The Breaking Point
Ashley had just finished her shower, the steam still clinging to her skin, when she stepped out of the bathroom and noticed the silence.
Irene’s absence was the first thing that caught her attention. She quickly dried off and dressed in a hurry, her mind racing.
“Irene?” she called, her voice echoing through the penthouse. No response.
Her stomach churned with unease as she rushed through the rooms, checking each one with growing panic. The place was eerily quiet, the kind of silence that spoke of danger.
Frantic, she moved toward the balcony and glanced out into the garden, hoping to see Irene sitting peacefully, maybe with a cup of tea. But what she saw stopped her dead in her tracks.
The two police officers assigned to guard them were lying motionless on the ground, their bodies slumped in unnatural positions. Their uniforms were stained with blood.
Her heart stopped. She let out a piercing scream, her voice high and raw, echoing across the empty garden. She stumbled backward, her breath coming in quick, shallow gasps.
A voice broke through the horror that held her in place.
“You think you can run away from me?”
Ashley spun around, her eyes locking on Ethan’s face.
He stood there, grinning widely, like a predator savoring its catch. His eyes gleamed with malice as he took in her panicked expression.
“Of course not,” Ethan continued, taking a step closer. “I have eyes everywhere.”
Ashley’s blood ran cold. She instinctively backed away, her pulse pounding in her ears.
“I’m just so sad I didn’t meet the hero of the day at home,” he mocked, his grin widening. “Where is he?”
Ashley’s throat went dry. She didn’t say a word. She couldn’t. She could barely breathe. Ethan’s grin faltered slightly, and he took another step forward, his eyes narrowing.
“Where is he?” Ethan’s voice dropped, the malice clear in his tone. He reached out and grabbed her by the neck, his fingers tightening like a vice.
Ashley gasped, her hands instinctively flying to his wrist, trying to loosen his grip. But his strength was too much.
“I don’t know,” she managed to croak, the words barely escaping her lips.
Ethan laughed, a chilling, cruel sound that made Ashley’s blood run even colder. “Of course, you do.”
He pulled something from his waistband—cold steel gleamed in the dim light of the penthouse. The gun in his hand pointed directly at Ashley.
“Let me see who you love more between your sweet ex-mother-in-law and your ex-husband,” he sneered, his finger hovering over the trigger.
Ashley’s heart dropped into her stomach. She turned her head and saw Irene being dragged forward by one of Ethan’s men.
The man was wearing a black mask, his expression hidden, but the gleam of cruelty in his eyes was unmistakable.
“No…” Ashley whispered, her mind screaming for a way out.
“Where the fuck is Demitri?” Ethan barked, his gun now trained on Irene, who trembled in terror.
Ashley’s mind raced. What was she supposed to do? If she said nothing, Irene could be killed. But if she told him where Demitri was…
Irene spoke first, her voice shaky, her words laced with fear. “Don’t tell him, Ashley,” she pleaded, her eyes locking onto Ashley’s with desperation. “I can’t lose my son. I’ll rather lose my life than watch him die before my eyes.”
Ashley’s heart clenched. She could feel her motherly instincts rising up within her, urging her to protect Irene at all costs. But
Ethan wasn’t going to let her off the hook that easily.
Before Ashley could react, Ethan turned his gun back on Irene, his face contorting in mock sympathy. “Really?” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “What a sweet mother. I don’t have one, you know.”
Ashley’s eyes widened in shock, her breath catching in her throat.
“My father killed my mother,” Ethan continued, the words slipping out like venom. “So I wouldn’t know your worth. But here goes…”
His finger tightened on the trigger.
Ashley’s entire body went cold, and time seemed to stretch, each second an eternity. She opened her mouth to scream, to beg him to stop, but before she could get a word out—
The shot rang through the air
The air seemed to thicken, choking her as she stared at the blood splattering the floor.
“No!” she cried out, her voice breaking in despair.