The sound of gunfire ricocheted through the hall, screams and chaos erupting in waves. Axia stumbled backward, her heart racing as the weight of Andrew’s betrayal pressed down on her chest. His smile—cold and calculating—was the only thing she could focus on, burning itself into her mind like a cruel joke.
“Run,” Preston had told her. But where could she go? There was nowhere safe.
Andrew leaned close, his voice steady amidst the panic. “Stay by my side, Axia. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”
She couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. Her legs felt like lead, her chest constricted with disbelief and pain. “Why?” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Why are you doing this?”
Andrew's expression softened, but the malice in his eyes remained. “Don’t act surprised, Axia. You knew something was off all along, didn’t you? Or were you really that naive?”
Her vision blurred with tears. She had ignored the signs—the unexplained phone calls, his uncanny interest in her father’s affairs, the occasional slip of his polished mask. She had convinced herself that love could explain it all.
“I loved you,” she said, her voice cracking.
Andrew scoffed. “Love? You were nothing more than a means to an end. Did you really think someone like me would fall for someone like you?”
The words cut deeper than any weapon could. Axia staggered back, her heart shattering into a thousand pieces. Four years of laughter, of promises, of whispered dreams—it had all been a lie.
Andrew grabbed her wrist, his grip firm and unyielding. “You’re coming with me,” he said coldly.
“No!” Axia yanked her arm free, anger bubbling beneath her grief. “You don’t get to do this to me!”
“Don’t be stupid,” Andrew snapped. “Your father is as good as dead. If you cooperate, I might let your brothers live.”
Her blood ran cold. The thought of her family—the only people who had ever truly cared for her—being slaughtered because of her naivety was unbearable.
---
Axia’s mind raced as Andrew began dragging her through the chaos. Preston was nowhere to be seen, and the armed men had taken control of the hall, corralling the guests into terrified clusters. The elegant evening had transformed into a nightmare.
As they moved toward the exit, Andrew’s assistant, Victoria, appeared, her face twisted with a smug grin. “The old man’s been neutralized,” she reported. “The enforcer is still unaccounted for, but the perimeter is secured.”
“Good,” Andrew said. “Let’s wrap this up.”
Victoria’s gaze shifted to Axia, her smirk widening. “You still carrying this dead weight?”
Axia glared at her, her fists clenched. “You don’t know anything about me.”
“Oh, but I do,” Victoria taunted. “You’re a pampered little princess who thought she could play house with a man like Andrew. Pathetic.”
Andrew tightened his grip on Axia’s arm. “Enough, Victoria. She’s still useful.”
The way he said it, as if she were a pawn in his game, made Axia’s stomach churn. The man she had loved—the man she had planned a future with—was a stranger.
---
As they neared the ship’s main deck, a loud crash echoed behind them. Axia turned to see Preston emerging from the shadows, his gun drawn, his eyes blazing with fury.
“Let her go,” he ordered, his voice like steel.
Andrew laughed, shoving Axia in front of him like a shield. “Ah, the loyal dog. I was wondering when you’d show up.”
“Don’t test me,” Preston growled, his aim unwavering. “You know how this ends.”
For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath. Axia’s heart pounded as she looked between the two men, torn between fear and fury.
“You won’t shoot,” Andrew said confidently. “Not with her in the way.”
Axia’s voice trembled as she finally found her strength. “Let me go, Andrew.”
He ignored her, his focus on Preston. “You’re outnumbered, Marino. Walk away while you still can.”
Preston smirked, the corner of his mouth twitching. “You think I care about the odds? You made one mistake, Dawson. You underestimated what happens when you mess with Salerno blood.”
---
The tension snapped like a taut wire. Preston fired a shot, narrowly missing Andrew, who shoved Axia to the ground and dove for cover. The deck erupted into chaos as armed men swarmed the area, their guns blazing.
Axia crawled to the side, her hands trembling as she tried to stay out of the line of fire. She could hear Preston’s voice barking orders, his movements calculated and precise.
Andrew’s voice rang out, laced with frustration. “Victoria, take her! Now!”
Before Axia could react, Victoria lunged toward her, grabbing her by the hair and yanking her to her feet.
“Time to say goodbye to your white knight,” Victoria sneered.
---
Axia’s anger flared. She wasn’t going to let herself be dragged around like a helpless doll anymore. She twisted in Victoria’s grip, driving her elbow into the other woman’s ribs. Victoria gasped, her hold loosening just enough for Axia to break free.
“Get back here!” Victoria shouted, reaching for her, but Axia was already running.
Her feet pounded against the deck as she weaved through the chaos, her mind a blur of emotions. She had to find Preston. He was the only person she could trust.
---
Preston was pinned behind a pillar, exchanging fire with Andrew’s men. His sharp eyes caught sight of Axia, and he motioned for her to stay low.
“Axia, get down!” he shouted, his voice cutting through the noise.
She dropped to the ground, crawling toward him. Her hands were scraped, her gown torn, but she didn’t care.
When she reached him, he grabbed her arm, his grip firm but not unkind. “Are you hurt?”
She shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “I didn’t know, Preston. I swear I didn’t know.”
“I know,” he said, his voice softer. “But right now, we need to get you out of here.”
“How about Papa?”
“You don't need to worry about him. You alert us in the right time.”
Before they could move, Andrew’s voice echoed across the deck.
“Axia!”
She turned to see him standing on an upper platform, his gun aimed at her. His face was twisted with rage, the mask of charm completely gone.
“You think you can run from me?” he snarled. “You don’t get to leave, Axia. Not after everything I’ve done for you.”
Preston stepped in front of her, his gun trained on Andrew. “Touch her, and you die.”
Andrew laughed, a hollow, bitter sound. “You think you can protect her? You think she’s safe with you?”
He fired a shot, and Axia screamed as Preston shoved her aside, taking the brunt of the impact.
“Preston!” she cried, her hands shaking as she scrambled to his side. Blood seeped through his jacket, but his eyes remained locked on Andrew.
“Run,” Preston whispered, his voice strained. “Now.”
Axia’s heart broke as she looked into his eyes, the man who had always been there for her, who had taken a bullet to save her. But she couldn’t leave him. Not like this.
“Axia,” Andrew called, his voice mocking. “Make your choice. Stay with him and die, or come with me and live.”
Her breath caught, her mind spinning as she realized the impossible decision before her.
