Isabel pressed her forehead to the rain-slick glass of the taxi window, her breath fogging the view of the empty streets rushing by. The city felt different tonight — every shadow too long, every passing car a threat waiting to pounce.
She could feel the weight of Victoria's eyes even from miles away. That woman's reach was longer than death. Isabel knew it now — she'd always known it, in the restless half-dreams that had haunted her since her "accident."
Beside her, Alexander sat alert, one arm draped protectively across her shoulders. His eyes, dark and sharp, flicked to every passing streetlight and alleyway as if he could sense danger before it struck.
"You should sleep," he murmured, his thumb brushing her cold cheek. "You're exhausted."
"I can't," Isabel whispered. "If I close my eyes, I'll see her face. Victoria's. Smiling like she always did when she lied to me."
Alexander's jaw tensed. "Then don't sleep yet. Stay awake. Stay ready."
The taxi turned onto a narrow residential road lined with trees dripping rainwater onto the windshield. Isabel felt a flicker of hope — they were almost to the safe house Alexander had arranged, a forgotten little cottage outside the city. No security cameras. No nosy neighbors. Just them.
But just as the thought crossed her mind, the cab lurched to a halt. The driver turned in his seat, his eyes darting nervously between them.
"Road's blocked," he said, voice tight. "Tree came down, must be the storm. I… I'll have to turn around."
Alexander leaned forward, peering through the fogged glass. But Isabel was already staring at the silhouettes up ahead — four figures standing still in the middle of the road, like shadows come to life.
They didn't move. Didn't shout. Didn't wave for help.
"Reverse. Now!" Alexander barked.
The driver threw the cab into reverse, tires squealing. But before they could move more than a few feet, headlights flared behind them — a dark SUV, black as sin, roaring forward until it blocked their retreat.
Isabel's pulse slammed against her ribs. She looked at Alexander, her voice trembling. "They found us."
"Stay down!" Alexander shoved her onto the floor just as the first gunshot cracked through the night. The back window exploded in a hail of glass, shards spraying the cab like icy rain.
The driver screamed — a sharp, human sound — then slumped over the wheel. The cab lurched forward, out of control, coasting toward the waiting shadows.
"Move!" Alexander hauled Isabel over the seat, shoving open the door just as the cab slammed into the makeshift roadblock. She stumbled out, her boots slipping in the mud, heart hammering like a caged bird.
Another shot rang out, sparking off the metal frame just inches from her shoulder. She ducked, gasping. Alexander grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the darkness between the trees.
"Come on! This way!"
They ran. Branches clawed at Isabel's hair, tore at her coat. Behind them, the men shouted — the hired hounds of Victoria's empire, closing in like wolves scenting blood.
Isabel's breath tore at her throat, the freezing rain mixing with sweat and tears she didn't have time to wipe away. She stumbled over a fallen branch, nearly went down — but Alexander caught her, his grip iron-tight.
"You're not dying tonight!" he hissed, dragging her up again.
Somewhere ahead, she heard the distant trickle of water — a creek. A chance.
They burst through the undergrowth and stumbled onto a muddy bank. The creek was swollen with rain, its surface churning like liquid glass.
Alexander's eyes locked on hers. "Can you swim?"
Isabel's chest heaved. "Not well."
He grabbed her face with both hands. "Trust me."
She nodded — because there was nothing else to do. Bullets cracked through the trees behind them, spitting bark into the air.
Alexander took her hand and together they plunged into the freezing water.
The cold stole her breath, numbed her skin until she couldn't feel the cuts and bruises. She kicked and clawed at the current, Alexander's hand the only thing anchoring her to the world. They drifted under the cover of overhanging branches, the gunmen's shouts muffled by the rush of the creek.
When they finally dragged themselves onto the far bank, Isabel collapsed on her hands and knees, coughing up creek water and blood. Her fingers were raw, nails broken, her mind buzzing with fear and fury.
Alexander crouched beside her, one hand pressed to his side — dark blood oozed between his fingers.
"You're hurt!" Isabel gasped.
"Just grazed." He winced but forced a grin. "Don't worry about me."
She reached for him, but he grabbed her wrist, eyes fierce. "Listen to me. This is Victoria. She won't stop. Next time, she won't send men with guns — she'll send lawyers, the media, the police. She'll spin the truth until no one believes you."
Isabel's eyes burned with tears, mixing with the rain. "Then what do I do, Alexander? She's too powerful — she's untouchable."
He brushed the wet hair from her face, his thumb lingering on her cheekbone. "Not if you become more dangerous than she is."
Isabel stared at him — the man who'd shadowed her life like a ghost, who'd dragged her from death's doorstep not once but twice.
And in that moment, something inside her shifted. The fear didn't vanish — it hardened, like steel in a forge.
She pushed herself to her feet, ignoring the tremor in her legs. "We need to disappear," she said. "Tonight. Before she realizes we're still breathing."
Alexander nodded. "I know a place. An old cabin. Remote. Off every grid."
"And then?" Isabel asked, her voice low, dark, trembling with new resolve. "How do we stop her?"
Alexander's eyes glinted under the dripping trees. "We expose every rotten thing she's ever done. We drag her empire into the light and watch it burn."
Isabel looked up at the stormy sky, the wind tangling her soaked hair around her face. A year ago, she'd been Victoria's naive pet, tucked away in a gilded cage.
Now, she was a ghost returned to haunt her killer — and she would not rest until Victoria learned the true meaning of vengeance.
She reached for Alexander's hand. His fingers closed over hers, warm and strong despite the rain.
"Let's finish this," Isabel whispered.
In the distance, the trees shivered in the wind — a storm building. And in Isabel's chest, the embers of her rage sparked to life, ready to ignite.
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