Chapter 3 - THE PRICE OF BLOOD
The room changed instantly.
Nobody was thinking about politics anymore.
Nobody cared about money.
Nobody cared about power.
There was only one thing everyone understood.
Someone wanted Ava.
Lucien pulled her behind him.
“No one touches her.”
Charles stared at him.
“Lucien, you don’t know who you’re dealing with.”
Lucien turned.
“That’s funny coming from you.”
The old man’s face hardened.
“You think you’re angry because of what happened tonight?”
Charles stepped closer.
“You have no idea what I sacrificed.”
Lucien laughed once.
A bitter sound.
“You sacrificed everyone except yourself.”
Another crash came from the hallway.
The attackers were getting closer.
Adrian moved toward the emergency exit.
“We need to leave.”
Lucien looked at him.
“You expect me to trust you?”
“No.”
Adrian looked him directly in the eyes.
“I expect you to trust your instincts.”
Lucien hated that he made sense.
The door shook.
Metal bent.
Someone outside laughed.
“They’re trapped.”
A woman’s voice.
Cold.
Calm.
“Give us Ava, and everyone walks away.”
Lucien froze.
She knew her name.
Rebecca slowly stood.
Her face was bruised.
“You see?”
She looked at Lucien.
“This is what happens when you fight your own family.”
Lucien stared at her.
“You knew.”
Rebecca looked away.
That was enough.
“You knew about this.”
“I was trying to protect us.”
“No.”
Lucien stepped toward her.
“You were trying to survive.”
The door cracked.
Everyone screamed.
Adrian grabbed a weapon from one of the security guards.
Lucien noticed.
“You came prepared.”
Adrian looked at him.
“I knew my brother.”
The door exploded inward.
Three men entered.
Black clothes.
Weapons.
Professional.
The first man looked around.
“Where is the girl?”
Lucien moved.
Fast.
He grabbed the nearest table and pushed it forward.
The attacker fired.
Glass shattered.
People dropped.
Lucien reached the man before he could reload.
One strike.
The weapon fell.
A second attacker rushed him.
Lucien blocked the hit.
But there were too many.
Then Adrian appeared beside him.
For the first time in twelve years, the two brothers fought together.
Back to back.
Like they had never been enemies.
When the last attacker fell, everyone stood frozen.
Lucien looked at Adrian.
“You knew exactly how they would move.”
Adrian didn’t answer.
Instead, he looked at Charles.
“Tell him.”
Charles remained silent.
Lucien’s voice became dangerous.
“Tell me what?”
Charles looked at Ava.
Then at Lucien.
Finally, he whispered:
“She isn’t the target.”
Lucien frowned.
“What?”
Charles swallowed.
“They don’t want Ava.”
A pause.
“They want what’s inside her.”
The room went cold.
Lucien stared.
“What are you talking about?”
Charles looked toward Adrian.
“Tell him.”
Adrian’s face changed.
Because he knew the truth.
And Lucien was about to learn something that would destroy everything he believed about his daughter.
“Ava was never just a child caught in this war.”
May you like
Adrian whispered.
“She was the key.”
