SHADOWS IN THE SILENCE

The wind rustled softly through the trees outside the estate, but within the walls of Viper's vast property, there was an eerie quiet. Ayla had gone out for her usual walk in the garden, accompanied by two guards. But by the time the clock struck seven, there was no sign of her.

Ayla was gone.

The guards assigned to her lay unconscious near the edge of the estate, their weapons missing, their comms broken. Whoever had taken her had done it swiftly, silently—leaving behind no clues, no tracks. Just silence and a hint of smoke in the air.

When Viper returned home late that night, expecting to find Ayla reading in the library, he was met instead by chaos. The security team scrambled, combing through camera footage and grounds, but every file during the time of her abduction had been corrupted—hacked by professionals.

"She's not here," one of the lieutenants confirmed grimly. "She's been taken."

Viper's face darkened like a storm. "By who?" he demanded, though no one could answer. He clenched his fists. Not again. Not someone else I care about.

Meanwhile, Leon sat in his own office, still tormented by memories—of Ayla's eyes, her voice, the way she had looked back at him before walking away. He hated himself for letting her go. But before he could drown any deeper in regret, his phone rang. The voice on the other end trembled.

"She's been taken, Leon. Ayla is gone."

He didn't ask how or why. He stood, eyes cold with fury. "Who did this?"

"We don't know yet," came the answer. "But we think… it's someone from Viper's past. Someone dangerous enough to breach his estate."

Leon didn't wait. He called his team. If there was one thing he knew—it was how to hunt.

And this time, he wouldn't stop until Ayla was found.

Even if it meant killing every shadow that stood in his way.