Chapter 3 - Echoes of the Past
Rain began to lash against the armored SUV as it tore through the darkened streets toward the city’s east side. Sebastian sat in the back, his laptop open, scrolling through financial records and surveillance feeds. Beside him, Audrey sat staring out the window, her expression unreadable.
The tension between them was a physical presence, heavy and suffocating.
"Catherine was happy there," Audrey spoke suddenly, her voice barely louder than the patter of rain against the bulletproof glass.
Sebastian didn't look up from his screen, but his fingers froze over the keyboard. "Happy? She was dying alone in a room paid for by a family that used to be my enemy."
"She wasn't alone," Audrey said quietly. "I was with her every night. When the pain got too bad, she didn't want morphia; she wanted someone to read her old poetry. She spent her last months watching the sunrise over the garden."
"She had a brother who would have built her a hospital," Sebastian snarled, turning to face her, his eyes blazing in the dim light of the cabin. "I had the best oncologists in Europe lined up. I had a jet waiting on the tarmac for six months! And she chose to hide in a crumbling sanctuary with you!"
"Because your world was killing her faster than the cancer," Audrey fired back, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "Do you have any idea what it felt like for her to live in your shadow, Sebastian? Every time she stepped outside, she had four armed guards behind her. Every person who smiled at her was checked for weapons. She didn't want to spend her final days in a gilded cage listening to you order hits on rival cartels!"
Sebastian felt as if he’d been struck. He opened his mouth to crush her argument, to remind her of the power and protection he provided, but the words withered in his throat.
"She knew you would come for her," Audrey continued, her voice trembling slightly before she regained control. "She knew that if you found her, you would pack her onto a plane, surround her with machines and bodyguards, and turn her death into a military operation. She wanted peace, Sebastian. Pure, quiet peace. And she made me swear on my soul that I wouldn't let you take that away from her."
"And you thought you had the right to make that decision for me?"
"I gave a dying woman her last wish," Audrey said, looking him straight in the eye. "If that makes me your enemy, then destroy me. But do not pretend you are doing it for Catherine. You are doing it for your own pride."
Before Sebastian could respond, the SUV screeched to a halt in front of St. Jude’s Hospice.
Outside, flashing blue lights painted the rain-soaked pavement in chaotic shades of red and cobalt. Two city marshal vehicles were parked across the driveway, blocked by three heavy black SUVs belonging to the Ror syndicate. Men in tactical gear stood in the downpour, weapons drawn, separated by a thin strip of wet asphalt.
Dante, Sebastian’s chief enforcer, stood at the front of the line, his hand resting on the butt of his pistol as he argued with a sweat-drenched city official.
"Stay in the vehicle," Sebastian ordered, reaching for his coat.
May you like
"Not a chance," Audrey said, opening her door before the child-locks could engage.
She stepped out into the storm, the silk of her robe catching the wind, looking like a ghost haunting the edge of a battle. Sebastian swore violently under his breath and stepped out right behind her, his large frame immediately moving to shield her body from potential sniper fire.
