Chapter 3 3

"Stop!"

The voice was female, authoritative, and cold as ice.

Celestia Singleton strode into the room. She wore a black power suit that looked like armor. Her heels clicked on the marble with military precision.

Behind her, twelve men in tactical gear flooded the room. They carried riot shields with the Singleton Global logo. They moved fast, forming a phalanx between Gideon and Julian.

The wall of shields blocked Julian's line of sight.

"Celestia!" Julian roared. "Get out of the way! This is my wedding!"

Celestia ignored him. She walked straight to Gideon. She looked him up and down, checking for wounds. Her eyes were wide, panicked, but her face remained stoic.

"Gideon Combs is under the protection of the Singleton family," she announced. She turned to face the balcony. "He is a contract holder. Taking him is my right."

The room gasped. The Singleton and Davidson families were rivals, but this was a declaration of war.

Gasper leaned over the railing. His face was twisted.

"You're starting a corporate war for a dead man's apprentice?" Gasper spat. "Are you stupid, girl?"

"It's about the integrity of the contract," Celestia said, though her voice wavered slightly.

Gideon looked at her. He saw the pulse jumping in her neck. She was terrified. She was defying the two most powerful families in the city for him.

"I don't need your help," Gideon said quietly. "Move."

Celestia spun on him. Her eyes flashed. "Shut up," she hissed. "You have no idea what you've done. That's Gasper Davidson. He will kill you."

Gasper raised his hand.

"Kill them all," Gasper said. "Leave the girl."

Side doors burst open. Davidson's elite guard entered. These men didn't have batons. They had automatic rifles.

The red lasers danced across the Singleton shields.

"Drop the weapons!" the Davidson captain shouted.

"Protect the asset!" the Singleton captain yelled.

The tension in the room was a physical weight. One loud noise, one twitch, and the Plaza Hotel would become a morgue.

Gideon sighed. He stepped out from behind the shield wall.

Celestia grabbed his arm. "Gideon! No!"

He shook her off gently. He walked into the open space between the two armies.

He looked up at Gasper. "You want to play the big game? Fine."

Gideon's left hand brushed his belt. In between his fingers, three small, silver capsules appeared.

Julian saw his chance. The shields were gone.

He fired.

Bang.

Celestia screamed.

Gideon didn't duck. He tilted his head to the left. It was a minimal movement, calculated to the millimeter.

The bullet grazed his cheek. It left a thin, red line, stinging like a paper cut.

Gideon smiled.

He flicked his wrist. The three silver capsules flew through the air. They didn't go toward the guards. They went into the large air intake vents near the floor.

There was a soft hiss. No explosion. No smoke. Just a sound like a tire deflating.

Gideon looked at Julian.

"Game on," he said.