Chapter 34: A Target on His Back

Liam knew he was in deep trouble. The ledger in his hands wasn't just a book—it was a death sentence. The names inside weren't just businessmen and politicians. They were the people who ran the world from the shadows. And now?

They would all want him dead.

The sports car sped through the empty streets, weaving between dimly lit alleys and deserted intersections. The city was alive, but Liam felt like a ghost—something already marked for elimination.

Seraphina glanced at him from the driver's seat, her knuckles white against the wheel. "Liam, we need a plan."

Nathan's voice came through the earpiece. "We need to disappear. Now."

Liam opened the ledger again, flipping through the pages as the neon lights outside cast eerie glows over the names. Some he recognized—corrupt politicians, mafia bosses, billionaire moguls. Others were just initials and numbers, their secrets buried deep within the underworld.

But then…

His breath caught.

A name he never expected.

"Liam?" Seraphina's voice was sharp. "What is it?"

Liam stared at the page.

His father's name was there.

His mother's name was there.

Alongside them, a single note written in red ink:

"Eliminated."

Liam's blood ran cold.

His parents' deaths weren't an accident. They weren't a random tragedy. They were ordered.

Someone in this book had given the command.

And now, they would come for him too.

---

The black car skidded to a halt in front of an abandoned warehouse, the safe house Nathan had set up. Liam jumped out, clutching the ledger. But something was wrong.

The air felt too still.

Seraphina stiffened. "Liam… this isn't right."

That's when the first bullet shattered the car's windshield.

Snipers.

Liam grabbed Seraphina and dove behind cover as gunfire erupted around them. Muzzle flashes flickered from the rooftops. The enemy wasn't wasting time—they wanted the ledger, and they wanted it now.

Nathan's voice crackled through the comms. "You're surrounded. Get inside, now!"

Liam didn't hesitate. He yanked open the warehouse door and pulled Seraphina inside. Nathan was already there, rifle in hand.

"Who the hell are they?" Seraphina hissed.

Nathan peeked through a broken window. "Not Laurent's men. This is bigger."

Liam's grip on the ledger tightened. Of course it was.

Whoever ordered his parents' deaths… whoever controlled the names in this book…

They had just made their first move.

And Liam?

He was about to make his next.

---

Liam could hear the shuffling of boots outside. Heavy, calculated footsteps. The kind that belonged to trained killers.

He pulled Seraphina behind a stack of wooden crates. Nathan was already setting up his rifle.

"There's no way out," she whispered.

"There's always a way," Liam muttered. His mind was racing. He glanced at Nathan. "Cover us."

Nathan nodded, already taking position near a window.

Liam reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black card.

Seraphina's eyes widened. "Is that what I think it is?"

Liam smirked. "Let's just say it opens doors."

He swiped the card against a hidden panel near the back wall. A soft click echoed through the space.

Seraphina didn't waste time questioning it. She grabbed Liam's hand and darted inside. Nathan followed, leaving a small explosive rigged to blow once they were far enough away.

The tunnel was dark and damp, the scent of rust and old concrete filling the air.

As they ran, Liam's mind raced.

He had the ledger. He had proof that his parents' deaths weren't an accident.

But what he didn't have… was time.

And soon, he knew—

The real war was about to begin.