The first rays of dawn were masked by smoke. Flames licked the edges of the south docks, where Dylan's men clashed with Richard's in a brutal, chaotic dance of steel and fire. Explosions echoed across the bay as container crates became shields and bullets filled the air like wasps set loose from a hive.
Dylan was there—on the front lines.
Clad in all black, his coat billowing like a shadow, he moved through the chaos with lethal precision. He wasn't the kind of man to hide behind walls or command from afar. This war was personal. Every blow struck was a message to his brother.
"You want my crown?" Dylan muttered as he took down another of Richard's men. "Then come take it yourself."
---
At the Safehouse
Meanwhile, Heaven paced like a caged bird. From the safehouse's reinforced windows, she could see the distant fires, hear the rumble of war. Her heart thundered in her chest—not just for Michael, who still lay weak but recovering, but for Dylan.
She hated herself for it, but she was scared for him.
He wasn't just a tyrant anymore. He wasn't just the man who had destroyed her family's peace. Somewhere along the line, he had become the man whose return she awaited with bated breath. And that truth terrified her more than anything else.
"I shouldn't care," she whispered to herself, arms wrapped tightly around her body. "But I do."
Maya entered the room, bringing news that chilled Heaven to the bone.
"Richard's forces are closing in on the northern sector. If he breaks through, he'll reach us."
Heaven's hands clenched. "What do we do?"
Maya looked down. "We prepare to move. We can't let them find Michael."
---
Richard's Assault
Richard stood atop a raised platform within a hijacked surveillance van, watching feeds from across the battlefield. His expression was calm—too calm—as if he was savoring every explosion, every death.
"He's here," Elise reported. "At the south docks. But he didn't take the bait."
Richard smirked. "Of course he didn't. Dylan doesn't walk into traps—he sets them. But that's why I'm going to his heart while he's busy defending his empire."
He turned to a second map—this one marked with coordinates of Dylan's safehouse.
"Elise, tell our inside contact to move. I want them breaching that place before Dylan even realizes what's happening."
Elise hesitated. "What if the girl resists?"
"Then break her," Richard said coldly. "And bring the boy. He's more valuable alive."
---
The Breach
As Maya led Heaven and Michael down the hidden tunnel at the back of the safehouse, a deep explosion rocked the earth. Dust rained from the ceiling, and a security siren began to wail.
"They're here," Maya whispered.
Men in Richard's uniform began swarming the building, breaking through like a wave of locusts. But they didn't find who they were looking for—the tunnel had sealed behind Heaven seconds before the breach. Still, the damage was done.
---
Dylan's Fury
By the time the call reached Dylan, his eyes turned to steel.
"They attacked the safehouse?"
"Yes, sir. We were too late. The building's compromised, but Heaven and the boy escaped through the tunnels. Maya's with them."
Dylan clenched his jaw, rage surging through his veins.
"He went after them."
Jayden stepped forward. "Boss—if you leave now, you risk everything we've gained."
Dylan turned slowly, voice low and deadly. "Let Richard have this battlefield. I'm going to kill him where it hurts most."
And with that, Dylan vanished into the shadows, heading not to defend territory, but to protect something far more precious—what remained of his heart.