THE SILENT INHERITANCE

Chapter 7

Noah dashed into the shadowed alley, his sneakers slamming against the uneven pavement, the dim streetlamp throwing jagged shadows. The girl's piercing scream still rang in his ears, raw and urgent.

He slid to a halt, his amber eyes sharpening as he saw her, pressed against a graffiti-streaked wall, her dark eyes wide with terror. A hulking man towered over her, his grin cruel and threatening, flanked by two others clutching baseball bats.

"Hey!" Noah's voice thundered. "Back off the girl!"

The leader whipped around, his face contorting in confusion. "Who do you think you are?" he sneered, eyeing Noah. "What, you some kind of hero?"

His cronies laughed, their jeers echoing off the walls.

Noah lowered his head, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. His chuckle started soft, then grew, matching theirs. The men’s laughter faltered, their brows furrowing. The leader’s expression hardened.

"What’s so damn funny?" he snarled, stepping closer. "Stop it, or you’ll regret it!"

Noah’s laughter didn’t stop, his eyes flashing with defiance. The leader’s temper broke, and he nodded to one of his men. "Take him out!"

The thug rushed forward, swinging his bat wildly. "Stay still, punk!" he shouted. "I’ll wipe that grin off your face!"

Noah dodged fluidly, each swing missing by a hair. In a flash, he grabbed the bat mid-air, then spun into a martial arts stance, his crescent kick sending the thug crashing into trash cans with a loud crash. He collapsed, out cold.

The leader’s jaw dropped. "No way!" he stammered.

The second thug tightened his grip on his bat, glancing at his boss. "If we both go at him, we’ll crush him," he said, voice wavering but resolute.

"Let’s do it!" the leader growled. They charged, bats raised, boots pounding.

Noah stood calm, his gaze steady. As they neared, he dropped low, his body taut. The leader swung first, but Noah ducked, his fist snapping up in a precise strike to the man’s gut. The leader gasped, his bat clattering to the ground as he crumpled, clutching his stomach.

The last thug froze, pale and sweating. He dropped to his knees, his bat rolling away. "Please, don’t hurt me!" he pleaded. "I’m sorry!"

Noah loomed over him, his stare hard. Then he stepped past, his voice steady. "Get your buddies and leave. Now."

Muttering thanks, the thug scrambled up, dragging his groaning companions away into the night.

Cole George burst into the alley, breathless, his blue eyes wide. "Noah, what the hell?" he panted, spotting the retreating thugs. He turned as Noah knelt beside the girl, his tone gentle. "You okay?"

The girl, hands shaking, nodded. "I’m fine," she said softly. "Thanks to you."

Cole squinted in the dim light. "Wait, Dahlia Dwayne? Is that you?"

She nodded, brushing hair from her face. "Yeah. Noah saved me."

Noah muttered, surprised, "Dahlia Dwayne? Didn’t even recognize her..." In the chaos, he hadn’t realized she was the quiet girl from class.

Dahlia stood straighter, her voice steadier. "I need to get home. My parents must be freaking out."

Noah softened. "Want me to walk you to a cab?"

Cole coughed, smirking. "You mean *we* walk her, right?"

Noah chuckled. "Yeah, *we*. That okay, Dahlia?"

Her cheeks flushed, her smile shy. "I don’t mind," she said, tucking her hair back.

The three left the alley, Noah and Dahlia side by side, Cole trailing with a grin. Under the soft glow of streetlights, Dahlia glanced at Noah. "I heard about the police, your stepmother... you were gone for two days. You okay?"

Noah smirked, hands in his pockets. "Yeah, just family stuff."

Dahlia blushed, looking down. "Sorry, I shouldn’t have pried."

"It’s fine," Noah said gently. "Cole told me you helped with my exam. Thanks. Guess we’re square?"

Her eyes brightened. "No way. You saved my life, Noah. I owe you big time."

Before he could argue, a black Rolls-Royce pulled up, headlights glaring. Dahlia smiled. "That’s my dad’s driver."

"Stay safe," Noah said.

Cole grinned. "Yo, Dahlia, Noah’s too shy to ask, but he wants you as his prom date."

Noah’s face reddened, but Dahlia’s smile grew. "I’d love to go with you, Noah."

He grinned, surprised. "Cool. I’ll pick you up."

"See you tomorrow," Dahlia said, waving as she slid into the car, its taillights vanishing down the street.

Noah turned to Cole, laughing. "You just threw me under the bus, man!"

Cole smirked. "Had to. Your face was gold!"

They laughed, heading to Cole’s cozy two-story home. Mr. George greeted them warmly. "Come in, boys! Dinner’s ready."

At the table, over steak and potatoes, Mr. George teased, "So, who’re your prom dates?"

Cole groaned. "Dad, chill!"

Noah smiled, finishing his meal. "Thanks for the food, Mr. George. I’m hitting the sack."

As Noah headed upstairs, Mr. George leaned toward Cole. "He okay?"

Cole glanced after Noah, his voice uncertain. "Yeah, he’s fine."

In Cole’s room, Noah sank onto the spare bed, pulling out a worn photo of him and his father. His fingers traced the edges, a faint smile forming as he recalled his father’s proud grin. "Uncle should be back by now," he murmured. "Tomorrow, I’ll tell him about Celeste, the necklace, everything."

His eyes grew heavy, the photo tucked away as sleep claimed him. A sudden blast of music jolted him awake, bass vibrating the walls. "What the hell?" he groaned, heart pounding as he sat up in the dark.