Chapter 5 - The Attack That Forced Nico to Admit He Would Rather Die Than Lose BellaGunfire shattered the night.
Security responded immediately.
Nico moved Bella toward the reinforced hallway.
“Where is Tilly?”
“With Elena.”
“Good.”
Then a bullet struck the wall.
Bella screamed.
Nico pulled her down.
“Don't move.”
She grabbed his sleeve.
“You're bleeding.”
He looked at his shoulder.
A graze.
“Nothing.”
“It is not nothing.”
“Bella.”
“No.”
She stared at him.
“You don't get to act invincible just because you're terrifying.”
For one second, Nico almost laughed.
Then another explosion shook the house.
He realized the attackers were trying to reach the study.
The ledger.
They wanted the evidence.
Nico and Bella moved.
They reached the hidden safe room.
Elena and Tilly were already there.
Tilly ran toward Nico.
“Mr. Thunder!”
He lifted her.
“I need you to be brave.”
“I am brave.”
“I know.”
Nico turned toward Bella.
“We leave now.”
They escaped through a tunnel beneath the estate.
Outside, cars waited.
But someone had betrayed them.
The route was blocked.
Nico realized they had been tracking his movements.
Someone inside his organization was feeding information.
They fled to an old farmhouse.
There, Bella confronted him.
“You knew this could happen.”
“Yes.”
“And you brought us into it.”
“No.”
He looked at her.
“They brought you into it.”
Bella shook her head.
“No.”
She stepped closer.
“You were already living in this world.”
“Yes.”
“But now you're scared because I'm in it.”
He didn't deny it.
She touched his cheek.
“Nico.”
He closed his eyes.
When he opened them, something had changed.
“I don't know how to do this.”
“Do what?”
“Care about someone.”
Bella's expression softened.
“You're doing fine.”
He kissed her.
It was brief.
Tender.
Unexpected.
Then he stepped back.
“We still have work to do.”
Bella smiled.
“That sounded more like you.”
They discovered the traitor before morning.
Everett.
He had been forced to cooperate.
Richard Vale had his son.
Nico did not punish him.
Instead, he helped rescue the boy.
Everett confessed the location of Vale's newest operation.
A private casino outside Indianapolis.
They infiltrated it.
But Richard was waiting.
He had taken Elena.
And he wanted Bella.
The casino meeting became a standoff.
Richard smiled.
“You've changed, Nico.”
Nico stared at him.
“You're the reason my family suffered.”
“No.”
Richard laughed.
“Your father was weak.”
“He let Thomas live.”
“He failed.”
Bella stepped forward.
“And you killed my mother.”
Richard looked at her.
“Yes.”
Bella's face went white.
Nico reached for her.
Richard smiled.
“Now you know.”
Then Bella asked the question nobody expected.
“Why?”
Richard laughed.
“Because your mother knew where the ledger was.”
Bella stared.
Richard continued.
“She refused to tell me.”
“So I made sure she couldn't.”
Nico's eyes became cold.
But Bella held up one hand.
“Let me.”
Richard looked confused.
Bella stepped closer.
“You've spent twenty years thinking people like me are powerless.”
She smiled.
“You made one mistake.”
“What?”
“You told me everything.”
Richard's face changed.
Nico understood.
She had been recording.
Police entered.
Richard was arrested.
But the final twist came moments later.
The recording revealed another name.
Robert Hensley.
The senator.
He had ordered the original cover-up.
Richard had been his servant.
May you like
Hensley was still powerful.
And he was already preparing to destroy the evidence.
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