Six years later…
The city of Chicago hasn't changed much. But Elena Patrick had.
Now, with a sleek ponytail, guarded eyes and a calm poise, she stepped onto the soil she once fled.
Her heart ached at leaving the twins in Florida, but this trip was necessary. Just a few days to finalize some documents, reclaim her dignity that was ruined and give payback.
Elena waited patiently as her passport was scanned at the airport. But at that moment, a silent alarm went off.
The officer stared up at her, looking a bit mortified. The instant the Elena walked away.
Phone calls were made.
And somewhere in a heavily fortified mansion, Alfonso picked the call. He rushed quickly to Axel.
"Boss?" he called, with voice filled with urgency and excitement.
"We found her" he said.
Axel turned, his lashes flickered up. "Bring her to me, now" he ordered.
Without wasting a second, Alfonso rushed out, signalling the men with him and they all got into the car, to bring their Boss's wife home.
...
Elena stood outside the airport waiting for the person that has been sent to pick her up. A car pulled in front of her, and just as she waited to see who it was, some men emerged in a rush.
Before Elena could understand what was happening, she was grasped and forced into the vehicle.
It drove off, in high speed.
...
Alfonso rushed in after twenty minutes, his expression conflicted and hard. "Where is she?"
Axel asked in a stern frown.
"She was taken" Alfonso answered in heated breath, his head bowed.
Axel stood up from his seat, his frown deepened. He charged at Alfonso, his jaw tightened.
"Taken?"
Alfonso hesitated, afraid. "By...your cousin, Joseph."
The instant Axel heard that, his jaw clenched harder. He made a tight fist, infuriated and worried.
He knew how treacherous his cousin was. He had been waiting to get back at him after their last fire-out when he killed his men.
"How did he know about her?" Axel asked but Alfonso shook his head.
It seemed like there is a mole among his men.
Axel turned and pick his guns inside his table drawer and moved out, Alfonso followed closely after.
Elena thrashed against the ropes binding her wrists. The warehouse was cold and damp.
A man she didn't recognize circled her like a predator, his smile twisted cruelly.
"Who are you?" she asked tearfully, the guns in the men's hands sending shivers down her spine.
"Oh, you don't know me sweetheart" Joseph said, he has the same height as Axel. But with a bright green eyes.
"I can see why brother is obsessed with finding you" he said, leaning and staring closely at her.
He cupped her jaw in his palm and Elena pulled away. Despite her anger and irritation, she do not dare upset him.
"I think you have the wrong person" she argued.
"Wrong person?" Joseph chuckled. "For six years, he's been searching for you. And I, have been waiting and watching"
His voice grew more dangerous.
He moved a bit away from her. "He killed my men, now I am going to kill you as revenge" he revealed.
Elena's heart jumped, great fear gripped her. She struggled with the ropes.
"I did nothing wrong. I have no idea who you are talking about or what he did to you" she cried but Joseph smirked hard.
He brought out her picture from six years ago. The same one that Nicholas had thrown in her face.
"isn't this you, sweetheart?" he asked, showing it to her.
Elena was dumbfounded for a moment. Just as he was about to say more, gunfire erupted outside.
A sudden gust of wind blew through the cracked window, and the door burst open with a metallic clang.
Elena shut her eyes to avoid the wind, when she open them, the first thing her eyes caught was him, walking towards her.
Tall and commanding, dressing in a tailored black suit, his broad shoulders framed by the golden light filtering in behind him like a halo made of danger and dominance.
The shadow seemed to bent to his will, his presence swallowed the room.
Elena's breath caught in her throat. Who could he be? She wondered.
But she barely had time to think when another gun shot was fired. She whimpered in fear, screaming.
Elena watched him shot one of the men standing close to her on the leg and froze as the man fell on the ground.
More men started to drop and she shut her eyes, afraid she would be next. But none of the shot fired got to her.
Joseph who had gotten shot on his arm, he laughed maniacally as Axel came close to him.
"It's been a long time, brother" he said.
Axel's expression remained unwavering, he held his gun at him. "You should know better to touch what's mine, Josh" he told him.
Alfonso stepped forward. "What should we do with him?" he asked.
Axel turned to Elena who was crouched on the ground, whimpering in terror. He didn't mean to scare her on their first meet.
Elena managed to look up at the same time, and that moment, their gazes met. Something inside her shifted.
She tried to move back but the ropes restrained her.
"Elena" he called as though they were familiar.
She flinched. "Who are you?" she asked.
It doesn't matter who he was. She knew that he was danger and that she had to escape.
As he moved closer, Elena screeched inwardly, clutching her body.
The roped fell from her wrists with a snap of his blade. She scrambled to her feet, staggering back in panic.
"Stay away from me!" she cried, tears clinging to her lashes, her heart pounding.
But he didn't.
He moved at her with lethal grace, ignoring her struggled. She tried to run but her legs gave out beneath her.
Before Elena could hit the ground, he caught her, his arms wrapped around her waist effortlessly. She gasped as he lifted her into his arms like she weighed nothing.
"Let me go!"
He didn't.
Just as Axel turned to get out of the place, a gun was pointed at his direction, before he could dodge, the gun was fired.
Swiftly, he turned and allow the bullet hit his back instead, to protect her.
Elena let out a screech yell, her eyes widened. She saw blood and lost consciousness again.
Alfonso shot the guy down and rushed to Axel who was on one kneel, still holding Elena in his arms.
"Let's get out of here" he said.
Outside, a sleek black SUV waited, the doors wide open. Axel placed her gently inside, cupping the back of her head with much care.