Adeline returned home around 10 PM, her feet aching in the heels she wore. She was almost at the front door when something caught her eye. She froze mid-step, her gaze snapping to the tall glass window on the second floor where it seemed like a shadow had moved.
"It's just your imagination," she told herself. Shrugging it off, she made her way to the front door. She reached out for the handle, but before her fingers could touch it, a hand shot out from behind her and clamped over her mouth tightly. Her entire body froze instantly.
Her eyes darted left and right, frantically trying to catch a glimpse of the person behind her, but the angle made it impossible. The grip was too strong, and the attacker kept himself out of her line of sight. She tried to struggle, but the person yanked her back roughly, away from the door.
Before she could think of anything else, she felt something cold and metallic press against the side of her head. A gun.
The figure leaned in, his breath hot against her ear, causing her to shiver as he whispered in a low, threatening tone, "Don't try any bullshit, or I'll blow your brains out, I swear to fucking god."
Panic and fear gripped her, but then something inside her snapped. Perhaps her survival instincts.
Without thinking, she bit down hard on the hand covering her mouth. The man yelled in pain, jerking his hand back and stumbling a step away from her. "You piece of–"
Adeline wasted no time and swung her handbag with all her strength, the heavy contents crashing into his face and snapping his head to the side. He cursed as he fell to the ground, momentarily dazed.
Adeline spun around and lunged towards the mansion's front door, her trembling hands reaching for the handle. She pulled—but it wouldn't budge. It was locked. "Locked?" she thought. "Why is it locked?."
She fumbled with her bag, trying to find her keys, but her fingers were shaking too much, and the man was already getting to his feet. He groaned behind her, rubbing his face as he recovered from the blow. Adeline glanced back and saw him rising to his feet and let out a panicked gasp. Realizing she had no time, she turned and bolted toward the mansion's front gate.
She could hear the man's footsteps behind her, gaining ground. Suddenly, a loud bang rang out behind her, and then she felt a searing pain tearing through her left arm. She screamed, stumbling but forcing herself to keep going. Blood trickled down her arm, dripping down on the floor and also staining her dress. The man quickly caught up to her, and as if it wasn't bad enough, his hand shot out, gripping her injured arm and drawing another scream from her lips.
In her desperation, Adeline swung her bag again, this time with her uninjured arm. It flew upward, missing his face but striking his gun and sending it skittering across the ground. The man cursed, letting go of her to dive for the weapon.
Adeline didn't waste a second and sprinted through the gate, cradling her injured arm to her chest. The pain was unbearable, but she had no other choice but to endure it. Once outside the gate, she stopped for a split second, her head whipping left and right. Two paths stretched before her, one leading left, the other right. Both ended at different main roads.
Knowing that there wasn't time to think, she turned right and ran as fast as her legs could carry her, the wound on her arm throbbing with every step.
Behind her, the man emerged from the gate. His head snapped left and right as he scanned the empty paths. "Where the hell did she go…?" he muttered under his breath. His fists clenched, and he let out a frustrated curse before bolting to the left.
Adeline's legs burned as she continued to run. The pain in her arm was unbearable, and the blood loss was starting to make her feel lightheaded. The streetlights of the empty path she had chosen flickered faintly. Her chest rose and fell in heavy breaths as stopped at the end of the path, now facing the main road. She pressed her uninjured hand against the wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding, but it didn't work.
That particular main road was rarely used at night, and the chances of finding help were slim. Luckily for her, she heard the distant sound of an approaching car, and her head quickly turned to the direction it was coming from.
---
Enzo Laureati, a 28-year-old man, if counted in human years, sat in the back seat of his black BMW. The six-foot-four businessman flipped through a file in his hand. His long black hair was tied back into a slightly messy bun with a few stray strands cascading down his face. His blue eyes darted left and right with irritation as he scanned the file. The more he read, the deeper his frown became.
"This is absurd!" He muttered. Scoffing, he tossed the file onto the seat beside him and glanced up at the rearview mirror, locking eyes with his driver, Andrei.
"What the hell is this supposed to be, Andrei? There's no way that tiny company is number one on the charts while we're number two."
Andrei, a young man who looked just a few years older than Enzo, hesitated, his hands tightening on the steering wheel before answering cautiously. "The size of a company doesn't always determine its success, my liege."
Enzo narrowed his eyes. "I know that, idiot. Don't give me a lesson in business I don't need." He snatched the file back, muttering under his breath as he flipped through the pages again.
Suddenly, his body jolted forward as the car came to a screeching halt. The file flew from his hands, papers scattering across the floor. Enzo growled in irritation as he snapped his head up to glare at Andrei through the rearview mirror. "What the hell are you doing, Andrei?"
Andrei bowed his head apologetically before pointing toward the road ahead. "My apologies, my liege, but…look."
Enzo's pupils shifted slowly, following Andrei's gesture. Standing directly in front of the car was Adeline, her figure illuminated by the car's headlights. She was breathing heavily, her body trembling and her arm soaked with blood that dripped onto the asphalt, forming a small puddle beneath her. Despite her disheveled state, she still looked flawlessly beautiful.