Chapter <b>186 </b>


    Haider’s POV:


    Shit. Holy hell, I was going to be so, sote.


    The digital clock on my phone screen shed seven o’clock. I hadn’t been able to make it home for the dinner party, and I knew what that meant. If I didn’t get there soon, those two human–sized ck holes–my cousins–would have devoured every single piece of bava my mother had meticulously made for dessert. The thought alone was enough to make me pick up my pace. I had been looking forward to that dessert all day, the one that only my mother could perfect. It had been almost a year since shest made it.


    How had the time passed so quickly? It felt like just moments ago I had been leaving my house. I had promised my friends that I would meet up with them today. It was a long overdue reunion. The entire break had been a blur of staying cooped up in my room, catching up on sleep, and just… being. University was starting tomorrow, and with it, the relentless grind of sses, endless projects, and a social life that felt more like a full–time job.


    Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for connections and having a good time with friends. I can be social when I need to be, but I’m not aplete extrovert. I need some serious downtime to recharge. So, as soon as my exams ended, I had made the executive decision topletely shut off my phone. I silenced the constant pings and demands and just enjoyed the beautiful chaos that is my life. Because, believe me, when your parents are billionaires—one with his own global conglomerate and the other with her own exclusive car brand–and you have a grandfather and an uncle who are at the very top of the Mafia, with a psychologist as an aunt, and two annoying cousins, there is no end to the chaos.


    As the only son and heir to my parents‘ empires, I had plenty of choices for the future. Attending university wasn’t even necessary. That’s what my grandfather had said, with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Why waste your time with books when you have the world at your fingertips?” he’d said. But Mom would have killed me if I didn’t go. I could practically hear her voice in my head, even at this moment. “University will give you real–life experience, Haider. It’s not just about business. It’s about people, about learning to deal with problems on your own.”


    I wanted to roll my eyes at that. I was pretty sure one could get more experience actually working in the business than just studying about it. But I loved my mom. I also trusted her judgment in most things, so I agreed to attend university, despite my inner reservations.


    I had even picked out my clothes with a specific goal in mind: something more normal, nothing too noticeable. I was determined to avoid the “rich yboy”bel I had carried throughout high school. It was annoying and superficial, and I wanted to start fresh. I knew it would be tough, though. How much would any of it matter when I was attending the top university in all of Velhaven? A ce I had barely managed to get into.


    svouchers


    I huffed, a cloud of white vapor escaping my lips in the cold evening air, and stopped for a brief break, leaning against the cold brick wall of a building. The city was always a little colder in the winter. Damn that Archie. We’d been goofing around at the mall and then the arcade <b>all </b>afternoon, and when we parted ways, he didn’t even bother to ask to drop me home. He knew I didn’t take my car with me.


    I had decided to take a shortcut, a route I usually avoided because of the shady alleyways, to catch a taxi near the metro station. It was still a bit of a walk, but I was in a hurry and figured it was worth the risk. Since it was early winter, the sun had already set. The surroundings were almostpletely dark save for the asionalmp post. I nced at the empty street before me, my hands buried in the pockets of my jacket, and took a deep breath.


    That’s when I stiffened, my body going rigid. The sound was faint at first, barely a whisper, but it was there. A muffled, desperate scream. My head snapped to the side, my gaze fixing on the dark, foreboding alleyway that ran parallel to the building I was leaning against. My heart began to pound slowly, an instinctual rm bell ringing in my ears. I slowed my breathing, trying to remain as still and quiet as possible, and stood up straighter.


    My hand slipped out of my pocket, moving instinctually to my waistband, my fingers closing around the cold, familiar grip of my revolver.


    It was definitely a woman’s voice. A wave of anger and disgust washed over me. Fucking hell. Don’t tell me it was another one of those creeps, another lowlife preying on someone weaker. I clenched my jaw, the muscles in my face tightening. With a practiced motion, I flicked off the safety of my weapon, the soft click almost inaudible. I tilted forward, my body a coiled spring ready to strike, and peered into the deep, suffocating shadows of the alleyway.


    It was difficult to see without any lights, and a frown creased my brow. I squinted, straining my eyes to make out any shapes or movement. The only thing I could make out were the faint sounds of shuffling and then… something shining red. No, not something. Somethings. Two red orbs gleamed back at me from the darkness.


    Orbs? What the hell? No…they looked more like eyes. My curiosity now peaked, the adrenaline spiking through me, I moved forward, my footfalls silent on the pavement. My voice, low andmanding, cut through the quiet.


    “Who’s there?” I questioned, my gun held steady.


    That’s when I heard a loud thump, and my eyes widened. A woman was thrown forward from the depths of the alley. She tumbled out of the shadows, her body a limp, broken doll, andnded right at my feet with a heavy thud.


    The suddenness of it sent a jolt of shock through me, and for a split second, my focus wavered. I frowned, my gaze dropping to her still form.


    “Show yourself. Or I will shoot!” I said again, my voice sharper this time.


    5 vouchers.


    But there was no sound. Only silence. A chilling, absolute silence. I crouched down. My aim remained steady in the direction of the alleyway. I reached out a hand, my fingers trembling slightly as they felt for the woman’s wrist. A sigh of relief escaped me when I realized <b>she was </b>breathing fine. She was alive. That was good.


    But then my gaze snagged on her neck. My eyes narrowed, trying to make sense of what <b>I </b>was seeing in the dim light. There were two bloody circles, dark against her pale skin. They looked… unnatural. A cold shiver ran down my spine, my mind racing through a list of possibilities, none of them making sense.


    What the hell? Are those… bite marks?


    Before I could look closer, before I could process the chilling implication of what I was seeing, I felt a shadow pass me. I startled, cursing my momentary distraction. Shit.


    I turned around quickly, my senses screaming at me, feeling a presence directly behind me. My reflexes were fast. They always were. Only this time, the kick came first, before I could even raise my arm to block it. It caught me squarely in the stomach, a brutal, jarring blow that sent me stumbling back. I tumbled, the wind knocked out of me, but years of training kicked in, and Inded on my feet, my gun still clenched in my hand, my eyes locked on the figure in front of me.


    That’s when I spotted something shining in the person’s hand. It was quick, a brief glimmer of silver in the low light. Before I could even think, sensing the immediate and overwhelming danger, I shot. Aiming for the leg, I fired a single, deafening round into the darkness.


    AD