Leo's face tightened. "You can't do this, Bela! We're a team, we're supposed to be together forever! Think about our future!"

I pointed at Brianna. "That future ended when you chose her, Leo! Everything is shattered because of your betrayal!" My voice didn't waver. "Don't try to make me feel guilty. This is my life, and I'm in control!"

He stood there. His arrogance and confidence crumbled. The man I loved, the man I trusted, collapsed before my eyes. But in his collapse, I felt freedom.

Brianna sobbed, stroking her stomach while giving me a cruel smile. Her cruelty made me shudder.

"She's yours, you bitch!” The words hung in the air. Sharp and cruel, they mirrored the pain that tore through me.

I left the house and drove my car aimlessly. The engine's hum was a dull counterpoint to the storm raging inside me.

...

The world seemed to stop. Dust flew everywhere. A loud crash echoed in my ears, making my heart pound. In front of me, a Ducati Panigale V4 S lay mangled, badly scratched. The rider was pinned beneath the bike, having fallen.

I trembled, unable to speak. The accident happened so quickly. But his hateful gaze... made me feel guilty. He threw his helmet angrily to the ground.

"Damn it! Can't you drive properly?" His voice rose, attracting attention. "You have to take responsibility!"

He accused me, with an annoying arrogance. It didn't make sense. He hadn't even threatened me, yet I must be responsible.

"Sorry... I didn't mean to..." I said softly.

"Didn't mean to? Do you think I believe you?" He moved closer, his shadow blocking me. "Are you one of them? If you are, you'll pay dearly!"

He was about to choke me, his threat was clear. Even though I shook my head helplessly, I was still processing his words.

The next second, the world turned into chaos. Several black cars stopped in front of us, blocking the road. Black-clad people poured out, armed with pistols and rifles that gleamed under the moonlight. They surrounded us.

The guns were pointed at us. I innocently raised my hands, fear piercing my bones. This wasn't an ordinary fight. This was an organized, planned attack.

“You're going to die today, Alexander!” One of them threatened the man next to me.

The man - Alexander, as the one who had pointed a gun at us called him - moved quickly, placing himself between me and the impending attack.

"Who are they? Why do they want to kill me too?" My voice trembled, directed at the stranger. Fear gnawed at me.

He just shrugged. "Wait... this is a movie, right?" I looked around, trying to find clues. This was too real to be a movie.

"Dumd! Do you see the director?" His rough snort echoed. "Roberto, put your gun down! Let this girl go!" The man, Alexander, still had a little mercy in this dire situation.

I glanced at him, a moment of gratitude warming my chest. But it vanished instantly.

"Sorry, Alexander. In my dictionary, there's never room for witnesses," Roberto replied, his laughter mocking, accompanied by the sadistic laughter of his men.

Alexander sighed deeply. "Looks like you're going to die tonight." His words were cold, piercing my heart.

"God... are you heartless? The man I love is taken, now I have to die tragically like this?" Tears welled up, my sobs stirring up the sadness that was hidden.

"Believe me, there's no God here. Dying by gunshot is better than seeing that man with another woman," Alexander mocked, his words sharp as knives. How could he joke at a time like this?

"Hand over the flash drive, Alexander! And I'll speed up your death!" Roberto's threat pierced my ears. I was frozen. While Alexander remained unmoved.

“You choose to die slowly, Alexander?” Roberto asked again, this time preparing to pull the trigger.

I huddled behind Alexander, his body becoming my shield. My only hope was to survive.

“Alright… die you Alexander!” Roberto shouted.

"Take cover!" Alexander yelled suddenly, his voice firm amidst the commotion of gunfire.

Before I could react, the sound of gunfire echoed. The world seemed to explode in loud noises and plumes of smoke.

I closed my eyes, my body trembling violently. When I opened my eyes, I saw Alexander staggering, his shoulder covered in blood. A bullet had pierced his leather jacket.

With a trembling body, I pulled him to the side of my car, taking cover behind the cold, hard body of the car. Fresh blood flowed profusely from his wound, soaking the black leather jacket he was wearing.

"We have to get out of here," he whispered, his voice trembling.

With quick movements, I helped him into the car. Ignoring the fear that was gnawing at me, I stepped on the gas and drove the car as fast as I could, leaving the scene of violence behind.

Behind, the sound of gunfire could still be heard, but I didn't care. I had to save him, this man I had hit was the man who had saved me from death. I had to get him to safety.

I didn't know who he really was, or who was trying to kill him, but one thing was for sure, I wasn't going to leave him behind.

My heart was pounding, not just because of the speed of the car, but also because of the man lying next to me. Fresh blood was still flowing from his wound, soaking the white shirt that was now red.

Alexander. The name still felt foreign, but his face, a handsome face full of scars, was now etched clearly in my mind.

My phone rang, displaying Leo's name on the screen. I hesitated to answer it, but the ringing continued, urging me. Finally, I answered.

"Bela, where are you? I'm so worried! It's all my fault," Leo's voice sounded panicked. "Come home, Bela. Please."

I sighed deeply, Leo's voice only added to the burden on my shoulders. "I can't go home, Leo," I said, my voice trembling.

“What? You can't go home? How can you live without me?” a question that tickled my heart.

“It's not like that Leo, right now I'm… in trouble,” I replied hesitantly.

"Look, without me, you're always in trouble, divorced? Sure you can live without me?” His voice was full of mockery, as well as concern. I knew, it was just a fake concern.

I turned off the phone, not wanting to hear his words anymore. I had to focus on Alexander's life and our escape.

My car stopped in the woods, I immediately checked his wound and cleaned it as best I could. I pried out the bullet that was visible to stop the bleeding. Luckily, I know a little bit about medicine, so I did what I could.

After a few hours, Alexander started to regain consciousness. He groaned softly, his eyes slowly opening. "Where are we?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

"Safe," I whispered, more to myself than to him.

Alexander seemed dazed, holding his injured shoulder, his face pale as death. His eyes, once sharp, were now dull and empty. "This..." he said, his voice broken, like a gasping breath.

I continued, trying to sound calm, "I've removed the bullet and stopped the bleeding. As best I could, at least." I emphasized the 'as best I could' to lower his expectations.

Shock was evident on his face. He looked at me, incredulous. "You... a doctor?" he asked, his voice still weak.

I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "No." He paused, his voice rising with annoyance. "Then what right...? To remove the bullet?" he finished, his tone more apparent.

I snorted, unable to bear his arrogant attitude anymore. "Ungrateful," I said, my voice sharp. "At least you're still alive, right?"

"Listen, Alexander…" I tried to start an explanation, but…

"...How do you know my name?!" He cut me off, his voice rising to a shout. He glared at me suspiciously, his hands clenched tight. His defensive and suspicious attitude made me a little annoyed.

I sighed, trying to be patient with this man who was clearly in shock and pain. "I know your name from the person who shot you," I said, carefully choosing my words. "And, even though I'm not a doctor, I saved your life, didn't I?"

He sighed, enduring the lingering pain. He looked at the stitched wound on his shoulder, his eyes blinking slowly. "Did you stitch this up too?" he asked, his tone a little softer, but still wary.

I answered briefly, "Hm."

"Ugly," he said, his voice flat, but his eyes showed a hint of amusement. "Carlos would have laughed at it." He added with a hint of mockery, making me want to punch him.

"Carlos?" I furrowed my brow, keeping the question in my mind. Maybe his brother? His friend? Alexander suddenly snatched my phone from my hand. With trembling fingers, he typed a message.

"Thank you," he said, his voice still weak, but sincere.

"For the phone, or…" I asked, half-jokingly.

"For taking the bullet out, and saving my life," he cut me off, his voice firm. He groaned softly, enduring the pain. "You'd better go. I don't want to involve you in my problems."

I snorted, unable to contain my annoyance. "What a selfish man," I said, my voice a little sarcastic. "I'm already involved, since you saved me."

"We're even," he said coldly, his gaze showing no sign of gratitude. "I have to get back to my place too," he continued after a moment of silence. "And so do you."

"Back? Where?" I asked, confused. Leaving Leo meant losing everything. Even though there was a home to return to.

He looked at me, his deep blue eyes seemed to read my mind. "Don't tell me you're... homeless?" His voice rose again, but his expression wasn't as harsh as before. There was a hint of concern in there.

I shrugged, not wanting to tell him about the misfortune that had befallen me. The story was too embarrassing. If he knew, he would surely mock me even more.

“Wait, I remember something… you were just dumped, weren’t you?” His question pierced me, making my cheeks burn.

“No, I left him.” I replied firmly, trying to hide my nervousness.

“Really?” He looked at me sharply, doubt etched clearly in his eyes. I turned away, annoyed by his suspicion.

“Alright,” he said, his voice softer, but still cautious. “I can offer you shelter and protection. If you want.”

I was stunned. His offer was tempting, but I still had doubts. "With conditions?" I asked, alert.

He smiled faintly, a smile that was both mysterious and slightly threatening. "The condition… you have to be my girl.”

His offer made me gasp. This man was a hothead, a threat, and incredibly suspicious. But it turned out... he was also a lech. I fell silent, thinking hard.

"Just accept it, you don't have any other choices, do you?" His voice was challenging, laced with a hint of mockery.

I snorted. "Of course I have choices. It's just..." My sentence hung in the air, filled with dilemma and doubt.

I need a new place to live if I want to escape Leo and that bitch. But... if I agree, what does it mean? Am I going to let myself be exploited by this bad-tempered man?

“Why are you silent? Don't you want to?” he asked, preparing to get out of the car.

Dilemma. I quickly grabbed the edge of his jacket. "Wait. Come home with me, what's your address?" I hoped to buy some time to think about his offer.

"Too dangerous. Go home separately," Alexander replied.

Before I could answer, several black cars approached us. I thought it was the cars from last night, but Alexander calmed me down. "Don't be afraid, they're here to pick me up."

Alexander got out of my car, the burly men in black suits seemed respectful towards him.They chatted for a moment.

"Get out, Miss. It seems you're the one who needs a ride home." His voice, heavy and cold. The selfish man was back to his grumpy self.

"My car?" I asked, my voice trembling.

"Forget about it. I can replace it with a thousand cars like that."

"Arrogant!" I muttered. My annoyance was cut short when the shadows of the burly men, their faces like masks of death, surrounded me.

I quickly took shelter behind Alexander's back, my body shaking violently, like a lamb waiting for the slaughter.

We got into the luxurious car, Alexander asked for my address. As the car sped off, my heart pounded like a war drum, a cold chill piercing my bones.

A few hours later, the car stopped in front of my house. As I got out, my world seemed to collapse.