THE BILLIONAIRE'S REDEMPTION

Sophia's POV

The cold metal door slammed shut behind them with a deafening finality. Ethan didn't hesitate. His footsteps were quick and purposeful, pulling me deeper into the shadowy corridors of the old research facility. 

My pulse was still pounding, the gunshot echoing in my ears as if it had just happened. I couldn't shake the image of Ethan, hands wrapped around that man's throat, the deadly precision in his movements. I'd seen Ethan do a lot of things—charm people, make deals, manipulate situations to his advantage—but that? That was new. 

And terrifying. 

I followed him in silence, my heart beating faster with every step. The stench of decay was overpowering, mixing with the metallic tang of blood. I didn't look back. I couldn't. My mind was a swirling mess of questions. Who were these people after Ethan? And why was he willing to kill to protect something, or someone, so carefully hidden? 

The dimly lit hallway seemed endless, every turn a mirror image of the last. The sound of our footsteps was the only noise breaking the eerie quiet. It felt wrong. Everything about this place felt wrong. 

"Here," Ethan's voice broke the silence, sharp and commanding. 

I glanced up, following his gaze. He was staring at a steel door with no markings, no sign of what lay beyond. He moved swiftly, his hand reaching for the handle, but before he could turn it, a voice called out from the shadows. 

"You're not going anywhere." 

I froze. The voice was low, dripping with menace. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I turned to see a figure emerging from the darkness. Another man, tall and broad-shouldered, dressed in a black tactical suit, his expression hidden behind a mask. 

Ethan's eyes narrowed, but his stance remained unfazed. "How many of you are there?" 

The man smirked, his grip tightening around the rifle slung across his chest. "Doesn't matter. You're trapped." 

"Move," Ethan growled, stepping forward, but the man didn't budge. 

Sophia, I thought, just stay behind him. 

I felt a surge of adrenaline. My mind was spinning, but I forced myself to focus. I could feel the weight of Ethan's presence beside me, his tension palpable, but this wasn't just about him anymore. 

The man raised the rifle slightly. "You really think you can escape this? Langston's long gone. Your little project doesn't matter anymore. And neither do you." 

My blood ran cold. *Langston*? The name hit me like a punch to the gut. This was the man they'd been hunting, the man with the answers. But he was gone. 

"What the hell do you mean, 'long gone'?" Ethan's voice was sharp now, his eyes flashing with a fury I hadn't seen before. 

The man chuckled, stepping closer. "You've been looking in all the wrong places, Blackwood. Langston doesn't need to be here. He's already set everything in motion." 

I barely had time to process his words when the sound of an explosion rattled the walls. The entire building seemed to shake as debris rained down around us. My heart leaped into my throat, and instinctively, I grabbed for Ethan's arm. 

"What the hell was that?" I gasped, my breath coming in shallow bursts. 

"That," the man said darkly, "was your answer." 

The explosion had come from the lower levels, but I could hear the distant sound of sirens growing louder. We were running out of time. 

Ethan's eyes locked on the masked figure, a flash of recognition crossing his face. 

"Langston knew this would happen, didn't he?" Ethan asked, his voice dangerously calm. 

The man's smirk faded. "He doesn't need to know. He's already got what he wanted. It's too late for you now." 

"What the hell does that mean?" I demanded, my voice shaking despite my efforts to remain composed. 

The man tilted his head, then took a step back. "It means everything you thought you knew about Blackwood Industries, about Ethan Blackwood himself, is a lie. You're too deep in it now. You won't make it out." 

Before I could respond, the man reached into his pocket, pulling out a small device. He pressed a button, and the entire building seemed to tremble once more. Another explosion. A series of quick, deafening blasts rang out, and I felt the ground beneath me shift. 

"Move, now!" Ethan barked, grabbing my arm and pulling me toward the door he had been eyeing earlier. 

The masked man's voice echoed in the chaos. "The clock's ticking. Good luck getting out of here." 

We didn't wait. We couldn't. 

Ethan slammed the door open, dragging me into what appeared to be a control room. The walls were lined with old monitors and wires hanging loosely from the ceiling. It was a forgotten place, untouched for years—but the technology was still intact. Ethan immediately moved to the nearest console, tapping frantically on the keys. 

I couldn't help but feel a chill of dread crawl down my spine. What was Ethan looking for here? 

"There's a back exit," he muttered as he worked the controls. "But we don't have much time." 

I glanced back toward the door, the sounds of more explosions ringing through the building. The walls seemed to be closing in, and the sirens were now a constant, relentless scream. 

"Ethan, what's going on?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. 

He didn't look at me as he typed. "Langston has been playing us the entire time. This place... it was never about research. It was a trap. A game." 

I felt the weight of his words like a punch to the gut. "What game?" 

"The game of survival," he answered, his fingers pausing on the keyboard as his eyes flicked over to me. "You should have stayed away, Sophia. You shouldn't have followed me." 

I felt the sting of his words hit harder than I expected. But before I could reply, a loud crash echoed from behind the door, and we both spun toward the sound. 

They were coming. 

Without another word, Ethan grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the back exit. The building was coming apart at the seams, and I knew the only way out was through. 

And yet, I couldn't shake the feeling that the real battle was only just beginning.