded. This is it.

Gabriel tilted his head. "You could've taken the money and disappeared. But you didn't."

"I'm not running," she said coldly.

He smiled. "No, you're not."

A pause. Then, he sighed. "You always were the stubborn one."

Luca raised his gun. "Back off."

Gabriel ignored him, his gaze locked on Elena. "Come with me now, and I'll forget this ever happened."

Elena laughed bitterly. "You're out of moves, Gabriel. I took your money. I exposed your operations. It's over."

Gabriel exhaled, as if disappointed. Then—

A gunshot.

Luca grunted, stumbling back, blood blooming across his shoulder.

Elena's breath caught. No.

Before she could react, Gabriel was in front of her, his hand closing around her wrist. He yanked her close, his lips near her ear.

"I warned you, Elena," he murmured.

She struggled, but his grip was iron.

His men grabbed Luca's wounded body, dragging him toward the SUV.

Panic surged through her. She had underestimated him—again.

"Elena," Gabriel whispered, his voice both dangerous and intimate, "you should have run."

Then everything went black.