THE SECRET SON-IN-LAW: Heir of War

CHAPTER 4 – The Vault Intruders

The forest was so quiet Leon could hear the buzz of the vault’s old electricity humming behind him. The men who stepped out from the trees didn’t rush. They didn’t speak loudly. They moved with the calm confidence of people who killed for a living.

Adrian’s hand slid toward his jacket, and Sophia instinctively moved behind Leon, gripping his sleeve so tightly her fingers trembled.

The tallest intruder smirked. “Finally found you, Hale.”

Leon didn’t flinch. “Who sent you?”

“Oh, come on.” The man spread his arms as if greeting an old friend. “As if you don’t know how many people want your head.”

Adrian stepped forward a little. “If you want to breathe for another ten seconds,” he said coldly, “start giving real answers.”

Sophia tugged Leon’s sleeve. “Leon… who are they?”

Leon didn’t answer. His eyes hadn’t left the men for even a second.

The intruder glanced at Sophia with a slow, amused smile. “So this must be the wife. The Carsons really let you marry her? Surprising, considering—”

Leon’s voice cut in, soft but lethal. “Don’t finish that sentence.”

The man’s smile widened. “You really want to protect her? Cute. A man like you… trying to live a quiet life? Pretending to be harmless? You really thought nobody would find you?”

Adrian’s eyes flicked toward Leon. “We need to move.”

“I know,” Leon muttered.

The men approached another step. Five of them, spread out now, blocking every possible escape path.

Sophia whispered, “We need to run.”

Leon whispered back, “Not yet.”

The intruder in front raised a hand. “Leon Hale, you have three choices: come with us quietly, die here… or watch the girl die first.”

Adrian snorted. “Wrong answer.”

And then everything exploded at once.

The intruder swung his arm down, signaling the attack.

Leon grabbed Sophia’s arm and pulled her behind a fallen tree trunk as the first bullet hit the vault door with a metallic scream. Adrian fired back instantly, hitting one of the men in the shoulder. The forest erupted with shouts and gunfire.

Sophia pressed her hands over her ears, shaking. “Leon—what is happening?!”

Leon crouched beside her, shielding her with his body as he grabbed the metal rod from earlier—the one he’d used to open the vault.

Sophia stared at it, horrified. “You can’t fight them with that!”

Leon didn’t look at her. “Watch me.”

Adrian shouted from behind another tree. “Leon! Two on your left, one circling back!”

Leon nodded once and moved.

He didn’t run blindly or rush. He slipped through the trees with a steadiness that shouldn’t have been possible under gunfire. His movements—quick, precise, silent—didn’t belong to a bullied son-in-law who washed dishes.

Sophia watched him with disbelief rising in her chest.

The first intruder raised his gun, but Leon was already there. He grabbed his wrist, twisted sharply—

a crack—

the gun dropped—

and Leon slammed the metal rod into his ribs.

The man collapsed instantly.

Sophia gasped. “Leon…”

Another attacker charged from the side. Leon ducked, swept his leg under the man’s feet, grabbed the falling man’s collar, and slammed him into a tree. He didn’t even pause before turning toward the next.

Adrian kept the others distracted with precise shots, forcing them behind trees and rocks.

“Leon!” Adrian called. “Three o’clock!”

Leon spun just as another intruder lunged at him with a knife. He blocked the attack with the rod, sparks flying from the blade’s strike. He kicked the intruder backward and drove the rod into the man’s gut, knocking the air out of him.

Sophia stared, breathless.

Who was this man?

Leon was panting lightly now, but his eyes were still cold. Still calculating. Still the eyes of someone who had done this before.

Sophia pressed a hand to her heart.

This wasn’t the Leon who quietly folded laundry and apologized for things he didn’t do.

This wasn’t the man her family mocked.

This was someone else.

The last attacker—tallest, fastest—charged at Leon with a furious roar. He swung a heavy punch, but Leon blocked it with his forearm, twisting his body to absorb the force. The man attacked again and again, punches wild but powerful.

Leon took a step back, judging distance.

“What’s wrong?” the man jeered. “Running out of breath, heir?”

Adrian froze. Sophia froze.

The word hung in the air.

Leon’s voice stayed cold. “You talk too much.”

He slipped inside the man’s guard, slammed the rod onto the man’s knee, forcing him down with a grunt, then struck his jaw with a brutal upward hit.

The man toppled.

Silence fell.

Birds rustled weakly somewhere far away, disturbed by the chaos.

Adrian stepped out from behind a tree, lowering his gun. “You really held back all this time.”

Leon wiped blood from his knuckles. “Didn’t have a choice.”

Sophia slowly stood, legs shaking. “Leon…”

He turned to her, breathing hard but eyes gentle again. “Are you hurt?”

She shook her head. “I… I’m fine. But you—”

She swallowed.

“You’re bleeding.”

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing!” she said louder than intended. “Leon, what—what was that? Who are you? Why do these men know you?”

Leon opened his mouth, but footsteps crunched in the distance—fast, angry, approaching.

Adrian’s head snapped up. “More incoming.”

Sophia’s eyes widened. “More?!”

Adrian grabbed Leon’s arm. “We can’t stay here. If this is the first batch, the next group won’t be amateurs.”

Leon turned toward the vault. “We need something inside.”

Adrian frowned. “It’s still locked.”

“No,” Leon said, gripping the handle. “Not anymore.”

He pulled. The old gears groaned again, and the vault door creaked open another few inches—not fully, but enough for someone to slip inside.

Sophia looked between them. “Wait—wait, Leon, is this your vault?”

He didn’t answer.

Because he didn’t need to.

The way he moved, the way he shut down the intruders, the way they called him heir…

Sophia felt her entire world tilting out of place.

Adrian jumped inside first. “Come on!”

Leon reached for Sophia’s hand. “Sophia—”

Before he could pull her inside, a bullet whistled past and embedded itself in the tree beside her head.

Sophia screamed.

Leon yanked her toward him, shielding her as another bullet tore through the bark. He grabbed her waist, lifted her into the vault opening, and shoved her toward Adrian.

“Take her!”

Adrian caught her by the arms and pulled her inside.

Leon turned, ready to slip through the door—

But another shadow detached itself from the trees.

This one wasn’t rushing.

This one walked with deliberate, slow confidence.

The new man wore a dark coat, his hands casually in his pockets, as if he wasn’t stepping across the bodies of his own men. His steps didn’t crunch the leaves. They almost floated.

His voice, when he spoke, was low and silky.

“So the rumors were true.”

Leon froze mid-step.

The man tilted his head. “The lost heir survived. And he’s been living… as a son-in-law?”

Leon’s jaw tightened. Hard.

Sophia stared at the newcomer with terror tightening her throat. She whispered to Adrian, “Who… who is that?”

Adrian swallowed. “Someone worse than the rest.”

The man smirked at Leon, eyes glinting with cruel amusement.

“Your clan will be very happy to know I found you,” he said softly.

“Especially the one who ordered your execution.”

Leon’s gaze sharpened, darker than Sophia had ever seen.

“Close the door,” Leon said quietly.

Sophia’s heart thudded. “Leon—”

“Close it.”

Adrian grabbed the vault handle. “Leon, if I shut it—”

“I said close it!”

The newcomer stepped closer, still smiling. “You can’t escape now, Leon. Not this time.”

Sophia reached toward Leon with trembling fingers just as the door began to swing.

“Leon! Don’t—don’t stay out there!”

His eyes softened for a split second. “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not! Leon!”

But the vault door kept closing.

The newcomer stepped into view fully now, his shadow falling across Leon.

“You will come with me,” he whispered.

Leon said nothing.

The door reached halfway.

Sophia sobbed, “Leon, please!”

Leon looked at her for one last moment—

Then stepped forward toward the enemy.

The vault door slammed shut with a resounding metallic crash.

Darkness swallowed Sophia and Adrian inside the vault.

Outside—

A single muffled gunshot echoed through the forest.