The Heir's Revenge

Shadows in the Dark

As Ethan watched the men talk to the woman with vigor, it made him wonder what her business with them really is. Immediately he saw them begin to bully her, he attempted to go and help, but Victoria held him back. It was too much of a risk.

But why target this woman?

He glanced back at her, standing a few feet away with wide, fearful eyes. She looked fragile, vulnerable, yet her composure under fire had been impressive. There was something about her that kept nagging at Ethan’s mind, like a puzzle he couldn’t solve.

He’d been focused on revenge for so long that he hadn’t allowed himself to see anything, or anyone, else. And yet, here she was, in the middle of his war, dragged into the conflict for reasons he didn’t understand.

As soon as the men had gone, Ethan immediately came out of hiding to assist her, especially judging from how rattled she was.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“I could ask you the same thing,” he replied, her voice shaking but steady. “What us your dealings with those men? Do you work for them?"

The woman stared at him, baffled.

"I am not obligated to answer your questions. Why do you care?" She replied.

Ethan’s mouth twitched in a faint smile, despite the gravity of the situation.

“That depends on who sent those men after you. You know them?”

She hesitated, biting her lip before shaking her head.

“No, I’ve never seen them before. I don’t know why they’d be after me.”

Ethan studied her, trying to figure out if she was lying. That didn’t mean she was safe, though, and he had a desire to protect her.

“We need to get out of here,” he said, looking around.“Come with me. You’ll be safer if we’re not out in the open.”

“I don’t even know your name,” she protested.

“Ethan,” he said. “And trust me, you don’t want to be standing here when the next wave shows up.”

For a moment, she hesitated, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. But then, with a resigned nod, she stepped forward.

“Alright. I’m Claire.”

Claire. Her name was as soft and unassuming as she seemed on the outside. But there was something more to her, something beneath the surface that intrigued Ethan.

Meanwhile, in Forrester mansion, Sarah was pacing the marble floor of her family’s private study, frustration radiating from every step. Her brother, Michael, sat at the large oak desk, his fingers drumming impatiently as he watched her.

“We sent our best men after him, Sarah,” Michael said, his voice cold and detached. “And they failed. Again.”

Sarah whirled to face him, her eyes blazing.

“Because Ethan’s always one step ahead! Every move we make, he anticipates. How is he doing this? How does he know exactly where we’ll strike?”

Michael leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms.

“He’s smarter than we gave him credit for. I told you from the start not to underestimate him.”

“I didn’t,” Sarah snapped, though deep down she knew her brother was right.

When she had first plotted Ethan’s downfall, she had assumed he would crumble under the weight of betrayal. Instead, he had come back stronger, more determined, and now he was a threat to everything her family stood for.

“Then what’s your plan?” Michael asked, his voice cool. “We can’t keep sending small teams after him. If we’re going to end this, we need to go all in.”

Sarah took a deep breath, her hands clenching into fists at her sides.

“I’m tired of playing defense. It’s time we take the fight to him.”

Michael raised an eyebrow. “Meaning?”

“We find his weakness,” Sarah said, her eyes narrowing. “We find the one thing he cares about and exploit it. He’s not invincible. Everyone has a breaking point.”

Michael smirked.

“And what do you think that is? He doesn’t have any family left, and he’s been off the grid for so long that we don’t know who he’s been associating with.”

Sarah’s mind worked furiously. She had underestimated Ethan once by assuming he had nothing left to lose. But perhaps there was someone, someone who had slipped under her radar.

“He’s been too careful,” she mused. “But no one fights this hard without a reason. There’s got to be something, or someone, motivating him.”

She paused, thinking back to the reports and pictures from their failed assassination attempt and other business dealings of the day.

She was prepared to do anything if it meant getting rid of Ethan once and for all.

And that was when she found it. A loophole.

Back in the safe house, Ethan sat across from Claire, his eyes scanning the room as he tried to piece together the events of the last few hours. Claire had been surprisingly calm for someone who had nearly been killed.

“So, are you going to tell me why those men were after you?” Ethan asked, leaning back in his chair.

Claire shifted uncomfortably, her hands folded in her lap.

“I already told you, I don’t know. I’ve never been involved in anything like this before.”

Ethan studied her for a long moment, his instincts telling him there was more to the story. But before he could press further, his phone buzzed with an incoming message. He pulled it from his pocket, his eyes narrowing as he read the text.

"We know who she is. You can’t hide her forever."

A chill ran down Ethan’s spine. It was from Michael Forrester. They had found her.

“Claire,” Ethan said, his voice low and urgent. “You need to tell me the truth. Why are the Forresters after you?”

Claire paled, her hands trembling.

“I don’t know. I swear, I—”

Before she could finish, the front door exploded inward, sending shards of wood flying across the room. Ethan leaped to his feet, grabbing Claire and pulling her behind the overturned table as gunfire erupted, the sound deafening in the confined space.

“They’re here,” Ethan growled, his mind racing. How had they found him so quickly? He had been careful, methodical in covering his tracks.

Claire clutched his arm, her face pale with fear.

“Ethan, what do we do?”

Ethan glanced around, his mind calculating their options. They were trapped, surrounded on all sides. The only way out was through the front, but it was a suicide mission. Unless…

“There’s a back exit,” Ethan said, his voice steady despite the chaos. “But we’ll need to fight our way there.”

Claire nodded, her eyes filled with determination.

“I trust you, please just get me out of here.”

Ethan grabbed his gun, checking the clip before motioning for Claire to stay low.

“On my signal, we move.”

The gunfire intensified, bullets ripping through the walls and sending dust and debris into the air. Ethan’s pulse raced, his muscles coiled with tension.

He had to get Claire out of here, but more importantly, he had to survive. The Forresters were coming after him with everything they had, and they wouldn’t stop until one of them was dead.

He took a deep breath, his grip tightening on his gun.

“Now!”

They sprinted toward the back door, bullets whizzing past them as they ran. Ethan fired back, taking out two of the men before reaching the exit. He kicked the door open, pulling Claire through just as another barrage of gunfire tore through the room behind them.

They stumbled into the alley, the cool night air a stark contrast to the suffocating heat of the firefight. But they weren’t safe yet. Ethan could hear the sound of footsteps closing in from the front of the building. The Forresters were relentless.

“Keep moving,” Ethan urged, pulling Claire along as they sprinted down the alley with Victoria closely behind.

As they reached the end of the alley, a black SUV screeched to a halt in front of them, blocking their path. The door swung open, and a figure stepped out.

It was Sarah.

Ethan’s heart stopped as he locked eyes with her. She stood there, calm and collected, a wicked smile playing on her lips.

“Going somewhere, Ethan?” she purred, her voice laced with malice.

Ethan’s blood ran cold. This was it. The moment he had been dreading.

And he had nowhere left to run.