There was confusion in the ballroom.
Women screamed.
glasses broke.
Someone hit Eva hard that she fell.
The room was completely dark.
Her heard her heart beat in her ears.
Then she heard it again.
"We found her."
The voice was very close.
It's cold.
Man.
Known.
The same voice that spoke fifteen years ago.
The Laurent Enforcers.
No.
No, they couldn't have found her.
Not now.
Not after all these years.
Eva turned and tried to get through the crowd.
But someone held her by the wrist.
Strong fingers.
The same hand that held her before.
"Stay by my side" Adrian Cole said.
"I have to go out of here," Eva said quietly.
"You won't be able to escape by yourself."
Another gunshot was heard in the ballroom.
People tried to locate the exits.
Fear made her breathing difficult.
Then the emergency lights turned on.
Red.
Not bright.
But it was enough for Eva to see the man standing on the other side of the floor.
Black suit.
Black gloves.
And she remembered those eyes.
The eyes of the man who shot her father.
Her body went cold.
Only now he was older.
But it was him.
He looked straight at her....
And smiled.
Eva's breathing stopped.
"Eva?" Adrian's voice became persistent.
But she couldn't speak.
The killer took a step toward her.
Then another.
Adrian looked at her.
His face changed right away.
He whispered into the small earpiece hidden under his collar, "Daniel, security breach." The south ballroom. Now.
"moving already," said a voice.
The killer entered into the crowd.
Adrian swore under his breath.
"Follow me."
He led Eva down a side hallway.
"No."
She removed her hand
"I don't know you."
"There is no time to get to know me."
"You're Adrian Cole."
She didn't know how, the words got out.
For the first time, he expressed shock.
"And you know my name."
"Just enough."
"Then you must know this isn't a good place to argue."
He tried to reach for her again.
She stepped back.
"Don't come close to me."
Then they heard a loud boom from the ballroom.
The killer had seen them.
With a gun in his hand, he stood at the end of the hall.
"Miss Laurent," he said without any trouble. "Your family has waited for you this long."
She suddenly felt blood drained out of her.
Miss Laurent.
The words travelled through the hall.
Adrian stood still next to her.
The killer smiled.
"it's true," Adrian said softly.
Eva starred at him.
No, not now.
Please don't do it.
"You are really Eva Laurent."
She wanted to speak.
But another gunshot rang out.
Adrian pushed her.
The bullet hit the wall just inches from his shoulder.
"Run!"
He held her hand and pulled her down the hall.
They ran through the hotel kitchen.
Cooks yelled as they rushed by.
Plates hit the floor.
She could hear the men walking behind them.
Very close.
Adrian led her through a metal door and entered an underground parking space.
The cool night air hit her hard on the face.
A black car waited already for them.
Daniel stood by it.
Very tall. broad. Holding weapons.
"Get in," he told them.
Eva stopped.
She looked back at the hotel.
The assassin had reached the door of the garage.
He lifted his gun to shoot.
Adrian pushed her into the back seat of the car before Daniel shot.
Gunshots rang through the garage
And the car sped off.
For the first ten minutes No one spoke.
Eva leant against the far door, her hands shaking.
Adrian sat across from her.
watching.
Waiting.
At last, he spoke.
"You are Miss Eva Laurent."
He stated.
Eva gazed out through the window.
"No."
"You reacted when he called you that."
"You don't understand what you saw".
"just enough."
With a calm voice.
"That guy back there once worked for the Laurent family."
"You know anything about them."
Adrian's face changed.
"Don't I?"
The car turned suddenly.
Daniel said to them through the mirror.
"There are two cars behind us, sir."
Adrian looked out the back window.
"shake them off."
Daniel nodded.
The car speed increased.
Eva held the seat tightly.
"What's happening?"
Adrian said, "They're behind us."
"Who?"
He looked at her.
"The Laurent family."
Her heart missed a beat.
"No."
"was tonight an accident?"
He couldn't take his eyes off Eva's eyes.
"For fifteen years they've been searching for you."
Eva shook her head.
"Nobody knows me."
"Wrong."
Adrian leaned towards her.
"They know who you really are."
One hour later, the car finally came to stop in front of a big glass building that overlooked the city.
Adrian's suit is top floor.
Eva wouldn't move.
"I don't want to go in."
"do you have a choice?."
"I can leave."
"And where do I go to?"
She didn't reply
Because she didn't know where to go.
Margaret was alone at home.
The Laurent family knew her very well.
And her father's murderer was still following her around.
Adrian opened the door to the car.
"You'll be safe here."
"I don't know."
He looked at her strangely.
"You have to."
Eva brow creased.
"What?"
He was quiet for a moment.
Then he whispered,
"Your father trusted me."
She paused.
"that's not true."
Adrian looked her into her eyes.
"Yes."
"That's not true."
"I knew your father."
"My dad hated you."
"He hated the Laurent household."
Adrian's voice got cold.
"Likewise me."
Eva stared at him.
The city lights reflected in his dark eyes.
For the first time that evening...
She saw something different in his eyes.
Not being harsh.
Not being proud.
Hurt.
She said, "You're lying."
"Am I?"
He put his hand in his jacket.
Eva got frightened.
But he brought out an old picture instead of a gun,.
He gave it to her.
she held it and her hands shook.
It was an old picture and blurry.
Three people stood next to each other in the picture.
Her father.
A younger Adrian Cole.
And a woman who she had never met named Eva.
Four words were written on the back of the picture in her father's handwriting.
If I fail, protect her.
Eva looked at the words.
Then at Adrian.
And for the first time after 15 years...
She realized that her father also kept secrets from her.