The parking garage was dim, the fluorescent lights casting pale pools across the concrete. Alina’s heels clicked against the ground as she made her way toward her car, her mind still half-lost in the day’s work—files organized, meetings scheduled, a small sense of purpose slowly rebuilding itself.
She heard footsteps behind her.
Not the casual echo of another employee heading home. These were deliberate, measured—closing in.
Alina slowed, her hand tightening around her keys. She glanced over her shoulder.
Three men. Dark jackets, blank expressions. They moved with the quiet confidence of people who had done this before.
"Ms. Williams," the lead man said, his voice flat. "You're coming with us."
Alina's heart slammed against her ribs. She took a step back, her heel scraping against the concrete. "I don't know who you are, but you need to leave. Now."
The man didn't flinch. He stepped closer, and the other two fanned out, cutting off her path to the car.
Alina turned to run.
A hand caught her wrist, yanking her back. She was slammed against the cold metal of her car door, the breath knocked from her lungs. The man's grip was iron, his face inches from hers.
"Come with us," he said, his voice low and threatening, "if you want to get hurt."
"Get off me!" Alina's voice cracked with fear and anger. "What do you want? Who sent you?"
He didn't answer. Just tightened his grip.
A screech of tires echoed through the garage. Headlights flooded the space, and a black sedan came to a sudden stop just feet away. The men froze.
The rear window rolled down, revealing Elara Blake's composed face, her eyes cold as steel. "Let her go," Elara said, her voice carrying across the garage.
The lead man's eyes flicked toward the approaching vehicle. Behind Elara, two Blake Technologies security guards emerged from the sedan, moving quickly toward Alina.
Victoria had already alerted them after noticing the suspicious vehicle following Alina from the office. She had also called Elara the moment the men approached.The lead man's jaw tightened, his eyes darting between the security guards and Elara's unyielding gaze. For a moment, the air hung thick with tension, the only sound the distant hum of the garage's ventilation system. Then he released Alina's wrist, stepping back with his hands raised in a gesture of reluctant surrender.
"This isn't over," he muttered, his voice low enough that only Alina could hear. He gestured to his companions, and the three of them retreated toward a dark SUV parked at the far end of the garage, their footsteps echoing against the concrete.
Alina remained pressed against her car, her breath coming in short, shallow gasps. Her wrist throbbed where the man had gripped it, and she could feel the faint tremor in her hands as the adrenaline began to fade.
Elara stepped out of the sedan, her heels clicking against the ground as she approached. Her expression was calm, but her eyes swept over Alina with quiet concern. "Are you hurt?"
Alina shook her head, though her voice came out shaky. "I'm fine. I—" She paused, pressing a hand to her chest as if to steady her racing heart. "How did you know? Why are you here?"
Elara glanced toward the retreating SUV, now pulling out of the garage and disappearing into the evening traffic. "I didn't know. But Victoria noticed a car following you when you left the office. She called me."
Victoria stepped out of the driver's side, her sharp eyes tracking the SUV until it vanished from sight. "They were waiting for you," she said, her tone clipped. "That wasn't a random encounter."
Alina's brow furrowed, her mind racing. "Who were they? What did they want?"
Elara met her gaze, her voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of something darker. "That's what we're going to find out." Alina remained pressed against her car, her breath coming in short, shallow gasps. Her wrist throbbed where the man had gripped it, and she could feel the faint tremor in her hands as the adrenaline began to fade.
Elara stepped out of the sedan, her heels clicking against the ground as she approached. Her expression was calm, but her eyes swept over Alina with quiet concern. "Are you hurt?"
Alina shook her head, though her voice came out shaky. "I'm fine. I—" She paused, pressing a hand to her chest as if to steady her racing heart. "How did you know? Why are you here?"
Elara glanced toward the retreating SUV, now pulling out of the garage and disappearing into the evening traffic. "I didn't know. But Victoria noticed a car following you when you left the office. She called me."
Victoria stepped out of the driver's side, her sharp eyes tracking the SUV until it vanished from sight. "They were waiting for you," she said, her tone clipped. "That wasn't a random encounter."
Alina's brow furrowed, her mind racing. "Who were they? What did they want?"
Elara met her gaze, her voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of something darker. "That's what we're going to find out."Elara turned to Victoria, her voice low and measured. "Investigate them. Trace the plates, check the cameras, find out who they answer to. Right now, we get her somewhere safe."
Victoria nodded once, already pulling out her phone as she walked toward the sedan. "I'll start now. I'll have a preliminary report by morning."
Alina stood frozen beside her car, her arms wrapped around herself as if to hold her shaking body together. She watched Victoria disappear into the driver's seat, then turned to Elara, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Where am I supposed to go? I don't think my apartment is safe if someone's watching me."
The words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of her reality. She had no family to call, no friends who hadn't already turned their backs on her. The only place she had left was a small apartment she could barely afford, in a building where the locks were flimsy and the neighbors kept to themselves.
Elara studied her for a long moment, something unreadable passing through her eyes. Then she spoke, her voice quieter but no less firm.
"You'll stay at my place. Just for tonight—until we figure out who's after you and why."
Alina blinked, startled. "Your place? Elara, I—"
"Don't argue," Elara cut her off, her tone gentle but brooking no refusal. "You're not safe alone. We'll sort this out in the morning. For now, you need somewhere secure."
She gestured toward the sedan, where Victoria was already waiting. "Get in."