Chương 3 - THE SHADOW OF POWER
A heavy black SUV, its high beams blindingly bright, skidded into the narrow alleyway, throwing up a six-foot wall of dirty rainwater as it slammed to a halt ten feet from where they knelt.
The side doors flew open instantly.
Three massive men in immaculate dark suits stepped out into the pouring rain. They moved with terrifying, military-grade precision, their faces expressionless, their eyes sweeping the alleyway with cold, practiced efficiency.
The lead security operative—a man six-foot-three with a scarred jaw—drew a suppressed firearm from beneath his jacket, stepping toward Naen with lethal speed.
Naen gasped, raising her hands as she shrank back against the dumpster, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs.
Roman lifted his right hand—just two inches off his chest.
It was a tiny, effortless gesture, but the effect was instantaneous.
The lead security operative froze mid-step, his weapon dropping smoothly back into his holster as his two companions dropped to one knee beside Roman, their dark suits getting ruined in the grease and rain without a second's hesitation.
"Boss," the lead operative said, his voice quiet, urgent, and thick with profound respect. "We secured the perimeter. The car is ready."
Roman didn't look at his men. His dark eyes remained fixed on Naen, who was standing three feet away, wet, mud-splattered, her white server blouse stained with his blood, holding her battered purse to her chest.
"She helped me," Roman said, his low baritone cutting through the roar of the rain.
The security lead turned his head, looking at Naen for the first time not as a threat, but with an intense, quiet scrutiny. He gave her a single, slow nod of acknowledgement.
"Get him in the vehicle," the security lead ordered quietly.
Naen took three shaky steps backward, her eyes wide as she watched the three massive men lift Roman with extraordinary care, guiding his broad frame into the leather interior of the black SUV.
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Roman looked back at her through the tinted glass as the heavy door slammed shut.
Panicked, shivering, and suddenly realizing how late she was, Naen turned on her heel, grabbed her wet purse, and sprinted down the flooded alley toward the restaurant’s rear service entrance.
