Elegbede_Habeeb

The first time they met, it felt like fate. The second time, it felt like a warning.

She was running from a past that refused to die. He was chasing a future that seemed just out of reach. When their worlds collided, it was more than just love—it was an obsession, a wildfire that threatened to burn them both alive.

But love isn’t always salvation. Sometimes, it’s destruction in disguise.

Bound by Fire: Ashes of Desire

The night air was thick with tension as Luca, Elena, Dante, and a dozen of Luca's men moved through the shadows, approaching the abandoned estate. The massive structure loomed in the darkness, its broken windows and ivy-covered walls making it look like something out of a nightmare.

Luca gave a silent signal, and his men fanned out, positioning themselves around the perimeter. He turned to Elena one last time.

She nodded, gripping the small gun Dante had given her. Her hands were steady now—she was ready.

Dante pressed a hand to his earpiece. "Everyone in position?"

A chorus of confirmations crackled through the comms.

Luca exhaled sharply. "Let's end this."

With a single nod, he kicked open the front doors.

Gunfire erupted as Adrian Vega's men swarmed out of the darkness. The sharp scent of gunpowder filled the air. Luca moved like a shadow, precise and lethal, dropping enemies without hesitation.

Dante fought beside him, his movements just as deadly.

Elena stayed behind them as promised, ducking behind cover and firing when necessary. She wasn't a trained killer like them, but she wasn't weak either. She refused to be weak.

Then, as the dust settled, an eerie silence fell over the estate.

Luca turned a corner—only to freeze.

A single man stood in the center of the grand hall, waiting for them.

He was taller than Luca remembered, dressed in a sleek black suit, his dark hair slicked back. A slow, amused smile spread across his face as his cold, calculating eyes landed on Elena.

"Ah, mi amor," he murmured. "You've finally come home."

Luca stepped in front of her, gun aimed at Adrian's heart. "She's not yours."

Adrian chuckled. "Oh, Luca. You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into."

Before Luca could react, flames roared to life around them—explosives hidden within the estate ignited, sending the building into an inferno.

Adrian grinned. "Let's see how well you fight when everything burns."

Next Chapter: Baptized in Fire—Luca, Elena, and Dante must escape the burning estate while facing Adrian's final, most brutal trap.

The Inferno