The private helicopter roared to life above the estate, its blades slicing through the midnight fog like the scythe of a reaper.
Amelia sat rigid in the passenger seat, her hands clutching her belly as if sheer willpower alone could protect the life growing inside her from the darkness closing in.
Her heart pounded violently against her ribcage, every thud a painful reminder that she had less than an hour to save her child—or lose everything.
Damian stood beside the pilot, barking coordinates into the headset with deadly precision.
His knuckles were white, his jaw clenched tight enough to crack.
"We'll get there in time," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
Amelia's gaze flicked out the window, the sprawling city lights below looking like the last embers of a dying fire.
Hold on, my baby… Mama's coming.
The chopper landed on a desolate rooftop, the wind howling through the broken structures like the cries of forgotten souls.
Without hesitation, Amelia stepped out into the biting cold.
And there he was.
Lucien Blake.
Standing at the edge of the rooftop, perfectly composed, a twisted smirk playing on his lips.
His hand rested on a small cradle placed ominously behind him.
The faint, unmistakable sound of a baby's soft whimper echoed across the rooftop.
Amelia's knees nearly gave out.
Her chest burned, her eyes locked onto the cradle like it was the very heart of her existence.
"Lucien, don't do this!" she cried out, her voice raw with desperation.
Lucien turned to her, his eyes glinting with cruel satisfaction.
"You think you're untouchable, Amelia? That you can rewrite history and erase the Blake name? Think again."
Damian stepped forward, gun drawn.
"One more move, and I'll put you down right here," he snarled.
Lucien only laughed, stepping dangerously close to the edge with the cradle.
"Careful, Mr. Frost. One wrong move… and everything she loves goes over the edge."
Amelia couldn't breathe.
Her vision swam as every worst nightmare she'd ever buried clawed its way to the surface.
"Lucien… I'll do anything. Just don't hurt my baby."
Lucien's lips curled into a chilling smile.
"Anything? Then kneel, Amelia. Right here, before the Blake name you tried so hard to destroy."
Damian growled, but Amelia lifted a trembling hand, stopping him.
Her knees hit the cold, rough rooftop floor.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she stared up at Lucien, her voice shaking but loud enough for the world to hear.
"I'll kneel. I'll crawl if I have to. But you'll never win, Lucien. Because no matter how far you push me down… I. Will. Rise."
Lucien's expression darkened.
For the first time, uncertainty flickered across his face.
And just as the tension reached its peak—
A sniper's laser dot appeared over his heart.
Lucien froze.
Damian's cold voice echoed through the storm.
"Checkmate."