FROM RAGS TO THE THRONE

Chapter Six – Crossfire

The first shots came like thunder, deafening inside the lobby’s high glass walls. Adrian pushed Vivienne down behind the column, his body shielding hers as shards rained from the shattered glass doors.

The masked men advanced in a V-formation, disciplined, not the sloppy chaos of street hitters. This was Gabriel Cross’s style, precision, efficiency, no wasted movement. They were here to send a message, not to miss.

"Marcus" Adrian barked into his comm, but static hissed in his ear.

Vivienne’s breathing was fast and shallow. "They’re pinning us in."

"Not for long."

Adrian peeked out, sighted the lead gunman, and fired twice. The man crumpled before he could react. Adrian didn’t stay still long enough to be a target, he spun to Vivienne. "When I move, you move."

"And if I don’t?" she shot back, her tone sharp even in the chaos.

He gave her a look that left no room for debate. "You will."

Before she could answer, a voice cut through the gunfire, smooth, deliberate. "Adrian."

Gabriel Cross stood in the middle of the lobby, untouched by the storm, Selena a half-step behind him. He was tall, broad-shouldered, the kind of man who carried power like a second skin. In his hand, a black pistol, but held low, for now.

"You’ve been hiding in plain sight for ten years," Gabriel said, as though they were catching up over drinks. "Now, I’m here to end the illusion."

Adrian’s jaw tightened. "You think this is how it ends? In a lobby full of my security cameras?"

"Your cameras," Gabriel said, a hint of amusement in his voice, "are already offline."

Selena’s smirk widened. "You should know by now, Adrian, I don’t walk into a place without making sure it belongs to me first."

Vivienne’s eyes flicked between them. "I’m guessing you two skipped the friendly divorce stage?"

Adrian ignored her. His focus was on Gabriel. "You’ve been busy."

"Taking back what’s mine," Gabriel said. "And soon… what was never yours to begin with."

The remaining masked men fanned out, closing the circle. They weren’t firing now, this was theater. A staged execution.

"Last chance, Kane," Gabriel said, stepping forward. "You walk away from everything tonight, the company, the assets, the people who think they’re loyal to you, and I let you leave breathing."

"And if I don’t?"

Selena’s voice was sugar-coated venom. "Then you leave the way you should have years ago."

Vivienne whispered under her breath, "Tell me you’ve got a plan."

Adrian didn’t answer. He stood, hands at his sides, looking Gabriel dead in the eye. For a long moment, no one moved. Then Adrian smiled, the cold kind that didn’t reach his eyes. "You brought too few men."

The room erupted, The words had barely left Adrian’s mouth before the concealed doors at the far end of the lobby slid open and his men poured in, black tactical gear, ballistic shields, rifles sweeping the room.

The sound was instant chaos. Bullets pinged off marble, glass shattered in a glittering rain, and the air turned acrid with gunpowder.

Adrian grabbed Vivienne’s hand and yanked her toward the service corridor. She stumbled once in her heels, but he didn’t slow. "Keep your head down," he barked, not looking back.

Behind them, Gabriel’s voice rose above the noise. "You think this changes anything, Kane? You’ve made it worse!"

Adrian didn’t answer. He hit the door at the end of the corridor with his shoulder, shoving it open into a loading bay that smelled of oil and rain. His men had already secured two black SUVs, engines running.

Vivienne climbed in, gasping, but Adrian stayed outside, scanning the shadows. "Where’s Marcus?" he demanded.

"Still inside," one of his men said. "Holding the west flank."

Adrian’s jaw clenched. He could leave. He could be safe in thirty seconds. But Marcus had been at his side since the first year of his exile, the only one who’d seen him at his lowest and hadn’t walked away, Vivienne leaned out of the SUV. "Don’t you dare"

But he was already running back toward the chaos, The lobby looked worse now, smoke hanging thick, the floor littered with brass casings and blood.

He found Marcus behind an overturned table, trading fire with two of Gabriel’s men. Marcus’s shoulder was bleeding, but his aim was steady.

"Move!" Adrian shouted, covering him with a rapid burst, They sprinted for the corridor, and that’s when Adrian saw her.

Selena, standing at the far end, framed by broken glass, a pistol in her hand. The streetlight behind her threw her face into half-shadow, making the smirk more chilling.

"Still rescuing strays, Adrian?" she called, her voice carrying over the gunfire.

Marcus muttered, "She’s insane."

Adrian kept moving, but her voice followed him, each word a calculated blow. "You could’ve had it all with me. But you were too proud to admit you needed me."

He didn’t look back. He and Marcus hit the loading bay, dove into the SUV, and slammed the doors shut, The driver hit the gas.

They tore through the rain-slick streets, tires hissing, city lights blurring past. Vivienne sat rigid in the seat across from him, eyes sharp. "That was Gabriel Cross."

Adrian nodded once. "And that was your ex-wife," she added.

Another nod. "You want to tell me why they want you dead?"

Adrian leaned back, watching the wet streets streak by. "It’s not that they want me dead, Vivienne. It’s that they want me erased."

She tilted her head. "Same thing."

He shook his head slowly. "No. Dead men are remembered. Erased men? They’re forgotten."

Outside, the city swallowed them, but in his mind, Adrian could still hear Gabriel’s voice, promising that this wasn’t over.

And he knew Gabriel was right, The SUVs cut through the sleeping city like black phantoms, sliding between late-night delivery trucks and neon-lit corner stores still open past midnight. Adrian’s phone buzzed in his pocket, a secure line, no caller ID.

He answered without looking at the screen. "Talk."

A familiar voice came through, low and calm. "You left a loose end."

Adrian’s gaze shifted to the rain-streaked window, watching the blur of streetlamps. "You mean Marcus?"

"No," the voice replied. "Her."

His grip on the phone tightened. Selena, The caller continued, "She didn’t run. She stayed. Which means she’s not just working for Gabriel, she’s bait. They want you back there."

Adrian closed his eyes for a moment, piecing it together. The shootout hadn’t been the attack. It had been the opening move.

Vivienne was watching him, her expression unreadable. Marcus sat silent, nursing his shoulder wound, Adrian finally spoke. "Send a team to her old apartment. If she’s playing bait, I want to know who’s holding the line."

There was a pause on the other end. "And if she’s already moved?"

"Then find out where. Tonight."

The call ended. The SUV slowed as they approached the glass-fronted tower that housed Kane Enterprises’ private security hub. Two armed guards stepped forward, scanned the vehicle, then waved it in.

Adrian stepped out into the dimly lit garage, rainwater dripping from his coat, Vivienne followed, heels clicking against the concrete. "You’re not sleeping tonight, are you?"

"Not until I know exactly what game they’re playing."

She studied him for a moment, her voice softer now. "This isn’t just business, is it?"

Adrian didn’t answer. Inside the operations floor, the giant wall of screens glowed with live feeds of city streets, traffic cameras, and facial recognition matches scrolling in real time.

One monitor froze on an image: Selena, walking into a luxury high-rise, no more than an hour ago. Adrian stepped closer. "Zoom in."

The tech complied. Behind Selena, in the reflection of the glass doors, a second figure could be seen, tall, suited, a silver ring catching the light. Gabriel Cross.

Adrian’s pulse slowed, not sped up the way it always did when he was about to make a decision he couldn’t take back. "Get me the building blueprints," he ordered.

Marcus frowned. "You’re going after them?"

Adrian turned toward him, and for the first time that night, a faint smile touched his lips. "No. I’m going to invite them here."

The room went still, Vivienne stepped forward. "You’re insane."

Adrian’s eyes stayed on the screen, on Gabriel’s reflection. "Maybe. But by the time they realize what’s happening, it’ll be too late."

Outside, across the city, Gabriel and Selena stood in the penthouse of that luxury high-rise, watching the rain fall over the skyline. Gabriel swirled the drink in his hand and said without looking at her: "He’s already moving, isn’t he?"

Selena’s smirk returned. "Exactly as planned."