Florence's POV

"We both have proof," I whispered in disbelief. My head was spinning in circles and I couldn't help but clutch it to steady myself.

Anthony nodded slowly, but his gaze didn't waver. "So... which one is real?"

The air between us felt like glass, thin and fragile, ready to shatter with any wrong move we make. My pulse roared in my ears, and the edges of my vision buzzed, was I going insane.

"You're lying," I said, my voice shaking more from disbelief than anger. I refused to believe his words and play into his game. If he really was telling the truth then what sort of sick game was fate trying to play against me. "You're trying to confuse me. Twist my head around until I can't tell what's real anymore."

His jaw tightened. "Miss Davidson.."

"No!" I slammed my palm on the desk in frustration. "You think I'm stupid? You think I'll just believe some neatly typed death certificate because you put it in front of me? My brother is alive and well, he has been unlawfully locked up in a country that we don't know and can't access. I have spent five years living with that truth, keeping my mother and my entire heart alive with that truth. Don't stand there and tell me I imagined it all. He isn't dead."

Anthony's voice stayed maddeningly calm and indifferent . He eyes were steady and looked like this matter didn't shake him. Like it was so insignificant and it made my blood boil. "I don't have the time or the interest to hide your brother, Florence. I run a multinational corporation. I don't orchestrate personal vendettas against people I've never met before."

I let out a bitter laugh that scraped my throat raw. "Of course you do. You wanted our company, you wanted the prestige. All you had to do was destroy us to get it. And you decided to target my brother who was the heart of the company. Once you did that everything else fell into place for you."

His eyes hardened to steel. "If I wanted your company for myself, I could have taken it without pretense. But that's not what happened."

"Liar." I spat wanting to strangle him and see his indifferent expression change. Make him feel panic and fear, the same ones I felt and I still feel even after all these years.

Anthony's movements were sharp and deliberate as he rose from behind the desk, crossed the room, and went to the far wall. He pressed his thumb to a small, black square I hadn't noticed before. A quiet click echoed, and part of the wood panel slid open, revealing a narrow safe.

He keyed in a code, turned the handle, and pulled out a thick, cream-colored folder. He set it on the desk and opened it, flipping through until he stopped at a single sheet.

"This," he said, sliding it toward me, "is from my files. I kept it because I don't throw away originals when the deal involves corporate acquisition. It is usually Incase of certain situations but I am glad I did so."

I glanced down. The document was printed in clean black ink.

"What is this?" I shifted away from the file.

"You have said your truth haven't you? And so I am showing you mine. The proof of my innocence against your structured bias against me."

"It's not bias it's the truth."

"Your truth is highly flawed and you will know it when you look at the file." His voice hardened and he pushed the file closer.

I gulped and picked up the file opening it. It was a printed email.

From: Gabriel Davidson

To: acquisitions@stlouiscorp.com

Subject: Urgent – Buyout Proposal

My heart stopped with seconds.

I scanned the first few lines a thousand times, the words tilting and blurring as if my eyes refused to accept them:

I am reaching out on behalf of Davidson & Co. with an urgent request for purchase of the remaining company shares. Given the financial strain and ongoing debt crisis, I believe it is in everyone's interest to proceed quickly with the acquisition to salvage what is left. Please I will expect your positive response as I am badly in need at the moment.

There was a signature at the bottom. Gabriel's. His name, his style, the same little upward flick on the G that only he wrote.

"No," I breathed, shaking my head dropping the file back on the table like it had physically burned me. "This isn't right. This isn't true at all. My brother would never do this."

"It came directly to us," Anthony said, watching me closely. "Your brother contacted my company first. He wanted us to buy the shares before the auction."

"But you didn't. Your company came that day and won the highest bid. If he really came to you before then why didn't you take his offer immediately, why wait until you had a load of competitors." I probed, feeling his explanation weak.

"I do not understand what your understanding of business is but I do not venture into anything that comes easily " Easy means cheap and cheap means low quality. Your brother is not the first person to throw his company at me and he would not be the last. I would research and inquire and plan before I acquire a company just in case the company will bare me loss instead of profit."

I dragged my fingers over the paper as if touching it would make the truth seep into my skin. My stomach twisted. "He was trying to save the company," I whispered, my throat tightening. "Not sell it. He...he went up and down the city for weeks, meeting investors, calling in favors. I watched him. When he found out it was being auctioned, he almost lost his mind. He was furious to the point we were scared he would do something horrible to himself or someone else. He said he'd never give it to the St. Louis family, not after what your company done to Dad's deals in the past. You guys are practically our rivals so why would he come to you."

"Then explain this," Anthony said. His tone wasn't mocking or smug, it was... genuinely questioning. "Explain the multiple evidence I has that your brother came to me first."

I couldn't defend him. I couldn't understand what was going on. It was like my entire world had crumpled once again.

I stared at the letter, at the timestamp that placed it barely a month before our downfall. It didn't fit. Nothing fit anymore.

My head felt like it was splitting in two one part clinging to the version of events I had built my revenge on, the other part being yanked toward something darker, stranger, and far more complicated.

For the first time since I'd walked into this office months ago, I wasn't sure who the villain was.

Anthony leaned on the desk, his hands braced on either side of the folder. "You see the problem now, don't you?"

I met his gaze, and it was like staring into a mirror that reflected my own confusion. "I see... that everything I thought I knew is starting to crumble."

Anthony straighten up and walked closer to me. "And now that you understand what I said you need to leave."

"No!" I refused immediately, looking at him square I the eye. "I am not going anywhere until this matter is resolved. My brother is alive and yet you say his dead."

"The only reason I was able to acquire the company is because your brother was dead and has willingly given up his rights and all the shares to be auctioned. I had an upper hand due to the email. Nothing big or elaborate."

"It's like you are not understanding what is happening." I practically screamed at him. "All this information is not true, we both have two different versions of the story but the problem is still the same. You took away our company."

"I legally bought it."

"That's what you think but you didn't. I don't know who sent you all those messages but sure as hell it was not my brother." I insisted.

Anthony stared at me long and hard for twenty good seconds before letting out a frustrated sigh. "Miss Davidson, I do not have time for this, I have a meeting by 12pm, something I'm sure you already know of as you were the one handling my schedule."

"Are." I corrected.

"Excuse me?"

"I am still the one handling your schedule."

"I sent you a termination letter."

"And I refuse to acknowledge it."

"On what grounds are you doing this."

"On the grounds of unlawful termination of contract with no reason."

"Sexual and physical assault is a pretty good reason."

"Yes but then I'll expose all these complexities to the world."

"It won't affect me much."

"That's what you say now but from what I have gathered about you, you hate media drama no matter how powerful enough you are to sway it."

Anthony looked at me like I was the bane of his existence but I didn't care. I had a mission to fulfill and that was getting my brother back home.

"Stop staring at me sir, you have a meeting by 12pm and another with the Chinese ambassadors by 1:30pm. Let's get to it." I said before walking to my office door.

There was nowhere in hell that I would willing leave this place. He would have to drag me out, while I tore his eardrums with my screams. Besides I doubt he is the type of man to get his hands dirty like that.

Florence's POV

Remember when I said Anthony wouldn't do anything to me because he would want to get his hands dirty, I forgot that he had a boat load of people to do it for him.

I couldn't help but smirk to myself as I saw Anthony's hand hovered near the desk phone. Of course. The great Anthony St Louis wouldn't soil his pristine hands by personally dragging me out. No, he'd call someone else to do it for him. His very expendable minions. Men like him never did their own dirty work.

"Godswill," he said into the receiver, his tone flat, seemingly almost bored, at me. The nerve of this rich ass spoilt....

I crossed my arms. "Really?"

He didn't answer me, just continued tapping instructions on the touchscreen receiver.

"You are going to get someone to throw me out? You can't do it yourself or is that how pathetic you really are?"

He didn't bother answering, just gave me one of those unreadable glares. The kind that made employees scatter like pigeons. Too bad for him, I wasn't a damn pigeon. I'm human.

The door opened and stepped in Goodwill, Anthony's loyal bulldog. He was an intimidating guy. 6'8 with large muscles coupled with his height it made him look like a hulk. If it was anyone else they would have been quaking in their boots but not me. Godswill was like a large bulldog who was as sweet as sugar. He was generally intimidating but a very sweet soul.

"Miss Florence," Godswill began carefully, looking at Anthony's stern face and looking back at mine with a very obvious conflict in his eyes "the boss has asked you to..."

"I'm not leaving," I cut in, planting my heels firmly into the marble floor. "Tell your boss that I am not going anywhere."

Godswill stopped in his tracks and looked back at Anthony. Anthony was busy glaring at me until he caught sight of his most trusted man standing in the middle of the room looking like a kicked puppy.

"Why are you just standing there? Get her out of here." He instructed.

"But she said she doesn't want to leave." Godswill said innocently. The blank look on Godswill's face combined with Anthony's exasperated expression was so comical that I wasn't able to hold back the burst of laughter that came out of me.

Anthony just tossed me a chilling glare that shut me up instantly. He then sighed and walked towards Godswill, looking up and the figure that easily towered him.

"What do you mean by that? I said she should leave and she's refusing, who is in charge of this company."

"You sir."

"Who pays your salary."

"You sir." Godswill said happily grinning like a happy dog.

"And so who are you meant to listen to."

"Your wife sir."

Pfft!!

I couldn't help it, it was out of my control. I sealed my lips with my hands but it wasn't doing anything. My entire body shook as I racked with laughter. What in the world was this? Was this how the incredible St Louis and his intimidating bodyguard operated? Like a large dog and his owner.

Anthony just stalked towards me. He grabbed me before I could even think and hurled me out of his office.

"Hey what was that for." I grumbled out but he paid no heed to my words. He grabbed my arms and dragged me towards the elevator side.

" Don't you dare lay a hand on me." I pushed him away from me.

Anthony sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose like I was the world's biggest migraine. "You're wasting my time.amd energy, just go."

"And you're wasting your life pretending you're not the villain in this story," I shot back. "I am not leaving, how many times do I have to say it."

Something flickered in his eyes-annoyed, amusement, I couldn't tell. He stepped forward, clearly intending to escort me out. That was when instinct took over and I did the most absurd thing. I grabbed his sleeve and yanked him towards me with as much force as possible.

It happened so fast. One second we were glaring at each other so hard I was sure one of us would combust into flames, the next we stumbled backward, and the elevator behind us dinged open as if mocking me. My hand slipped on his arm, he tried to steady himself, and somehow we both tumbled inside and I landed on him.

We went motionless for a while, trying to get our sense. But then the doors slid shut with a smug little ding. Now that brought us back.

"Let go," he said sharply pushing me off him as he stood up.

"No!" I tightened my grip on his collar, standing up along with him. "If you throw me out, I'll drag you down with me!"

"Are you insane?"

"Possibly!"

We both lunged for the button panel at the same time, and in the chaos the elevator shuddered. Then it froze between floors with a groan.

I blinked at the still numbers above the door. "Oh. Perfect. Just absolutely perfect. You have trapped us."

"I trapped us? You were the one clinging to me like a fucking leach."

"Um... Mr St Louis?"

"A leach?"I shrieked back. "How dare you call me that, have you looked at yourself in the mirror."

"Miss Davidson there is...."

"I don't care how I look, at least I wake up everyday knowing that I am not insane."

"Ha says a person who works night and day without rest and treats others like objects. You aren't insane, you are just not human."

"Umm..hello."

"WHAT?!!"

"WHAT?!!" Anthony and I screamed at the same time.

There was an uncomfortable silence for some seconds, then static crackled overhead, and a voice from the intercom stammered nervously, "Uh... Mr. St Louis? Miss Davidson. Please don't panic, sir, we'll get you out in a moment."

"Don't panic?" I echoed, throwing my arms wide. "Do I look panicked to you?"

"Yes," Anthony muttered. "And feral as well."

I glared at him. "This is your fault."

"My fault?" His brow arched. "You dragged me into an elevator."

"You dragged yourself! This happened because you wanted to fire me."

"No this happened because you did a lousy job of keeping your revenge plan a secret."

We bickered like children while the intercom stayed awkwardly silent. I almost laughed at the absurdity, almost.

"Look I don't care about anything you do, just leave and don't come back. I love my life free of complications and you are a bunch of strange things that I cannot understand or even bother to try and explore."

Florence's POV.

I wanted to scream and shout and slap the back of his fucking head. But instead, something inside me cracked.

"My mum still sets a place for Gabriel at the table," I blurted, my voice trembling. "She says he'll come home one day. And if I walk away now, if I stop fighting, that hope will die. She'll die with it. Do you understand that?"

Anthony's face softened, barely, but he stayed quiet.

I swallowed hard, forcing the next words out. "And you.." I jabbed a finger at his chest. "If my brother is alive, who benefits from making you think he's dead? That's not just cruel, it's dangerous. For you. Someone wanted you to buy the company, someone counted on it. Doesn't that scare you, even a little?"

For the first time since I met him, Anthony didn't have a comeback. His eyes narrowed, thoughtful, and calculating.

"How can someone easily predict that because of his death you would acquire the company. How sure are you that you aren't involved in some weird ass conspiracy."

The elevator jolted, then hummed back to life disrupting our conversation. Seconds later the doors slid open.

Anthony stepped out like nothing had happened, straightening his suit. Not a hair out of place, while I stumbled out behind him, hair a mess.

Godswill stood at the entrance with a bunch of security guards. I just sighed in resignation. Anthony wasn't going to understand. He may be involved in this and is just trying to throw me off but somewhere in me believes he is telling the truth and knows he has the resources to find my brother but I don't know if he would agree to let me help him.

"Sir are you okay?" Godswill asked stepping closer to Anthony. "I brought extra company to escort her out."

"Because you were too scared to do it yourself?" Anthony gave him an unimpressed look.

Godswill just touched his nose in embarrassment. The guards stepped closer to me and I just prepared my mind for what I was to come.

I walked forward just for me to feel a tight grip on my arm. I looked to my side to see Anthony holding my forearm tightly.

"It was all a misunderstanding. HR made a mistake and sent her a termination letter deactivating her pass. That is what set the alarm and locked down the elevator."

I stared at him in shock but he didn't even look at me. The guards retreated and even Godswill nodded like it was the true narrative.

We landed in the office cubicle floor and all the employees were either on the corridor or peaking through their spaces. The attention made me shrink but It had no effect on Anthony. He just tightened his grip on my arms and led me through a bunch of whispering employees whose eyes were filled with fierce curiosity. Once we got to the stairway I shook his hand off, but he just brought out a bottle of sanitizer and sanitized his palms. How charming.

"What was that for? I thought you were so determined to push me away." I was puzzled by what just went on.

"I am still determined but not now. You are too unstable to leave in the outside world."

I opened my mouth to disapprove but he just shut me up. "If you still want to be my secretary then fine, we have a meeting now and I do not like being tardy."

And with that we just started walking towards the conference room leaving me to rush after him. Having an ass as a boss is one thing, but having an ass with extremely long legs and large strides is practically hell.

"Hello!! Mr St Louis can you pull the brakes

"

Sigh, this was going to be a long period.

******

The investors' meeting was a sea of suits, laptops, and stiff nods. I marched in at Anthony's side like I belonged, ignoring the curious stares. He sat at the head of the table, calm, commanding. I plopped into the chair beside him and crossed my legs.

One investor cleared his throat, eyeing me.

"She's with me," Anthony said smoothly, before anyone could ask.

I smiled sweetly. "His assistant."

His glare could've melted steel. I beamed back.

The presentation began. Numbers, graphs, market projections-boring. I leaned over and whispered, "You're losing them. Add a joke."

His jaw clenched but he just ignored me. Then they brought up my brother's company and I immediately stiffened. They were impressed with the progress but it was time to aim higher.

When one man suggested restructuring, due to his belief that the structure was poorly organized. I couldn't help but blurt, "That's ridiculous! My brother would never have-"

The room went silent instantly. All eyes landed on me before they darted to Anthony

"I mean, we did a lot of research on this company and if the previous owners hadn't made a few mistakes the company wouldn't be under us, that shows that level of skill they had to some extent." I tried to salvage the situation by acting professionally.

Slowly, he set down his pen and turned his head toward me. The look he gave could've killed a lesser woman. I gave him my most innocent smile.

To my surprise, one of the Chinese investors chuckled. He murmured something in Mandarin, glancing between us.

Anthony's composure flickered. "No," he said firmly in the same language.

Another investor smirked. "Ah, not married yet, then? She already acts like a wife."

The table erupted in polite laughter. Anthony's lips pressed into a thin line.

I frowned. "What? What did he say?"

"Nothing," Anthony snapped.

"Oh, come on. Your face twitched."

"Florence."

"Tell me!"

He ignored me and continued the presentation, though his ears had turned faintly pink.

---

After the meeting, I followed him down the hall.

"Why are you following me?" he asked, voice clipped.

"Because my office is next to yours," I said sweetly. "Unless you plan to illegally fire me again."

"I'll have your office moved."

"Excuse me?" I gasped. "Did you just call me crazy?"

"I didn't say-"

"You implied it!"

We bickered all the way down the corridor, our voices echoing. Employees peeked over cubicles, eyes wide. The terrifying Mr. St Louis, reduced to... this.

By the time we reached his office, both of us were red-faced and furious. He slammed his door. I slammed mine.

A beat of silence. Then whispers drifted through the office.

"Did anyone else see that?"

"Is he... smiling?"

"No way."

Alone in my office, I pressed my palms to my burning cheeks. My heart was pounding, my head spinning.

"I'm not leaving this place," I whispered to myself. "He'll see."

Florence POV.

I stood in the canned goods aisle, the grocery basket heavy in my hand, but it wasn't the weight of the basket that bothered me. It was the weight in my chest, a cold, gnawing unease that had settled there the moment I walked into the store.

I tried to reason with myself, to explain it by claiming it was because I had a long day at the office, the exhaustion that had been my constant companion for weeks. From this whole revenge plan, to taking care of my mother and actively working to earn money, I was drained in all aspects and my nerves were off the roof. But my quiet but present instincts were basically screaming at me.

A restless energy coursed through me, making it hard to breathe. I scanned the entirety of the shop as my goods were getting scanned and bagged. There was nothing obvious to worry about. I glanced toward the wide glass door at the store's entrance, my eyes darting nervously as if I were expecting something terrible to happen.

The rational part of my brain told me to calm down, to just pick up the damn tomatoes and go home. But another part, was telling me to run as fast as I could. Was there something wrong at home that I didn't know of. Had something happened to my mom and that's why I was getting so paranoid?

I fumbled in my purse, my fingers shaking as I dug out my phone and pressed the speed dial. It rang twice before my mother's warm, familiar voice answered.

"Mom? Are you home? Are you..are you alright?" The desperation in my voice was a betrayal of the calm I was trying to project.

She chuckled softly, a sound that always managed to soothe me. "Of course, I am, Florence. What's wrong? You sound like you've seen a ghost."

"Nothing... I just needed to check," I lied, my gaze snapping toward the reflection in the refrigerator glass door.

That's when I saw them. Two heafty looking men staring right at me. Their features were menacing and their eyes filled with a dangerous glint. I looked back at my phone pretending to type while staring at them with my side eye. Eventually they looked away when someone came to take some items of the shelf they stood in front.

My pulse hammered against my ribs, a frantic drumbeat. "I'll call you back, Mama." I didn't wait for her to answer, just shoved the phone back into my purse, abandoned my basket on the counter, and walked briskly toward the exit. I looked behind me and saw them walking in my direction.

They were following me.

The moment I stepped out of the store, the air seemed to grow thick with dread. The streetlights cast long, distorted shadows, and the familiar sounds of the city seemed to fade into a low hum. I walked faster, my heels clicking a frantic rhythm on the pavement, the sound was as loud and urgent as an alarm bell in the quiet night.

By the time I reached my car, my hands were trembling so badly I fumbled with the keys, dropping them once before I managed to get the door unlocked. I climbed inside, locked the doors with a solid click, and started the engine with my breath caught in my throat. I glanced in the rearview mirror. They were stepping outside, splitting directions as if to box me in.

I didn't think. I just drove. Fast, reckless, weaving through traffic with a desperate urgency that had nothing to do with logic and everything to do with pure, unadulterated panic. My panic was my guide, and before I realized where I was heading, my tires screeched to a halt in front of a random store building on the other side of town. I stayed in place for an hour waiting to see if they had caught up with me. Eventually I went back home but used over three different routes to get back.

Once I did, I rushed to check up on my mom.

"Mom, where are you?" I hollered practically flying up the stairs as I went to her room. She was already asleep clutching onto my father's large portrait like she was trying to hold him.

I left her room quietly and broke down on the corridor. My heart rate was off the roof and I could feel a headache forming. I had never experienced such a danger before and it was not a nice feeling. There was only one person I knew could try and do this and I was not going to let him off so easily.

*********

The next day I matched into the office building practically fuming. I didn't speak to anyone not gave my usual greeting. I was out for their boss's blood.

Getting to the top floor through the elevator, I stormed inside, the air-conditioned chill of the lobby doing nothing to cool the fire in my veins. The receptionists and several employees clustered near the elevator stared at me, their faces a mix of surprise and concern.

My hair was a mess, my heart still pounding so loud I could hear it echoing in my ears. I didn't care how I looked to them, I was decent enough. All that mattered was getting to Anthony, to the man who, despite his infuriating arrogance, was the only person who came to mind when the world began to fall apart.

I shoved open the door to his office without knocking.

"You're trying to kill me!" The words tumbled out, thick with fear and accusation. They were meant to be an accusation, but they came out as a cry for help.

Anthony's dark head lifted from behind his desk. He looked unruffled, calm in a way that only made me more furious. A few of his employees inside the room froze at my outburst, their faces pale.

Anthony's gaze flicked toward them, sharp and dismissive. "Out. All of you."

The employees scattered, whispering as they hurried past me, their hurried steps a contrast to my own frantic arrival.

Anthony leaned back in his chair, studying me with an unsettling composure that grated on my raw nerves. "What happened?"

"What do you mean what happened, you definitely know what happened cause you are the one who planned it all." I snapped not buying his fake concern.

"Miss Davidson I have more important things to do than to deal with your tantrums so if you have nothing to say then I suggest to exist my office immediately. This is a company not your personal playground center where you can act as you wish." He said, his tone rising with anger. And then I was not too sure whether he was the one who actually did it.

Florence's POV

"What's wrong Miss Davidson." Just one question from him and I cracked telling him everything about the men, the store, the way they followed me, the fear that hadn't left my chest since. I hated that I sounded breathless and weak, but I couldn't hold it in. It all came pouring out, a torrent of frantic, jumbled words. My eyes were hot with tears that were ready to fall at any given time.

Anthony didn't interrupt me as I spoke. He only reached for his phone and dialed with steady, unnervingly calm fingers. "God'swill. Call Inspector David. Tell him I'll need him immediately."

I blinked, confused. "What-what are you doing? Inspector David? Why are you calling the police?"

Anthony's eyes met mine, steel and fire in equal measure. "Because I have an idea who's behind this, Florence. But I don't work with guesses. I work with proof and so I need to get some."

The finality in his tone made my throat dry. For a moment I forgot my fear of the men outside and focused instead on him, the dangerous calm of someone who didn't panic even when lives were at stake. It was a cold, quiet power, the kind that both repelled and captivated me.

Minutes later, Godswill entered the office, his face tense. "Boss, Inspector David says they need you down at the station right now. He says it's urgent."

Anthony stood, grabbing his jacket with one smooth, unhurried motion. "I'll be there."

I moved instinctively, following him as he strode out of the office. "I'm coming with you."

"No." He didn't look at me, didn't break his stride.

"Yes." I caught up to him, my heels clacking against the polished floor, a staccato of defiance. "You can't just leave me after what happened. Whoever those men were, they were after me. You expect me to go home and wait?"

Anthony finally turned, his hand firm as he grasped my arm, stopping me dead in my tracks. "Miss Davidson, this is not your world. If you're smart, you'll step away from me before you get buried in it."

"Well now I've unfortunately been roped in it from the moment my brother was taken and now the incident from yesterday."

"It could just be a coincidence."

"Yeah right," I scoffed sarcastically. "We both know that's not true. It's all connected and I am coming with you."

"I am not going to protect you if anything happens." He said.

"I don't need your protection all I need are answers and that's all. I can take care of myself."

Anthony and I had a stare down for about a minute until Godswill cough brought us back.

"Um.. boss is she coming." He asked unsure.

I turned to Anthony waiting for his answer.

"Let her do whatever she wants." He said after much silence. "It has nothing to do with me let's go."

He said then briskly took his coat and walked out of the office with Godswill in tow. I quickly went after them holding only my card and my phone in hand.

We entered the elevator and rushed out the door once it opened up. The car was waiting right outside the office door.

I made to enter after Godswill opened the door but I was dragged back by Anthony.

"What are you doing? Let go of me." I tried to loosen his hold but his grip on my forearm was just too tight.

"Look at me." He said. "Where we are going is way too dangerous for you to go."

"I don't care okay. I keep telling you that I want answers."

"There are safer ways to get answers. Endangering you life for this isn't going to make sense."

"Staying back and waiting is not making sense as well. I want to go and so you don't get to stop me. Why do you care so much? You are the one that wanted to get rid of me so badly so what's with the attention now."

Anthony's jaw clenched. He opened his mouth to argue again, but the sudden sound cut through the night before he could speak.

Gunfire.

Bullets rained down with the deafening roar of chaos. Glass shattered, a thousand tiny diamonds glittering in the air as the building's entrance gave way. Screams tore through the air, and people scattered in a panic that mirrored my own from just moments ago.

Anthony reacted instantly. He grabbed me, yanking me against his chest with a force that stole the air from my lungs. He pulled me down behind the nearest car, his body shielding mine completely, the heat of him a stark contrast to the cold fear that had been my companion all night. Bullets sparked off the metal of the car just inches away from my head.

"Stay down!" he growled, his voice rough with authority, a command I had no choice but to obey.

My entire body trembled, adrenaline spiking through my veins like electricity. The panic from the grocery store multiplied tenfold, but in the midst of the chaos, all I could feel was Anthony's arms around me, his strength anchoring me to the ground as the world fell apart around us.

And in that moment, as death rained from the night sky, I realized something terrifying-Anthony wasn't just my arrogant boss. He was the storm itself. He was the eye of the hurricane, the calm center of a maelstrom. And I, against all my better judgment, had just walked right into it.