Chapter 6 - The Secret Benefactor
A massive explosion ripped through the office, instantly vaporizing Arthur and his desk.
The shockwave launched Julian and Marisol down the hallway, slamming them hard against the concrete floor.
Flames engulfed the room behind them, filling the corridor with thick, suffocating black smoke.
Julian groaned in pain but immediately rolled over to check on Marisol.
She was coughing violently, covered in white plaster dust, but miraculously unbroken.
He pulled her to her feet, supporting her weight as they stumbled out into the cool night air.
The medic dragged them both back into the idling delivery truck before the police sirens began wailing in the distance.
As the truck sped away toward a secure safehouse, Marisol leaned her head back and closed her eyes.
She realized with a strange clarity that Julian had just risked his own life to save hers for the third time today.
She opened her eyes and stared at the bleeding syndicate boss.
"Why do you care if I live or die?" she asked, her voice raspy from the smoke.
Julian applied fresh pressure to his bleeding thigh, avoiding her direct gaze.
"Because it is my job to protect innocent people," he deflected smoothly.
"Do not lie to me," Marisol snapped, moving closer to him in the dark truck.
"You said you have been watching over my family for five years."
Julian sighed heavily, the fight finally draining out of his exhausted body.
"Three years ago, Mateo needed a specialized heart surgery that your insurance refused to cover," Julian said quietly.
Marisol gasped, remembering the mysterious anonymous donation that had saved her brother's life at the very last minute.
"That was you?" she whispered in absolute shock.
"Yes," Julian admitted, finally looking her in the eyes.
"Why would a powerful crime boss pay half a million dollars to save a stranger's brother?" she demanded.
May you like
Julian looked down at his blood-stained hands, his expression filled with ancient grief.
"Because your father was the best man I ever knew, and he took a bullet meant for me five years ago," Julian confessed.
