Ethan led Aria and Sophia through a series of hidden corridors, winding through the mansion like a predator guiding its prey to safety.
The girls were tense, hearts hammering, every sound amplified in the shadows.
"Where are we going?" Aria asked, trying to steady her voice.
"To a secure wing," Ethan replied, his eyes scanning constantly. "You'll be safe there until I locate the intruders and neutralize them."
Sophia, however, seemed incapable of being scared. Instead, she whispered breathlessly, "I… I want to stay close to you, Ethan."
Aria's chest tightened. "Sophia, stop it." Her voice was sharp, but her own stomach twisted with something she didn't want to admit—the pull Ethan had over her too.
Ethan didn't respond to Sophia's whisper. He didn't need to. His presence alone radiated authority, danger, and… something softer when he glanced at Aria for a fleeting second.
The Secure Wing
The door to the secure wing slid open silently. Ethan gestured for the girls to enter first.
Inside, the space was fortified: steel walls, multiple cameras, and a hidden panic room.
"Stay here," Ethan said. "Do not leave. I'll be back as soon as I find the source."
Aria nodded, though she couldn't tear her eyes from him as he moved back into the hallway.
Sophia leaned closer to Aria, whispering, "He's… he's unbelievable. Don't you feel it too?"
Aria gritted her teeth. "I feel… enough."
They both heard the faintest creak of the hallway, and Ethan's sharp voice called:
"Move, now!"
Before they could react, the intruders struck.
Two masked figures burst in from the corridor leading to the secure wing.
One lunged toward Sophia with a knife.
Ethan appeared in a blur, intercepting the attack with his bare hands.
Sophia's heart pounded. She could barely breathe as Ethan disarmed the attacker mid-lunge and threw him across the hall.
Aria's stomach twisted. She couldn't stop staring. This man—her bodyguard—was untouchable. Unstoppable.
Yet, even as she watched him, she felt a twinge of panic—what if something happened to him?
Close Calls
The second intruder raised a gun.
Ethan moved with terrifying precision:
He grabbed a nearby vase and threw it, breaking the intruder's aim.
He kicked the attacker off balance, closing the distance with a lethal stride.
Within seconds, the intruder was disarmed and incapacitated.
Sophia's hands trembled. "I… I can't… he's incredible."
Aria's chest tightened. "Stop… staring." She didn't even want to admit why she was jealous.
Ethan turned back to them, calm as ever. "Both of you, stay close. This isn't over."
The Cliffhanger
A faint metallic hum came from above—the same drone? No… larger.
A shadow moved across the ceiling, faster than any human should be able to move.
Before Ethan could react, the shadow dropped, landing directly in front of the girls.
Sophia screamed.
Aria froze.
And Ethan's dark eyes narrowed as he whispered:
"This one… is not like the others."
The figure raised a blade. And for the first time tonight, Ethan's calm was tested.
The mansion was no longer just a trap. It was a battlefield.
And someone was about to pay the pric