The silence in the underground safehouse was deafening, yet my heartbeat roared in my ears like war drums.
I stared at Raiden, unable to process the last thing he'd said.
"The Russians aren't just after me—they're after you."
Those words sliced deeper than any bullet ever could.
---
Aria – Caught in the Crosshairs
I took a step back, my legs trembling.
"Why? Why me?" I whispered.
Raiden didn't blink. "Because of who you are. Because of your father."
The air froze. My father?
"You said he died in a car crash. You told me—"
"I lied," he cut in, his jaw clenched. "He didn't die in a crash. He was executed by the same syndicate that's hunting me. And now... they know you're alive."
My breath hitched. The walls seemed to cave in around me. I had grown up believing my father was just an ordinary man. A loving professor. A quiet soul. But Raiden's words shattered that illusion like glass.
---
Raiden – His Regret is a Weapon
Raiden stepped forward, his voice low but sharp.
"He wasn't who you thought he was. He worked in covert intelligence. He was trying to dismantle the Bratva from the inside. When they found out, they tortured him for days. And when he refused to give up his sources... they made an example of him."
"Why didn't you tell me any of this?" I gasped, my throat tight.
"Because I knew if you ever learned the truth, you'd want answers. And those answers would get you killed."
"And what am I now? Safe?!" I snapped.
He didn't respond. Instead, he stared at me with haunted eyes—eyes that had seen far too much pain, too many bodies, too many betrayals.
---
The Bratva's Message
A sudden vibration pulled us from the tension. Raiden's encrypted phone lit up.
A single image.
A man's body—bruised, bloodied, dumped outside one of Raiden's warehouses.
The message read:
"We found her blood. The next time, it won't be a warning."
Raiden's hands clenched into fists. "They're getting closer."
---
The Escape Plan
Raiden paced the small space, thinking like a man at war.
"We're leaving. Tonight. There's a plane waiting at the private hangar. My men will secure the perimeter."
"And go where?" I asked.
"Italy."
I blinked. "Italy? Why the hell would we go there?"
"Because it's where this all started. It's where your father made enemies. And it's where we'll finish them."
---
A Dangerous Alliance
Later that night, we met someone I never expected to see again—Luca.
He stood under the shadows of the airstrip, dressed in black, cigarette in hand, as if war wasn't erupting around us.
"She knows?" he asked Raiden.
Raiden nodded once. "Enough."
Luca looked at me, his gaze unreadable. "Then she needs to hear the rest—from me."
---
Luca's Revelation
We sat in the back of the plane as it took off, engines roaring like the beast we were about to face.
"Your father wasn't just a spy," Luca said, his tone eerily calm. "He was the key to dismantling the Bratva's human trafficking ring in Milan. He knew names, routes, operations. And he gave us everything—until he was burned."
"So they killed him," I whispered.
"No," Luca said. "They killed his team. They made him watch. And when they were done, they left a single bullet in his head. But not before he gave one name to Raiden..."
He paused, looking at Raiden.
"...Yours."
I froze. "Why would he tell Raiden about me?"
"Because he trusted Raiden to protect you. He knew you were the last loose thread. The only person who could unravel everything if the Bratva ever came back."
---
End of Chapter 27