Chapter 2 - The Bloodline Equation
The scream that tore from Ava’s throat was swallowed by total chaos.
Tables overturned. Wine glasses smashed against the floor as high-society patrons scattered in the dark, desperate for cover. The scent of gunpowder instantly masked the aroma of roasted truffle and aged steak.
An arm thick as an oak branch wrapped around Ava’s waist, slamming her back against a heavy marble pillar. Roman’s body shielded her completely, his massive frame absorbing the impact of the crowd surging past.
“Stay down,” Roman growled near her ear.
Through the dark, a red laser dot danced across the white tablecloths, searching.
Crack! Another high-caliber round shattered the grand chandelier above. Crystal rained down like sharp ice.
Roman pulled a black semi-automatic pistol from a hidden holster under his arm with terrifying fluidity. He didn't fire blindly. He counted the beats in the dark, listening to the footsteps echoing from the service corridor. He fired twice into the shadows—two muffled thuds followed by the heavy collapse of an intruder.
“Lily!” Roman bellowed over the screaming crowd.
“I have her, boss!” one of the bodyguards shouted from the left.
Roman didn't hesitate. He hooked his arm through Ava’s, hauling her along as he dragged her toward the kitchen exit. She tried to pull away, her heels slipping on spilled wine and blood, but his grip was absolute.
“Let me go! You’re insane! People are shooting!” Ava shrieked, panic clawing at her throat.
“They aren't shooting at me, girl,” Roman snarled, kicking open the heavy steel doors leading to the alley behind the restaurant. “They’re shooting at you.”
The cold night air hit her face, crisp and smelling of rain and exhaust fumes. Parked in the alley was an armored black SUV, its engine idling with a throat-catching hum. The rear door slid open, and the second bodyguard tossed the crying toddler inside before turning his weapon toward the alley entrance.
Roman shoved Ava into the back seat. She tried to scramble out the opposite side, but he slid in right behind her, slamming the heavy door shut. The child immediately scrambled over the leather seats, throwing her tiny arms around Ava’s neck and burying her face in Ava’s apron.
“Mommy... don't leave,” Lily whimpered, trembling violently.
Ava froze. Her instinct was to push the child away—to explain that she was just a twenty-two-year-old college dropout working a minimum-wage job to pay for her grandmother’s kidney dialysis. But as the small, warm body pressed against her, a bizarre, phantom ache throbbed deep in Ava’s chest. A memory that didn't belong to her flickered at the edge of her mind: the smell of rain, a white room, and a woman singing a lullaby in a voice that sounded exactly like her own.
“Where are you taking me?” Ava gasped, trying to untangle Lily’s small fingers from her hair. “This is kidnapping! My family—my abuela will call the police!”
Roman pulled a heavy tablet from a pouch behind the driver's seat. He tapped the screen rapidly, illuminating his sharp, brutal jawline in blue light. He turned the screen toward her.
It was a medical database file from South Side General Hospital, dated three years ago.
“Look at the blood print,” Roman said coldly. “Three years ago, my daughter was born. The hospital reported a fatal hemorrhaging event. Sofia Garza was declared dead. But the corpse they showed me was burned beyond recognition in a tragic utility room fire twenty minutes after her death.”
Ava stared at the screen. “I don't care about your dead wife! I am Ava Reyes!”
“Look at the birthmark on the infant’s medical chart, Ava,” Roman ordered, his voice dropping to a terrifying whisper. He reached out and snatched the collar of her server uniform, tugging it down just far enough to reveal her left shoulder.
There, printed on her skin, was a distinct, star-shaped birthmark.
On the screen, the exact same mark was noted on the infant born to Sofia Garza three years ago.
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“You aren't Sofia,” Roman said, his Slate eyes burning with a dark, dangerous intelligence. “You’re the child they stole from me. You aren't Lily’s mother. You’re her mother’s twin... and the true heir to everything I own.”
Before Ava could scream, the SUV slammed into high gear, tires screeching as a black van rammed them hard from behind.
