Chapter 7 - The Final Desperate Strike
The intimacy of that night broke every remaining wall between them, but the battle for Lena’s freedom was not finished.
At 3:00 AM on Wednesday, the penthouse alarm system chimed with a low, insistent pulse. Adrian was awake instantly, sliding out of bed with predatory grace and pulling on a dark robe. He retrieved a firearm from a hidden wall compartment before Lena even opened her eyes.
""Stay here, Lena,"" he ordered quietly.
""Adrian, what is it?"" she asked, sitting up, clutching the sheets to her chest.
Marcus’s voice crackled through the intercom beside the bed. ""Sir, we have a structural fire reported at Miss Hart’s old apartment complex. And five minutes ago, an incendiary device was thrown through the ground-floor window of her former PR offices on Michigan Avenue.""
Lena gasped, throwing the covers off. Derek was burning down her past.
""Is anyone hurt?"" Adrian asked through the intercom, his voice deadly cold.
""No, sir. Both buildings were evacuated cleanly by the fire department. But witnesses reported a dark sedan fleeing the scene registered to Derek Cole’s personal assistant,"" Marcus replied.
Lena felt a cold rage settle into her bones. Derek was out of his mind. He couldn't reach her inside Adrian’s fortress, so he was trying to erase every trace of her existence from the city. He wanted to reduce her memories, her hard work, and her independent life to ash.
She stood up, pulling on her clothes with furious determination. ""He thinks he can scare me back into hiding. He thinks if I have nothing left to return to, I’ll crawl back to him.""
Adrian stepped up to her, his hand gently cupping the back of her neck. ""You are never going back, Lena. And he will not burn down another square foot of your life.""
""How do we end this tonight, Adrian?"" she demanded, looking directly into his eyes. ""No more waiting for regulatory commissions. No more financial games. He’s committing arson. He’s going to kill someone.""
Adrian stared at her for a long second, seeing the unyielding steel in her posture. ""Then we draw him out into the open. Derek believes his money can still hire desperate men. Marcus!""
Marcus appeared at the doorway within seconds. ""Sir?""
""Contact Captain Rossi in the Special Investigations Unit. Release the full audio transcripts from the garage ambush, along with the surveillance footage of Derek’s assistant buying gasoline at the 24-hour depot in Cicero two hours ago. Then, leak an alert to the press that Miss Hart is holding a live media briefing at the Drake Hotel at dawn to present the evidence personally.""
Lena looked at him, her heart thumping. ""You're using me as bait.""
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""Only if you agree,"" Adrian said softly. ""The Drake ballroom has three secure exits. My men will control every entrance. When Derek comes to silence you before the cameras roll, he will walk straight into a federal trap.""
Lena adjusted the collar of her jacket and smiled—a cold, beautiful smile. ""Tell Rossi to make sure the cameras have fresh batteries. I want the whole city to see him fall.""
