The sun had barely risen when Zara reached the towering glass doors of VossTech. Her heart pounded as she pushed them open. She wasn't sure what she expected—applause for her courage, or an immediate interrogation—but what she got was silence.
Adrian Voss appeared almost instantly, leaning against the wall in the lobby, his arms crossed and eyes narrowing as soon as he saw her.
"You again," he said, voice low but sharp.
"I need answers," Zara snapped, holding the flash drive like a shield. "And you're going to give them to me."
His lips curled into something that might have been a smirk. "You have no idea what you're carrying. You don't belong here."
Before Zara could respond, the lobby erupted in chaos. The glass doors rattled violently as masked figures burst inside, their weapons aimed directly at them. Screams filled the room as people ducked and ran in every direction.
Adrian grabbed Zara's arm and yanked her toward a service elevator. "Move! Now!"
They ran, dodging falling debris and terrified employees. Bullets pinged off the walls, and a loud crash behind them made Zara jump. She had never experienced anything like this in her life.
"Who are they?" she shouted over the noise.
"Does it matter?" Adrian barked, punching the elevator button frantically. "We survive first, talk later."
The doors closed just as one of the intruders aimed a weapon directly at them. Sparks flew against the metal frame as the elevator began its descent, shaking violently. Zara's stomach lurched with every floor they dropped.
"Why are they after me?" she demanded. "I don't even—"
"You stole something," Adrian interrupted, his eyes scanning the small space like a predator. "Something they don't want anyone to see."
Her fingers tightened around the flash drive. "This isn't about me. It's about the files. What's on them?"
He didn't answer. The elevator jolted violently, and both of them hit the wall. The lights flickered, then went out.
In the darkness, the only thing Zara could hear was the pounding of her own heart—and the heavy breathing of the man beside her. Adrian's hand shot out, gripping hers. For a moment, their fingers brushed. She ignored the jolt that ran through her; there was no time for distractions.
The elevator shuddered again before finally stopping. The doors slid open into a narrow, dimly lit service corridor. Adrian pulled her into the shadows.
"We can't go back the way we came," he said. "They're watching every exit."
Zara swallowed hard. "Then what do we do?"
He glanced at her, his expression unreadable. "We run. Together."
For a moment, she hesitated. She didn't trust him, not entirely. But the masked figures were moving closer, and there was no one else to rely on.
They sprinted down the corridor, every step echoing loudly. Dust and debris filled the air as alarms blared overhead. At the end of the hall, a heavy metal door led to a staircase. Adrian yanked it open, and they stumbled onto the narrow steps.
Somewhere above them, footsteps pounded, voices shouted. "They're close!" one of the attackers yelled.
Zara's lungs burned, but she didn't slow down. She had to survive. She had to see this through. And for reasons she didn't yet understand, Adrian Voss—arrogant, impossible, infuriating Adrian Voss—was now the only person standing between her and certain danger.
The staircase ended at a rooftop exit. Adrian pulled the door open, letting the morning sunlight hit their faces. The city sprawled below them, unaware of the storm unfolding on its tallest tower.
A helicopter hovered in the distance, its spotlight sweeping across the rooftop. Adrian's jaw tightened. "They've brought reinforcements."
Zara's grip on the flash drive tightened. Her life had gone from ordinary to unimaginable in less than twenty-four hours. And as she glanced at Adrian, she realized that from now on, every decision would be a matter of survival—and every secret would put them both at risk.
This was only the beginning.