The silence of the night was shattered by the haunting memory of gunfire. Even though Celia had returned to the safety of her apartment hours ago, her mind remained trapped in the dim alleyway, replaying the terrifying encounter over and over again. She could still see the cold metal of the gun aimed at her, feel the tension in the air, and hear the echo of Ezra's gunshots cutting through the night.
She had barely slept, her thoughts consumed by a whirlwind of fear, anger, and confusion. She kept glancing at the note she had crumpled on the counter earlier—the ominous message reminding her that she couldn't hide forever. And then there was Ezra.
Why had he been there? How had he known? And why, after all these months of betrayal and silence, had he saved her life?
The questions kept coming, unrelenting and sharp, as dawn began to creep through the edges of her curtains. Celia dragged herself from the bed, every muscle in her body aching from the adrenaline crash. She shuffled to the kitchen, trying to find comfort in routine. But the scent of her brewing coffee did nothing to calm the storm inside her.
She was in danger. That much was clear. But the thought that Ezra had anything to do with it haunted her even more. Could he have set it all up? Could this be another twisted game of control?
Celia wrapped her arms around herself, her eyes drifting to the small bump of her belly where the twins rested. She had to protect them. They were all that mattered now.
A sudden knock at the door jolted her from her thoughts, sending a jolt of fear through her. Her heart raced as she approached the door cautiously, her hand hovering over the lock.
"Celia, it's Lana," a familiar voice called from the other side. "Are you alright?"
Celia exhaled shakily and unlocked the door, pulling it open. Lana stood in the doorway, her face etched with concern.
"You look like hell," Lana said softly as she stepped inside and closed the door behind her.
"I feel worse," Celia admitted, her voice raw from lack of sleep. "It's been… a night."
Lana glanced around the small apartment, noticing the tension in the air immediately. "I heard about the gunshots downtown. Were you anywhere near that?"
Celia's heart stuttered at the mention of it, but she quickly looked away, not ready to talk about Ezra's sudden reappearance. "I—there was an incident," she said quietly, rubbing her forehead as she tried to gather her thoughts. "But I'm fine now."
Lana studied her closely. "An incident?"
Celia sat down at the kitchen table, her shoulders slumping under the weight of everything that had happened. "Someone attacked me last night. Two men. They had guns."
Lana's eyes widened in shock. "What? Oh my God, Celia! Did they hurt you?"
"No," Celia replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "Someone… stopped them."
Lana's brow furrowed. "Who?"
Celia hesitated, her mind replaying the scene of Ezra standing over the fallen gunmen, his face shadowed in the dim light. How could she explain this without revealing everything?
"Ezra," she finally whispered.
The silence that followed was thick with disbelief. Lana stood frozen, her mouth slightly open in shock. "Ezra? As in Ezra Ezra?"
Celia nodded, feeling a bitter lump form in her throat. "Yes. He found me, Lana. He's been watching me."
Lana's eyes narrowed with concern, and she immediately moved to Celia's side. "Celia, what the hell is going on? Why would Ezra be here? And why are people trying to kill you?"
"I don't know," Celia said, shaking her head as tears pricked her eyes. "I don't know what's happening anymore. I thought I could move on, but… something's wrong, Lana. I can feel it."
Lana's face softened with sympathy as she placed a hand on Celia's shoulder. "Listen, we need to get you out of here. You and the twins. This is too dangerous."
Celia blinked, her heart aching at the thought of leaving again. She had already uprooted her life once to get away from Ezra's world, and now it seemed like there was no escape. But Lana was right. If she stayed here, she was putting not only herself but her unborn children at risk.
"We'll figure something out," Lana continued, her voice firm. "You're not doing this alone."
Just as Lana's words offered a small glimmer of hope, Celia's phone buzzed on the table, causing both women to flinch. With shaking hands, Celia reached for it, her heart skipping a beat when she saw an unknown number flashing across the screen.
She hesitated for a moment, dread curling in her stomach, before answering. "Hello?"
"Celia." The voice on the other end was deep, unmistakably familiar. "It's Ezra."
Celia's blood ran cold. She nearly dropped the phone as his voice cut through her. She glanced at Lana, her face a mix of fear and fury.
"What do you want?" she demanded, her voice hardening.
Ezra didn't answer immediately, and the pause on the line only made her pulse race faster.
"We need to talk," he finally said, his voice tense. "In person."
"I have nothing to say to you," Celia hissed, her grip tightening on the phone. "You made sure of that when you destroyed my life."
"You don't understand," Ezra said, his tone lowering. "There's a price on your head, Celia. It's not safe for you out there. The men who came after you last night weren't amateurs. They won't stop."
Celia's breath caught in her throat. She had feared as much, but hearing him say it aloud sent chills down her spine. She felt Lana's eyes on her, watching carefully.
"Why should I believe you?" Celia asked, her voice shaking with anger. "You lied to me. You let me think I was safe with you, and then you chose her over me. You don't get to pretend to care now."
"I made a mistake," Ezra admitted, his voice tight with frustration. "But this isn't about that. It's bigger than you or me. You're being hunted because of me."
Celia's mind swirled with questions. What did he mean, 'because of him'? Why would anyone care enough to hunt her down?
Before she could respond, Ezra's voice softened. "Meet me at the park on 7th Avenue in one hour. No one else. We'll talk."
"I'm not meeting you anywhere," Celia snapped, her pulse racing. "I don't trust you, Ezra."
"Celia, please," he said, his voice uncharacteristically pleading. "If you don't want to do this for me, do it for the twins. They're in danger."
Her hand instinctively moved to her belly as a wave of fear washed over her. Ezra knew about the twins. Of course he did. He had always known more than he let on.
Before she could respond, the line went dead.
Celia stood there in stunned silence, her phone still clutched in her hand. She looked up at Lana, who was watching her with wide, worried eyes.
"What did he say?" Lana asked cautiously.
Celia swallowed hard, her mind racing. "He wants to meet."
Lana frowned, crossing her arms. "Are you going to?"
"I don't know," Celia whispered, her voice barely audible. "But… he said the twins are in danger."
Lana's eyes darkened with concern. "He's lying. He's trying to manipulate you again. He knows you'll do anything to protect those babies, and he's using that against you."
"I don't know, Lana," Celia said, her voice breaking. "What if he's telling the truth? What if there really is a threat? I can't risk it."
Lana was quiet for a moment, her expression torn. She hated Ezra as much as Celia did—maybe even more—but she also understood Celia's fear. The thought of anyone harming the twins was unbearable.
"You can't go alone," Lana finally said, her tone firm. "If you're going to meet him, you need backup."
Celia shook her head. "He said I had to come alone."
"Screw that," Lana muttered, pacing the room. "We need to find a way to keep you safe. You're not walking into whatever trap he's setting without protection."
Celia sighed, her heart heavy with indecision. She didn't want to trust Ezra, but there was something in his voice—something she hadn't heard before. Fear.
"Lana," Celia began slowly, "if what Ezra is saying is true, then this isn't just about me anymore. The people who attacked me… they weren't random. They're connected to something bigger."
Lana stopped pacing and looked at her, a flicker of understanding crossing her face.
Celia took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. "I'm going to meet him."
"Celia—" Lana started to protest, but Celia held up a hand.
"I'll be careful," Celia promised. "I don't trust him, but I have to know what's going on. I need to protect my babies."
Lana hesitated for a long moment before nodding reluctantly. "Fine. But you text me the moment you get there, okay? And if anything feels off, anything at all, you leave