Then, with a speed that made Isabella's head spin, he did something no one expected: he stepped forward.
Not to lower his gun, not to bargain. He stepped forward, put the barrel of his pistol to his temple ,a raw, burning challenge and in a voice that cut the night, he said, "If you move, Adrian… I don't want to live without her."
Silence crashed down like another thunderbolt. For a heartbeat, the world held its breath.
Adrian's smile wavered, it was more of a twitch than a thing of triumph. "Don't be melodramatic, Damian." He raised his pistol.
Then a single crack split the air.
Isabella didn't see the shot, only felt it: a red hot bloom of pain as something struck Damian in the chest and the world went white at the edges.
He didn't fall at first. He just staggered, eyes wide, and grabbed Isabella like the shore after a long swim. His gun clattered to the ground.
"Damian!" Luca roared.
