They could get the smell of smoke from what had exploded downstairs, in the penthouse, the smell found its way moving gently through the heavy walls like a silent warning. Alice had a tight grip on the edge of the couch, her nails digging into the leather as she stared with wide eyes, the man standing in front of them.
Lucas.
His tall frame had a very noticeable impact on the room, his very classy and well tailored suit was barely a mask of the evilness which raged with him. Behind him, the sound of the sirens wailing through the night, blending with the crackling fire from outside — a disheartening reminder of the explosion that had just distorted the silence.
David's car.
David's hand reached for Alice, pulling her slightly behind him. His body had become stiff and was a shield between her and the man who had once been his brother but now, was nothing but a threat.
Lucas's smirk widened, but there was no joy in his eyes. Only hate.
"I warned you," he said, his voice calm but deadly, each word falling like a blade. "But you didn't listen."
"What is the meaning of this? What is going through that thick skull of yours?." David growled, his voice low and dangerous.
Lucas moved further into the room, ignoring the broken pieces of glass that had come from a broken vest behind the door. "A little reminder," he said casually, dusting imaginary dirt off the sleeve of David. "One you won't easily forget."
Alice's heart raced. She had known there was hatred and darkness in David's world , but not once did it cross her mind it will come lurking at her like that. Explosive, violent, uncontainable.
David's jaw clenched so tight you could literally see his cheeks suck into his very sharp jawline. "You touched my car?" he smirked and the gave a serious face again .
Lucas chuckled, a hollow sound. "Ohhh please… It was just one. And you weren't even it. Maybe next time though."
Alice tightened her grip on David's arm. She could feel the fury radiating off him, she could feel how he barely restrained himself from violently reacting to the energy she was receiving from his brother.
"Get out. Before I lose it," David said through gritted teeth. "Right now."
Lucas's eyes could radiate fire off anytime now. "Oh, I will. But not before you understand something." He stepped closer, lowering his voice so that every word came out as sharp as an eye's needle . "You think you can take everything from me? Dared to replace me with some pathetic loser? You think Thompson &co is all about you? Your place to redesign?"
David said nothing, but his silence was deafening.
Alice blinked, confused. Pathetic loser? Replacement?
Lucas laughed again, bitter and sharp. "You didn't tell your little college girl did you?" He motioned moving his eyeballs lazily to Alice. "He's replacing me, sweetheart. Decided to pick a pathetic loser to replace me. After everything I've done. After everything I built."
Everywhere was so tight. Alice's chest felt tight. She looked up to David as if wondering what type of person he is.
David didn't speak. He didn't deny it.
Lucas took a step closer, his gaze flickering to Alice with cold calculation. "And trust me, college girl. If you this type of man is going to suddenly warm up, become a different person because of you, you're dead wrong. You have no idea who you're dealing with."
"Keep her out of this," David said, his voice cold, controlled.
Lucas's smile faded. "Oops too late."
The door slammed shut behind him with a final, echoing thud, and for a long moment, silence reigned.
David raked a hand through his hair, pacing like a caged animal. Alice stood frozen, her mind trying to comprehend everything one at a time.
"What did he mean?" she finally whispered. "About Thompson & Co.? About you replacing him?"
David stopped, his back turned to her. His shoulders were stiff, rigid with tension.
"He's not who you think he is. He's very dangerous." David said finally. "He's been dangerous for the longest time. All he makes are bad decisions and does nothing proper to help the company. I can't let him destroy everything I've built so far."
Alice swallowed hard. "And now?"
David turned, his face grim. "Now he's out for blood."
Outside, the distant roar of flames grew louder. David's phone rang across the side of where they were standing. He went and picked it up, scanning the screen, his frown deepening.
"They got the fire under control," he muttered, reading a message. "But they something else was found."
Alice's stomach dropped. "What?"
He looked up, his expression haunted. "A device. In the car. It wasn't just arson. It was a bomb."
Alice's legs started shaking and then gave out. She fell on the couch.
"You could have been dead," she whispered.
David crossed the room in two strides, kneeling in front of her. His hands gripped hers, firm and warm. "I'm not going to let him. I swear to you."
But even as he said it, she could see the doubt move in his eyes. Because promises meant very little to a man like David and against a man like David. A man who knew all their secrets.
A man who knew where to hit hardest.
The penthouse phone rang, shrill and urgent, cutting through the thick tension. David rose swiftly and picked it up.
"Thompson," he barked.
Alice watched his face pale as he listened.
"What?" he said in a loud voice. A pause. His jaw locked. "Keep her safe. Don't let her out of your sight."
He hung up and turned to Alice, his face carved in stone.
"They tried to get to Nora."
Alice's heart stopped. "What?"
"She's fine. My security intervened." David was already moving, trying to grab his coat, then moving towards his safe and pulling a gun from a hidden safe. "But this isn't just about me anymore. He's coming after everyone close to me."
Alice stood up shakily. "What do we do?"
"We move. Now."
He grabbed a small black duffel bag from a cabinet — something pre-packed, she realized — and tossed it onto the counter.
"Go. Pack whatever you need. Five minutes."
Alice hesitated for a moment too long, fear anchoring her to the spot.
David crossed to her and cupped her face in his hands. "I won't let anything happen to you. Trust me."
She nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat, and ran to the bedroom.
As she threw clothes into a bag, her mind raced. Questions pounded through her head faster than she could answer them.
Why now?
Why burn the car?
Why threaten Nora?
And most terrifying of all — what if Lucas wasn't working alone?
When she returned to the living room, David was speaking in a low, urgent voice to someone on his phone.
"No, I don't care. Triple the security around the properties. And check the board members. I want to know if anyone's talking to him."
Alice stiffened. Board members.
Lucas wasn't just lashing out. He was planning something bigger.
David caught her eye and ended the call.
"Ready?" he asked.
She nodded.
Just as they reached the door, there was a sharp knock — three quick taps.
David froze.
His hand reached for the gun tucked under his jacket.
The knock came again. Slower this time. Heavier.
Alice's heart pounded against her ribs so loudly, the next person could hear it.
David whispered in a low voice "step back".
Then he opened the door.
A man stood there, tall and dressed in a sharp gray suit. His expression was cold, unreadable.
But what caught Alice's attention was the object in his hand.
A thick,envelope.
"For you," the man said, his voice devoid of emotion. He handed the envelope to David and then turned and disappeared down the hall without another word.
David ripped the envelope open.
Inside were photographs.
Alice craned her neck to see.
Pictures of her.
At the university. In the coffee shop. Walking alone at night.
Pictures of her and David — some taken just minutes ago, through the windows of the penthouse.
Alice's blood ran cold.
On the back of the top photo, scrawled in thick black ink, were four chilling words:
YOU CAN'T PROTECT HER.
David crumpled the photo in his fist, his knuckles white.
"We have to go," he said again, his voice raw.
Alice grabbed his hand.
But as they moved toward the private elevator, another realization hit her:
If Lucas had someone watching them…
If he had people inside the company…
It wasn't just about revenge anymore.
It was about destruction. He wanted her to pay for everything David had done.
And somewhere deep inside her, a darker fear whispered:
What if David wasn't telling her everything?
What if she's just being the scape goat to all of this?
What if she just let's go of David?
The elevator doors opened up with someone in it revealing a shadowy figure standing inside.
A figure holding a gun.
Alice gasped, stumbling as she tried to move ba
ck.
David shoved her behind him, his own weapon raised.
The man in the elevator stepped forward, his face masked.
And then he spoke, voice cold and mechanical:
"Orders are clear. Take the girl."