CHAPTER 4 — The Bloodline They Tried to Erase
The first shot was not fired by Damian.
It came from above.
A sharp crack split the basement air, wood dust exploding from the staircase railing as a warning round embedded itself inches from his shoulder.
Not meant to kill.
Meant to direct.
Damian didn’t flinch.
He had lived long enough in violence to understand its language.
Warnings were just invitations wrapped in arrogance.
He moved instead of reacting.
A second shot followed immediately.
This one closer.
The light bulb above him shattered, plunging half the basement into darkness.
Now it was no longer a warning.
It was containment.
Above the Basement — Chloe’s Escape
Chloe reached the top of the stairs with Lily pressed tightly against her chest.
The house was no longer quiet.
It was occupied.
Men moved through the upper floor with practiced precision—dark jackets, no insignia, faces partially covered.
May you like
Not gangsters.
Not
