chatper 13 A Dance with Death
"Got you!" the gunman suddenly shouted.
The voice echoed through the cold night, like the sickly sickle.
Violet and Eve both flinched instinctively. Eve, summoning all her strength, held down the red-eyed Violet, who was ready to draw the gunman away. Eve mouthed, "He's trying to lure you out!"
A deathly silence followed.
Suddenly, a chaotic burst of gunfire erupted, mixed with curses.
"Goddammit! Missed everything!" "Damn it, did they escape?" "Move your damn legs, hurry up!"
The sounds of doors slamming, footsteps, and cursing quickly faded into the distance.
Silence, as still as death, settled once again.
Violet and Eve, tears in their eyes, exchanged a long, silent breath of relief. If not for each other's support, they would have collapsed to the ground with a thud. They massaged their stiff legs, exhausted but full of hope, and just as they were about to leave...
A sudden flicker of flame ignited from a lighter on the rooftop they had jumped from, not far away. A cigarette glowed faintly. "Did little Eve and Violet really escape?" a deep, impatient voice muttered.
It was William—the uncle who had always be bright, upright, and openly supported Eve for many times.
Violet and Eve froze, not daring to breathe, their eyes filled with fear and cold sweat. If not for their mutual help in massaging each other's legs and waiting until they had both recovered, they would have made a sound much earlier.
Who would have thought William would be as patient as a leopard, waiting until everyone else had left to confirm whether they had truly escaped?
Silence, as still as death, reigned again.
Finally, the cigarette butt was flicked away, and the sound of heavy footsteps gradually receded into the distance.
Eve's gaze lingered on Violet, and in that moment, all the pain and betrayal seemed to blur into the background. No matter how deeply Violet had wounded her company, or whether her words could be trusted, Eve felt an undeniable bond between them. They had shared the raw, terrifying intimacy of surviving a night where their lives were intertwined by the thin thread of fate. And when Violet had tried to sacrifice herself to draw the gunman's fire, Eve felt a magnetic pull, a fatal attraction that was impossible to ignore. The intensity of that moment made everything else seem trivial, binding them together in a way that was both terrifying and irresistible.
Eve's heart thudded in her chest as the weight of the night's events pressed down on her. The rooftop air was still heavy with the scent of gunpowder and adrenaline. She turned to Violet, seeing the tension in her eyes, the fear still lingering in the lines of her face. But beneath all that, there was something else—a connection that neither could deny, forged in the crucible of life and death.
Eve's thoughts raced. What now? They couldn't stay here, not with William still on their trail. The memory of his voice, so close, sent a shiver down her spine. He had been so sure, so methodical, waiting until everyone else had left, just to be certain they were gone. And yet, they had survived. Together.
Violet broke the silence, her voice barely more than a whisper. "We can't stay here. We need to keep moving."
Eve nodded, but something inside her hesitated. She had always been cautious, always thought things through, but tonight had pushed her beyond reason. Now, standing on the edge of uncertainty, she felt something new—a reckless, wild impulse, born from the chaos of the night.
They moved quietly, staying low as they navigated the rooftops, the city lights below casting eerie shadows that danced around them. Every sound seemed magnified—the crunch of gravel underfoot, the distant hum of traffic, the faint rustle of the wind. Eve's mind was a storm of thoughts, trying to process everything that had happened, everything Violet had revealed.
The memory of Violet's attempt to draw the gunman away surfaced again, and Eve couldn't shake the image. It had been reckless, dangerous—and devastatingly heroic. Was it love? Loyalty? Or just desperation?
They reached the edge of the roof, and Violet turned to her, her expression unreadable in the dim light. "We're not safe yet," she said, her voice steady but tinged with urgency. "We need to find somewhere to regroup, somewhere William won't think to look."
Eve nodded, though she wasn't entirely sure where that might be. Where could they possibly go to escape a man like William? But she knew one thing—wherever they went, they would face it together.
As they made their way down the fire escape, Eve felt a strange sense of calm wash over her. The fear was still there, lurking beneath the surface, but it was tempered by something else—a fierce determination. Whatever happened next, she would be ready.
They slipped into the darkened streets below, blending into the shadows as they moved quickly through the city. Eve's mind was already racing ahead, thinking of their next move. They couldn't just run forever. Sooner or later, they would have to confront William—and end this once and for all.
But for now, all they could do was keep moving, keep surviving. And maybe, just maybe, find a way to turn the tables on William and take back control of their lives.
As they disappeared into the night, Eve felt the weight of Violet's hand in hers, a silent promise that whatever came next, they would face it together.
In their frantic escape, the flash drive holding William's damning secrets slipped from a torn pocket, spiraling into chaos. It collided with a dangling pair of shoes, sending them crashing down onto an air conditioning unit. The impact reverberated through the night, echoing off the metal canopy with a thunderous clang.
"Got them! They're over there!" a voice shouted, slicing through the tension like a knife.