Chapter 14: Who won it

"Flash Drive!"Violet desperately try to grasp it in chaos,uselessly.

Eve's heart did a somersault as she drag Violet to run, feeling the whoosh of bullets overhead. The acrid smell of gunpowder stung her nostrils.

"we can't lose it!" Violet hissed, already scrambling across the rooftop like a caffeinated squirrel, trying to get the Flash Drive on decorated metal canopy.

"We have to go!" Eve shouted, dragging Violet towards the nearest stairwell. But the flash drive—everything they had fought for—lay just out of reach. Violet's eyes darted back, torn between safety and the lifeline they were about to leave behind.

"Over there! They're up there!" one of William's men shouted, his voice cutting through the night.

Eve's blood ran cold.The William's men are more and more near by. In the commotion, Violet yanked her hand free from Eve's grasp, her eyes blazing with a wild determination. Before Eve could react, Violet sprinted back toward the flash drive, her movements fueled by sheer desperation.

"No! Come back!" Eve shouted, but it was too late. Violet was already halfway across the rooftop, her form a dark blur against the city lights.

Eve's breath caught in her throat as she watched Violet slide to a stop just inches from the edge, her hand closing around the flash drive. But the victory was short-lived. As she straightened up, the glint of a gun barrel caught Eve's eye from the shadows.

"Violet!" Eve screamed, but her warning came too late. A shot rang out, the sound splitting the night like thunder. Violet stumbled, her body jerking as the bullet grazed her shoulder. She collapsed, the flash drive slipping from her grasp and skidding dangerously close to the edge once more.

Eve's heart pounded in her chest, fear and fury warring within her. Without thinking, she charged towards Violet, who was struggling to get back on her feet, blood seeping through her jacket. Eve's mind raced—there had to be a way out, a way to save them both.

And then, out of the corner of her eye, Eve saw movement—a figure stepping out from the shadows, gun drawn. It was William. He was closer now, his expression unreadable as he aimed his weapon at Violet, who was too weak to move.

"No!" Eve shouted, throwing herself in front of Violet, shielding her with her body. She braced herself for the inevitable, her heart hammering against her ribcage.

But then, something unexpected happened. William hesitated, his gun lowering slightly as his eyes flickered with something Eve couldn't quite place—hesitation, doubt? For a split second, he looked almost human.

But that moment of weakness vanished as quickly as it had appeared. His eyes hardened, and he raised the gun again, this time with deadly intent.

Eve's mind raced. She couldn't let this happen. Not like this. Just as William's finger tightened on the trigger, a loud crash echoed from the adjacent rooftop. The sound was followed by frantic shouts and the blinding glare of searchlights.

"Police! Drop your weapons!" The voice was authoritative, commanding.

William's men scattered like rats, disappearing into the shadows. William himself cursed under his breath, glancing around as if weighing his options. Eve saw the gears turning in his mind—he was trapped, but he wasn't going down without a fight.

For a moment, Eve thought he might actually surrender. But then, with a final, cold glance at Eve, William turned and sprinted towards the fire escape, disappearing into the darkness. The flash drive lay forgotten on the ground, its secrets still intact.

Eve fell to her knees beside Violet, who was clutching her bleeding shoulder, her face pale but determined. "We did it," Violet whispered, a weak smile tugging at her lips.

Eve nodded, relief flooding through her as the police swarmed the rooftop, securing the scene. But even as the danger passed, a new worry took root in her mind.

William had escaped, and Eve knew he would be back. This wasn't over. Not by a long shot.As the police secured the scene and paramedics tended to Violet's wound, Eve clutched the flash drive tightly, her mind racing. They had won this skirmish, but in the world of old money, victory was often fleeting.

Just then, Eve's phone buzzed with an incoming message. It wasn't a text, but a notification from her family's private banking app. Her blood ran cold as she opened it to find a transfer confirmation:

"$500 million transferred from Eve Blackwood Trust to William Blackwood Holdings."

Attached was a photo that made Eve's heart stop - a clear shot of her grandmother's antique signet ring, the one that controlled the family trust, now on William's finger.