Chapter 5 - The Midnight Attack
Dorian returned to the penthouse exactly one hour later.
The office was quiet.
Dr. Aris had already left, leaving behind a new, high-tech carbon fiber brace on the coffee table.
Marin was fast asleep on the leather sofa, completely exhausted by the pain and the sheer terror of the night.
Titan was curled up on the rug directly beneath her dangling hand, standing guard.
Dorian walked over and gently shook her shoulder.
Marin gasped, waking up instantly.
"We have to leave," Dorian said, his voice urgent but controlled.
"What is going on?" she asked, rubbing her tired eyes.
"It is not safe for you here," Dorian explained.
"The men who murdered your husband now know that you exist."
Marin froze, the blood draining from her face entirely.
"Murdered?" she whispered, her voice cracking.
"Daniel died in a car crash."
"It was not an accident," Dorian said bluntly, helping her put on the new brace.
"He found something in the company ledgers."
"He was killed to keep a secret, and the man responsible is currently in this building."
Marin’s world shattered into a million jagged pieces.
Everything she had believed for the past two years was a lie.
Her grief, her poverty, her suffering—it had all been orchestrated by a monster.
Before she could process the shock, the private elevator chimed.
Dorian instantly drew his weapon, pushing Marin down behind the heavy walnut desk.
Titan stood up, the fur on his massive back standing on end, his teeth bared in a silent snarl.
The elevator doors slid open.
Three men wearing black tactical gear stepped out, holding silenced submachine guns.
Victor had sent his personal hit squad to finish the job.
They didn't even ask questions.
They just started shooting.
Bullets tore through the penthouse, shattering the glass windows and shredding the expensive leather furniture.
Dorian returned fire with deadly precision, dropping the first man with a bullet to the chest.
Titan didn't wait for a command.
The massive dog launched himself across the room like a hundred-and-fifty-pound missile.
He hit the second gunman in the chest, his powerful jaws locking onto the man's weapon arm with bone-crushing force.
The man screamed, dropping his gun as Titan dragged him to the floor.
Dorian stepped out from cover, firing two rapid shots that instantly eliminated the third attacker.
The room fell deadly silent, save for the sound of shattering glass falling to the city streets below.
Dorian walked over to the man Titan had pinned and put a bullet in his head, ending the threat permanently.
He turned back to the desk.
Marin was curled into a tight ball, shaking violently, her hands covering her ears.
Dorian holstered his weapon and knelt beside her.
"Look at me, Marin," he commanded softly.
She opened her terrified eyes.
"I am going to get you out of here," Dorian promised, wiping a streak of dust from her pale cheek.
"I will not let them hurt you."
May you like
He pulled her into his arms, signaling for Titan to follow.
They were going to war.
