The warehouse was a maze of darkness and shadows, and it suffocated Noah. His breath was shallow, and his heart thudded in his chest. Marcus's men were surrounding them, and to him, the whole thing felt heavy. However, they were outnumbered and found with no way to escape.Next to him stood Mia, eyes wide but set on some firm determination. She proved strong enough for Noah's hopes, but this was a different kind of danger. He felt the tautness become crackling, and that solidified their relationship more and more-now with life."Don't move," Marcus's voice echoed through the warehouse. His cold eyes flicked between Noah and Mia, calculating. "I have to admit, I'm impressed. You both have spirit. But you're about to learn that it's not enough."Noah's fists clenched, holding his stance firm and strong. "You don't get to decide who walks away from this, Marcus."The armed men trapped them, waiting for orders. Noah could sense the pressure mounting in the seamless silence, except for his own breath and Mia's barely audible whispers."You'll regret this," Noah said through his teeth. "My mother didn't back down, and I won'."Marcus laughed with such a sound that it was low, mocking, and cut deep into one's skin. "Your mother was a fool, Noah. A dreamer. But now you're stuck in the same web that she wove. You'll never escape."Mia moved closer to Noah, bringing with her calmness even in the midst of the ruckus. "Noah," she whispered, her voice shaking but strong, "we have to stick together. Don't let him get inside your head."Noah glanced at her, and everything outside Marcus's cruel grip seemed to disappear for a moment. Those eyes of Mia were screaming intensity-an unmanageable union of fear, regret, and a fierce loyalty that drew him in."I will not let him win," Noah said, voice steady. He was not just fighting for himself anymore, fighting for her, for truth, for the life his mother longed for him to have. He wasn't going to lose it all now.---Suddenly, Marcus gestured at one of his men. "Get both of them," he said.Before Noah could react, the man lunged at Mia, grabbing her by the arm and hauling her back toward the rear of the warehouse. Noah was ready to charge after them when another man rammed him hard, toppling him to the ground. The vision blurred, but adrenaline pumped through him as he scrambled up."You'll surely have regrets when it's all said and done," Noah hissed back, shooting a burst of hostility with his eyes at Marcus.Yet, Marcus continued to smile with eyes as cold as ice. "I do not regret anything. Especially not now."He gazed at her desperately. Mia should not be taken away even as a priority. She should not have that; no harm should come to it. Gathered all his strength, he made his move. One of Marcus' men attempted to grab him, but he elbowed the guy right in his gut, sending him stumbling backward. He was set to go in full fight, to give everything that he had.Mia screamed in the distance; her voice was sharp with terror, and that was all that he could take. He charged, taking down two more men with swift, calculated blows. His blood pumped with fury, but he could not afford losing the focus.Here, he found her at the back of the warehouse. Her hands were tied to a chair, and though she shivered, her eyes roared to life when they rested on him. "Noah, you came for me," Mia whispered with raw rasp in her voice, as though looking at him like her only lifeline. And for the first time since this horrible nightmare began, Noah had the slightest feeling that he might be actually doing something right."I couldn't leave you here with them. Of course I did." He drew a knife across the ropes binding her wrists. "All right."Mia attempted to stand, but her legs were unsteady, so they moved slowly toward the exit. Noah had his arm around her waist as they moved, but the footsteps that came in behind them now echoed, and Noah turned, pulse racing.A very unexpected person entered the dusk illumination light: a man."Derek," said Noah, his voice full of relief desire and confusion. "What the hell are you doing here?"Derek's eyes flashed with some strange emotion as he moved in closer. "I'm here to help you, Noah. You haven't got much time. Marcus has got people all over this place. We've got to get out of here now."Mia retreated while holding on to Noah's arm. "You trust him?" she asked shakily.Noah looked at Derek as his mind raced. He didn't know who he could trust. Derek was always standing by his mother, but the truth had been so elusive. Could he possibly rely on him now?"Yes," Noah said, pulling Mia closer to him. "We don't have a choice. We've got to go."They were almost through the exit when a resounding crash sounded behind them. The door flew open, and Marcus stomped in, his face twisted with fury."No one leaves this place alive," he snarled, his men following him into the warehouse.Before anyone could guess what would happen next, he stepped before Noah and Mia and took out a gun from his coat."Stay away," Derek commanded in a very cold, rigid authoritative tone. "I ain't letting anybody touch them."The tension in the atmosphere was palpable. Noah's eyes shifted from Derek to Marcus, with violence and its threat looming above them all; however, before anything significant could happen, a sudden bang reverberated at the back of the warehouse, and the lights began flickering.A troop of armed men came storming inside from the back door with their weapons leveled at Marcus's men. No hesitation in Derek as he fired, taking down two of Marcus's soldiers."What the hell is going on?" Noah demanded as he raced towards the door with an angry heart.Derek's eyes captured his. "This is bigger than you think. Marcus isn't the only one behind this. You have enemies, Noah. And they won't stop until they get what they want."----Everything shifted for Noah. What started as an innocent search for the truth about his mother was becoming entangled in danger, betrayal, and love. He couldn't afford to miss it. And now, having stripped off all pretenses, he felt the weight of the world on his shoulders.But one thing was sure - he wouldn't go down without a fight. And no matter the cost, Mia would be saved, the one person that had actually ever gotten him.---To Be Continued...