Chapter 58

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...

Melina felt an overwhelming sense of relief—relief like she had never known before. With Dreykov dead, the Red Room dismantled, and the children finally free, she no longer had anything to fear. This was the most peaceful period of her life. No more orders, no more training, and no more watching those children endure brutal suffering.

After a moment of calm, Melina turned to Natasha. "You saved those children, and in doing so, you saved us too. Natasha, was it difficult?"

In her mind, she believed it must have come at a great cost—one far beyond simple effort.

But Natasha gently shook her head. "It wasn't hard," she said softly. "I was just lucky."

She thought back to the fateful decision she made while being hunted down. That choice had led her to meet Leon, Wanda, and Sergei. She would never forget the words of the young man with the calm, jade-like demeanor, who spoke to her without even glancing back. "Maybe I can give you a place to stay," he had said, a hint of carelessness in his voice.

Yet, those words had been enough to create a small crack in the walls around her closed heart.

That day, Natasha witnessed something she had never seen before. The wooden house nestled in the mountains wasn't luxurious, but it radiated a warmth that felt foreign to her. It was a home for children who, like her, had suffered tragic and painful pasts.

Leon was like an eternal sun, always shining a gentle, warm light on everyone around him. He patiently taught those children, always respecting them, even her, the newest addition. He never doubted anyone; instead, he used his sincerity to dissolve the shadows clouding their hearts.

He led the children—and her—out of the darkness and onto a brighter path.

As Natasha thought about her time with Leon, Wanda, and the other children, a soft, warm expression appeared on her usually guarded face. Melina, Yelena, and Alexei were stunned by the unexpected display of emotion.

Melina, noticing the shift, smiled knowingly. "It seems I was mistaken. You've met someone very special."

Natasha's gaze softened as she replied, "Because of him I got to have a family again."

"Family..." Melina murmured, repeating the word as though savoring its meaning. She looked at Natasha's serene expression, then asked, "Can you tell me about him?"

Natasha was caught off guard. Her instinct was to refuse, to keep that part of her life private. But when she met Melina's curious, gentle eyes, she hesitated and fell silent.

....

A cordon had been set up around the Century Building, extending about a hundred meters down the street. New York police had parked patrol cars to block off the area, preventing bystanders from approaching. Officers were stationed around the perimeter, ensuring that no one could get too close.

At the entrance to the Century Building's corridor, several officers were busy conducting an on-site investigation. Among them, a middle-aged man in uniform entered the scene.

A police officer spotted him immediately and approached. "Chief George."

"What's the situation?" Chief George asked.

The officer gave a quick rundown. "Based on our investigation, there was a serious gunfight here. We've recovered numerous firearms, including heavy weaponry and grenade launchers."

Chief George's eyes widened in shock. "Heavy weaponry?"

While guns were not uncommon in the United States, especially in a city like New York, where crime rates were high and gangs were prevalent, heavy weaponry was another matter entirely. Firearms, both legal and illegal, were everywhere, but heavy-duty weapons were rare and strictly controlled. Anyone caught using them would immediately become a high-priority target for law enforcement.

A gun battle involving this level of firepower in the Century Building? If word got out, it would ignite a wave of public outrage, with people demanding to know how such an event could occur under the watch of the NYPD.

And the bad news wasn't over yet.

The officer continued, "And there's something strange about the whole scene."

He led Chief George to the stairwell entrance, where other officers were conducting their investigation. As they ascended, the officer briefed George.

"From our survey, aside from the gunfight in the lobby, the most significant activity happened on the stairways."

"The battle there was intense—almost as if a hundred people were involved."

"Oddly, many of the stairs weren't destroyed."

As they climbed, Chief George grew increasingly uneasy. Each level of the stairwell was scorched, the walls blackened as though by fire. There were also numerous craters of various sizes, and holes riddled the passage. When they finally reached the rooftop, things seemed relatively intact in comparison, though bullet holes were everywhere.

However, George's instincts kicked in. From the lobby on the first floor, through the stairwells, and now up to the roof, the scene was littered with guns, communicators, and other gear. But something critical was missing.

"Where are the bodies?" George demanded.

The officer, looking equally puzzled, took a deep breath. "That's the strangest part. There was a fierce gun battle throughout the entire building, and we responded within twenty minutes, cordoning off the area immediately."

"But we've only found one body."

What is going on here?!

Chief George frowned. "What about the surveillance?"

The officer looked as if he'd seen a ghost. "All the surveillance footage from the entire street has been silently erased. It's a complete dead-end case. There's no way to verify anything."

"This building belongs to someone. What about the employees? Are they missing too?"

"Yes, they're all gone. We checked the records of every employee and director associated with the building, but no one can be located. It's as if they vanished into thin air."

George was filled with disbelief. What could this mean? Could everyone in the building have been reduced to ashes after the gun battle? It seemed impossible.

As George stood, frowning in thought, a group of uninvited guests arrived at the building's entrance. The elevator doors on the rooftop chimed and opened, revealing a group of figures in suits stepping out.

Hearing the commotion, George turned to face them.

The man leading the group, dressed in a sharp suit, approached and presented a document. "Chief George, FBI Senior Agent John," he introduced himself, handing over the paperwork. "We have the authorization. We're now in charge of this case."