Chapter 9 Ghost of the past

The garden was a battlefield, shrouded in smoke and shadows. Sophia pressed herself against a broken stone wall, trying to make herself as small as possible. Her chest heaved, every breath ragged and sharp. The night air smelled of gunpowder, burning wood, and blood.

Adrian stood in front of her, a wall of black silk and lethal precision. His pistol was raised, eyes scanning the darkness, every nerve taut.

Then the figure emerged from the treeline.

Tall, lean, and impossibly calm, he stepped into the flickering light of the fires. The face was familiar-Adrian's eyes narrowed. Recognition flared like lightning.

"Vincent," Adrian muttered, his voice low, dangerous.

Sophia's stomach sank. She didn't know who Vincent was-but the way Adrian's jaw tightened told her everything she needed to know.

Vincent's smirk was cold, almost mocking. "Adrian Romano. Still playing the hero?" His voice carried over the chaos, sharp and deliberate.

Adrian's hand tightened around his pistol. "You shouldn't have come."

Vincent shrugged, stepping closer, guns raised. His men emerged from the shadows behind him, surrounding them with practiced ease.

Sophia's eyes widened. They were outnumbered-again. She pressed herself closer to Adrian, heart hammering. "What... who is he?" she whispered.

"Trouble," Adrian growled, eyes locked on Vincent. "A ghost from my past."

The first shot rang out. Bullets tore through the air, sending sparks flying from the stone path. Adrian's reflexes were instantaneous-he pivoted, firing twice, dropping one attacker before the others could react.

Sophia ducked instinctively, stomach twisting as Adrian's body shielded her. The man beside him went down with a clean shot to the chest, Adrian moving like a shadow, lethal and precise.

Vincent laughed, a cold, sharp sound. "You always were fast... but not fast enough."

Adrian's eyes flicked to Sophia. "Stay behind me. Do not move."

Her knees shook. She wanted to run, wanted to disappear, but she couldn't leave him-not when he was facing this.

Vincent's men advanced, surrounding them. Adrian fired with deadly efficiency, each shot calculated, taking down attackers one by one. But Vincent stayed back, calm, assessing, smiling like a predator enjoying the dance.

Adrian's jaw tightened. His eyes narrowed, and for the first time, Sophia noticed a flicker of something darker-rage, vengeance, history. This wasn't just a fight for survival. This was personal.

Sophia's heart pounded. "Adrian..."

He didn't answer her. His focus was entirely on Vincent, every muscle coiled, every movement controlled. He was ruthless, a predator unleashed.

Vincent raised a pistol. "Time's up," he said, smirk never leaving his face.

Adrian's finger tightened on the trigger.

And then... a deafening explosion ripped through the garden, sending dirt, shards of stone, and fire into the air. Sophia screamed, pressed against Adrian as the shockwave knocked them to the ground.

When the smoke cleared, Vincent was gone.

Adrian's eyes scanned the shadows, calculating. His face was a mask of fury and determination.

Sophia looked up at him, trembling. "Where did he go?"

Adrian didn't answer immediately. His gaze was fixed on the treeline, every sense alert. "This isn't over," he said finally.

Her stomach sank. She knew he was right.

Somewhere in the shadows, Vincent waited.

And now, they were trapped, cornered, with no clear way out.