Chapter 8 - The Gala Massacre
The grand ballroom was filled with the most powerful and corrupt people in the city.
Norah wore a simple, elegant black dress Arthur had provided, standing quietly behind his chair.
She felt incredibly exposed, desperately scanning the room for the assassin.
Silas stood near the entrance, wearing dark sunglasses to hide the fresh cuts on his face, claiming it was a minor training accident.
He smirked at Arthur, believing his treacherous plan was still perfectly intact.
A waiter approached their table carrying a silver tray with a single, crystal flute of champagne.
Norah recognized the waiter instantly.
It was one of Dominic Rossi's men, disguised in a crisp white tuxedo.
The waiter placed the champagne delicately in front of Arthur.
Arthur reached out and picked up the glass, raising it slightly toward Silas in a mocking toast.
Silas's cruel smile widened, anticipating the inevitable death of his boss.
Before the glass could touch Arthur's lips, Norah deliberately stepped forward and knocked it violently from his hand.
The crystal shattered on the marble floor, the poisoned champagne instantly burning a hole in the expensive rug.
"It's a trap!" Norah screamed at the top of her lungs.
The disguised waiter reached into his tuxedo jacket and pulled out a suppressed submachine gun.
Arthur reacted with lethal speed, drawing his own weapon and shooting the waiter perfectly between the eyes.
The ballroom erupted into absolute, terrifying chaos.
Guests screamed and trampled each other, desperately trying to flee through the main doors.
Silas roared in fury and drew his weapon, firing wildly toward Arthur's table.
"Get down!" Arthur commanded, grabbing Norah and dragging her behind the heavy marble buffet table.
Bullets shredded the expensive catering display, raining glass and fine china down upon them.
Half of the security guards in the room suddenly turned their weapons on Arthur's loyal men.
Silas had orchestrated a massive, violent coup from within.
Arthur reloaded his pistol with practiced efficiency, his face completely devoid of fear.
He popped out from cover and systematically took down three of Silas's treacherous guards.
"We have to move to the kitchen!" Arthur yelled over the deafening gunfire.
He grabbed Norah's hand and pulled her into a desperate, frantic sprint across the ballroom.
They burst through the swinging kitchen doors, leaving the bloody massacre behind them.
They escaped through the underground service tunnels, finally emerging into a dark alleyway where a backup car was waiting.
Arthur drove erratically through the city, eventually pulling into a heavily fortified, secret safehouse.
They sat in the quiet living room, completely exhausted and covered in dust and blood.
Arthur looked at Norah, a profound sense of gratitude shining in his hardened eyes.
"You saved my life again, Nora," Arthur whispered, his voice incredibly soft.
Before she could respond, Arthur's burner phone rang loudly on the coffee table.
He answered it on speaker.
"I am going to enjoy breaking your empire piece by piece, Arthur," Silas's voice echoed through the room.
"Starting with the little maid's best friend."
May you like
A live video feed popped up on the phone screen.
It showed Rosa, the sweet, elderly laundry woman who had always protected Norah, tied to a chair with a massive bomb strapped to her chest.
