Chapter 5 - Into the Fire
On the fifth night of the lockdown, the silence of the mansion became too stifling for Adrian.
He knocked on Sophie's door, looking exhausted but determined.
“Get dressed in something formal,” he told her, his eyes dark with unreadable emotion.
“We are leaving the house tonight.”
He took her to an exclusive, underground restaurant owned by his syndicate, hidden beneath the bustling city streets.
It was heavily guarded, dimly lit, and incredibly romantic.
Candlelight flickered against the exposed brick walls, and a jazz pianist played a soft, melancholy tune in the corner.
Sophie wore a stunning black wrap dress that hugged her curves perfectly, paired with simple diamond earrings.
When she walked into the dining room by his side, every head in the establishment turned to look at her.
She instinctively tried to shrink her shoulders and hide.
Adrian immediately placed a firm, warm hand on the small of her back.
“Stand tall,” he whispered directly into her ear, sending shivers down her spine.
“Let them look at you.”
“They are looking because you are the most beautiful woman to ever walk into this room.”
Sophie blushed furiously, but the heat of his hand gave her the courage to straighten her spine.
They sat in a secluded VIP booth, separated from the rest of the world by velvet curtains.
For two hours, they laughed, drank expensive Italian wine, and completely forgot about the chaos outside.
Then, the jazz music abruptly stopped, replaced by the sound of shouting at the front entrance.
Mason appeared out of the shadows, his face a grim mask of absolute panic.
“Boss, we have a massive problem.”
“Dominic Moretti is here, and he brought twenty armed men.”
Before Adrian could even stand up, the heavy restaurant doors were violently kicked open.
Armed men flooded the dining room, causing normal patrons to scream and dive under their tables in terror.
Dominic Moretti, a vicious man with a heavily scarred face, walked slowly into the center of the room.
“Adrian Vale!” Dominic shouted, his voice echoing off the brick walls.
“You took my docks, you ruined my business, and you took my CFO.”
“Now, I am going to take everything you love.”
Adrian did not panic, nor did he raise his voice.
He calmly stood up and pushed Sophie behind his broad shoulders, shielding her entirely with his body.
“You have exactly five seconds to leave my restaurant, Dominic, before I lose my temper.”
Dominic laughed, aiming a heavy revolver directly at Adrian's chest.
“Or what, Vale?”
“Your guards are dead outside, you are completely outnumbered.”
Adrian’s eyes turned pitch black, stripping away the businessman and revealing the ruthless mob boss underneath.
“Or I handle this the old-fashioned way,” Adrian said.
In a terrifying blur of motion, Adrian drew a sleek, suppressed pistol from beneath his tailored jacket.
Before Dominic’s men could even react, Adrian fired three perfect shots.
Three of Moretti’s frontline men dropped to the floor instantly.
Absolute chaos erupted as gunfire shattered the expensive crystal chandeliers above them.
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Adrian grabbed Sophie’s hand with an iron grip.
“Run!” he roared, pulling her relentlessly toward the hidden kitchen corridors.
