Chapter 2 Tragic Hit

Henry's POV

The two days passed quickly, and I cherished every moment spent with my wife and daughter. I had left everything concerning the deal to Albert, though I continued giving him instructions on what to do.

Iriana had quickly taken a special interest in Sofia, treating her as if she were her personal property. For her sake, I kept Sofia out of the deal plans so she could spend time with Iriana.

Now, the day of the deal had arrived, and I was visibly tense. I sat in the living room, pretending to watch a drama on television, hoping to distract myself and calm my nerves. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake off the unease. Albert, along with some of our men and representatives of the Zmey Bratva, had gone to finalize the deal. It had been two hours since he left, and still, there was no word from him.

Apart from it being a major deal, the Volkvas had been eerily quiet, which made their silence even more suspicious. It was unlike them not to stir up trouble. I picked up my phone from the table and checked the time-7:30 p.m. Albert had been gone since 5:00 p.m., and I hadn't received a single call from him. I considered dialing his number, but my trembling hand betrayed my anxiety, and I hesitated before placing the phone back down.

I looked across the room at my little girl, and a fresh wave of fear gripped me. My heart pounded furiously in my chest. The feeling was maddening. Then, as if sensing my turmoil, she looked up at me and smiled. Instantly, the tension in my body eased a little. My daughter had a charm that could soothe even the most tormented soul.

"Sofia, not like that! Wait, I'll show you..." Iriana's tiny voice piped up. She was trying to guide Sofia, who was struggling to tie her hair into a ponytail.

"She's better off with guns," I thought silently as i watched Sofia struggle helplessly to tie Iriana's Hair.

"Is this okay, ma'am?" Sofia asked after trying again.

"No, Sofia, it's too loose," Iriana replied, shaking her head.

Sofia untied the hair and started over.

"Iriana, stop bothering Sofia," Loretta said as she descended the stairs.

"But she's my best friend, Mama," Iriana protested before turning to Sofia. Smiling brightly, she asked, "Right?"

"Yes, ma'am," Sofia confirmed with a smile.

"Oh, Sofia, why do you keep calling me 'ma'am'? We already agreed to be friends!" Iriana pouted.

"Because you are my boss," Sofia responded.

"But I don't want to be your boss! I want to be your best friend, okay?"

"Okay, ma'am."

"Oh no!" Iriana groaned, clearly frustrated. "Call me Iriana."

"I can't, ma'am."

"Why? Because I'm your boss?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Sofia finally finished tying the hair. "All done. Do you like it, ma'am?"

"No! Not 'ma'am'!" Iriana whined, close to tears.

Sofia looked genuinely confused about what to do. Iriana, unable to bear it anymore, burst into tears.

I sat there watching them, my mind torn between their innocent exchange and the dark storm of worry brewing inside me.

"Sofia, loosen up a bit for her, please," Loretta said with a smile. "Come here, baby. Let's make a wishlist for your birthday." She grabbed a pen and a notepad from the table.

Iriana wiped her face and walked up to me instead.

"Papa," she sniffled.

"Yes, baby?" I answered, forcing a smile, and trying to conceal my troubled expression.

"Can I take Sofia with me to America?" she asked innocently.

"Come on, Iriana, Sofia isn't a teddy bear you can take everywhere," Loretta chided gently.

Ignoring her mother, she kept her gaze fixed on me, awaiting my response.

"I'll think about it, baby," I said, too distracted to engage in her request.

"I love you, Papa," she said happily before turning back to her mother.

8:30 p.m.

"What's taking Albert so long?" I thought, checking my phone again. Anxiety gnawed at me. I beckoned Sofia, who was standing nearby on guard.

"Has Albert called you yet?" I asked when she approached. She shook her head, concern evident in her eyes.

Almost immediately, my phone rang. I grabbed it quickly-Albert. I sighed in relief as I answered.

"Hello, Albert. All done?" I asked.

"Boss, is everything alright?" His voice was urgent and tense.

"For now, yes. Is there a problem?" His tone unsettled me again.

"Boss, the deal went too smoothly. The contract was signed successfully, but it's suspicious. No attack from the Volkvas, no spies, no trail. It's too quiet, boss."

Albert was no coward. His voice wasn't shaking from fear but from deep concern.

"Where are you now?" I asked, my grip tightening on the phone.

"The Zmey representatives returned to their base with their share. I'm on my way back to the vacation house with the guys."

"Are you being followed?"

"No, boss. And that's what worries me more. I haven't heard from our men who were assigned to spy on the Volkovas too. Boss, I just-"

Just then a loud bang interrupted him and the line went dead.

Something was wrong.

I turned to Sofia. "The Volkvas are attacking us."

"What about the guys, boss?" she asked, alarmed.

"I think they were ambushed," I replied, hastily gathering the documents on the table.

Loretta, who had been watching us, stepped closer, her voice trembling. "What's going on?"

"We need to leave. Now." I retrieved my gun from behind the couch

"What's happening?" she asked again, on the verge of tears.

Before I could answer, there was a gunshot. The glass windows shattered, and Loretta fell to the ground, her blood splattering across the couch and onto Iriana's face and hair. My daughter screamed and fainted instantly.

"Nooooo!" I screamed, the documents and my gun slipping from my hands. My legs buckled beneath me, and I collapsed to the ground.

"No!" I shouted again, crawling frantically toward Loretta's lifeless body. I lifted her onto my legs.

"No, no, please, Loretta...ahhh!"

I screamed in pain, crying like a child.

The gunshots persisted, but I couldn't think. My world went blank. I sat there, consumed by grief, my body frozen in place.

Sofia was blindly shooting back through the shattered windows.

"Boss, we need to move!" she yelled, still firing. But I could barely hear her.

"Boss, please! We need to leave here now!" she shouted again.

When I didn't respond, she rushed over to me, bent down, grabbed my shirt, and shook me violently.

"Boss, Madam is dead, but Iriana can still be saved if we escape. We don't have enough men to fight them right now. Please, come back to your senses!" she cried.

I looked at her, then turned to look at Iriana. More tears spilled from my eyes.

"Boss!" Sofia shook me desperately.

Yes... I could still save my girl. I stood up with shaking legs, wiped my face with blood-stained palms, and took my gun.

"Sofia, take my daughter and leave. Now!" I ordered, pulling the trigger and trying hard to pull myself together. My whole body was steaming hot with regrets,pain and anger, all at once

"What about you, boss?" she asked.

"I'll cover for you. Please, keep her safe." I replied and started returning the shots.

"Boss..." she said, her eyes filled with tears.

"Just take her and go, Sofia, please." I said then ran across the room and brought out an M16 from behind the drink stand and continued shooting blindly too, shattering the glass walls.

Sofia was also shooting hard at the other end of the room.

"Sofia" I shouted, then ran across the room again back to her

"Just go, I'm fine"

She looked at me and nodded, slinging Iriana onto her back. She drew her gun and moved toward the back door through the kitchen.

"Sofia," I called as she reached the door. She turned to me.

"Thank you."

Another shot rang out. Sofia screamed and fell, blood pooling beneath her. My heart skipped. More bullets shattered the windows.

I ran and took cover behind a pillar, glancing toward Sofia's last position-she was gone. Blood smeared the floor. Had she escaped?

"Please keep Iriana safe," I prayed silently, unsure if I was praying to God or to Sofia.

The gunfire suddenly ceased. The door burst open.

A man with an AK-47 stepped inside.I could tell from his reflections in the half shattered mirror on the wall facing the door. I waited, steadying my breath. As soon as he moved deeper into the room, I took aim and fired. He dropped instantly.

A woman rushed in, firing blindly. I dodged behind the pillar, but she kept shooting blindly, while walking towards my direction.

Something inside me snapped. Staring at Loretta's lifeless body, I lost the will to live.

I stepped into the open, both of us shot at each other until we fell to the ground.

As I lay there, weak in my pool of blood, I thought about my decision, and tears rolled down my face. I killed her.

I shouldn't have bent.

"I'm sorry, Loretta," I muttered, filled with regret.

Another figure entered, but my vision blurred. I struggled to stay conscious.

They walked up to me and pointed a gun at me.I couldn't make out who they were. Male, or female?

I closed my eyes.

"Please, keep Iriana safe," I prayed. This time, I was praying to God.

A final gunshot.