CHAPTER 116: UNDER ATTACK!

Night had already fallen over the city.

High above the streets, on the top floor of a glass tower that belonged to the RayMed Pharmaceutical Group, Nathan stood alone in his private indoor pool. The water was warm, the lights under the surface glowed soft blue, and the only sound was the quiet splash when he moved his arms.

He held a glass of whiskey in one hand, staring at the city lights through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

His mind was full of one person.

Elias.

He had already pictured it a hundred times how perfect it would be if Elias agreed to work at the company during the break. They could live here together in this huge penthouse. Mornings with coffee on the terrace. Evenings watching movies on the giant couch. Elias laughed at something stupid Nathan said. Elias, falling asleep on his shoulder.

Nathan had never wanted anyone like this before.

Not once.

And the fact that the first person who made his heart race was Elias Kane. A quiet, kind, beautiful Elias and that made him almost laugh at himself.

The doorbell rang, disrupting him from his thoughts.

Nathan sighed, put the glass down on the edge of the pool, and climbed out. Water ran down his chest and legs. He grabbed a black robe from the chair, wrapped it around himself, and walked barefoot to the front door.

He opened it.

A young man in a neat grey suit stood there... Leo, the new secretary his father had forced on him. Beta. Tall. Good-looking in a clean, boring way.

"Mr Caldwell," Leo said, bowing slightly. "I’m sorry to disturb you this late."

Nathan leaned against the doorframe, water still dripping from his hair. "It’s fine. Come in."

Leo stepped inside carefully, holding a tablet against his chest like a shield.

"I have your schedule for tomorrow..."

"I don’t care," Nathan cut in. "Did you find out where Elias moved?"

Leo nodded once. "Yes, sir. He’s no longer at the old apartment. He and his sister were picked up yesterday morning by a Drago car. They’re at the Drago estate now."

Nathan’s lips curved into a slow smile.

"Of course he is."

He turned and walked back toward the living room. Leo followed.

Nathan dropped onto the couch, stretched his long legs out, and looked up at the ceiling.

"He’s with Viktor now," he said, almost to himself. "That didn’t take long. I knew he was heading there but... this soon?"

Leo stayed standing. "There’s something else, sir."

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "My mood has already been ruined, so something else better be good."

Leo tapped the tablet and turned it around.

An email was open.

From: Philippe Moreau

Subject: Request for cooperation

Nathan scanned it.

Mr Moreau was furious. Viktor had humiliated his daughter, Clara, in front of the entire household. The engagement was basically dead. He wanted revenge. He was planning something against the Drago estate and had promised, in writing, that Elias would not be harmed.

He was asking Nathan for permission.

Nathan started laughing. Not a small laugh. A real, loud, throw-his-head-back laugh.

Leo waited quietly.

When Nathan finally stopped, his eyes were bright.

"He wants to attack the Drago house," Nathan said, still grinning. "And he’s asking me for permission because he’s scared of me. That’s cute."

He stood up, walked to the bar, and poured himself more whiskey.

"Tell him yes," Nathan said, taking a long drink. "He can do whatever he wants. As long as Elias doesn’t get seriously hurt."

Leo typed fast.

Nathan stared into his glass, watching his reflection and then he paused.

"Wait."

Leo looked up as his thumbs stopped moving.

Nathan turned slowly at him, snapping his finger.

"Change of plans."

He walked back, took the tablet from Leo’s hands, and started typing himself.

"It’s better to tell Mr Moreau that I’ll help..."

I want Elias hurt — just a little. A scratch. A bruise. Something small. It should be enough to scare him. Enough to make him run away from the Drago house with his pants wet. When it happens, I will be there. I will save him.

And he will finally see who really cares.

He handed the tablet back.

Leo read it. His face didn’t change, but his fingers hesitated before he pressed send. He wasn’t sure if that’s the kind of response he should have sent.

"It’s done, sir."

Nathan smiled, slow and dark.

"Good."

Leo bowed and left without another word and closed the door behind him.

Nathan walked back to the pool, dropped the robe, and slid into the water again. He floated on his back, staring up at the glass ceiling and the stars beyond.

"Soon," he whispered to the empty penthouse. "You’ll need me, Elias. And when you do... I’ll be right there, like your personal knight."

He closed his eyes and smiled.

.

.

The next morning at the Drago estate.

Elias woke up to the sound of small feet running past his door and children laughing. He groaned in frustration as he opened his eyes. There was no school today.

Tomorrow they would leave for the "safe house"... whatever that really meant. He still didn’t fully understand. Rich people had safe houses. Poor people had nowhere to go.

He got up, showered fast, and went to the twins’ room.

The door was open.

Inside was organised chaos. Dario was sitting in an open suitcase, trying to fit three gaming consoles at once. Dante was throwing clothes out of the closet as they offended him.

Lila stood in the middle with her arms crossed.

"No," she said firmly. "You don’t need fifteen hoodies. Just pick three."

"But what if it snows?" Dario asked.

"It’s autumn."

"What if it suddenly gets cold?"

Lila gave him a look that could freeze fire. Dario quietly put twelve hoodies back. Elias leaned in the doorway and laughed.

"Need help?"

Three heads turned at once.

"Nanny!" the twins shouted.

They ran and hugged his legs. Lila pretended to be annoyed, but her cheeks were pink.

"I’ve got this under control," she said. "Dealing with the baby bears is su~per easy."

"I can see that," Elias said, stepping over a pile of socks. "The room’s actually clean. I’m impressed."

"Lila made us do it," Dante said proudly.

"She said if we didn’t clean, she’d tell you and you’d leave again," Dario added.

Elias raised an eyebrow at his sister.

Lila shrugged. "It worked."

He laughed and ruffled the twins’ hair.

"Okay, let’s pack properly. Warm clothes only. We don’t know how cold it gets there."

They spent the next hour folding tiny sweaters, arguing about which stuffed animals were "essential," and sneaking extra controllers when Lila wasn’t looking.

By the time they finished, three suitcases were neatly lined up by the door.

Elias looked around as the room became spotless.

He turned to Lila with a thumbs-up.

"You’re scary good at this."

She tried not to smile. "Someone has to be the adult and it’s definitely not one of them,"

He hugged her tight. "Thank you, little sis."

She hugged back, mumbling, "Whatever."

When he left the room, Elias told Lila to keep an eye on the twins while he went to his own room to pack.

He needed a minute alone.

He had just closed the door when he heard voices in the hallway. He tilted his head to see who it was and he saw Luka.

He was on the phone with the speaker on.

"...no, seriously, stay away from the safe house, you two. I’m not joking."

A girl’s voice, loud and excited: "But we want to meet Elias properly! He’s going to be our brother-in-law!"

Another girl added. "Yeah! We didn’t get to talk to him at the engagement party because of stupid seating!"

Luka groaned loud enough for the whole floor to hear.

"I swear, if you show up, Viktor will throw you out himself. Stay. Home."

He hung up and turned his head. He froze when he saw Elias staring at him.

"Uh... hey."

Elias smiled. "Your sisters want to meet me?"

Luka rubbed the back of his neck. "They’re... intense. They’ve been wanting to meet you ever since you slapped my brother."

Elias laughed softly. "I don’t mind. As long as they don’t cause trouble."

Luka snorted. "Good luck with that. Viktor will never let them come. He’s protective."

He waved. "I’m going to find him. See you later."

Elias watched him go, then went to his room. He didn’t need to pack up since he was taking the same bags he brought from his house. They were already packed up and ready to be moved. His clothes and the gun case Viktor gave him... still couldn’t believe that was real.

He stared at it for a long time, then closed the suitcase.

.

.

Luka walked fast to Viktor’s office. He got there and knocked once. Gerald opened the door.

The room was dark as always with the curtains drawn. Only the desk lamp was on. Viktor sat behind the desk, face in his hands.

Gerald looked worried.

Luka stepped in. "What’s going on?"

Viktor didn’t answer. He just pushed a file across the desk. Luka picked it up.

Inside was a USB drive and printed photos... the frozen frame from the highway camera. The silver car.

The moment before impact and the crash. Luka’s stomach dropped.

"We... we already covered this up," he said quietly. "Years ago."

"I know," Viktor said, voice rough. "But Gerald found the original file."

Luka looked at Gerald. Gerald wouldn’t meet his eyes. Viktor kept talking.

"Don’t look at him like that. I was the one who told him to keep it. The couple in that car... Elena and Daniel Kane are Elias’s parents," he whispered.

Viktor froze. For some seconds, he couldn’t move a finger. Silence stretched and Luka walked closer.

"But it wasn’t your fault," he said. "You weren’t even the one who... It was..."

"Shut up," Viktor snapped suddenly. "Don’t say the name."

Luka closed his mouth and watched as Viktor leaned back in his chair, eyes red.

"If Elias finds out..." He couldn’t finish.

"He won’t," Luka said. "We’ll make sure."

Viktor nodded slowly.

Then his eyes moved to the corner of the desk where a small red light was blinking fast and steady.

Viktor stared at it.

Luka frowned. "Why is the security panel beeping?"

Viktor stood up so fast the chair fell backwards.

"That’s not a beep," he said in a low voice.

"That’s the perimeter breach alert," Gerald went pale.

Luka’s eyes widened. "Don’t tell me we’re under attack."

"We’re definitely under attack and they are already inside the mansion."