1. Escape

RUTHLESS BOND

...Chapter 1 — Escape...

The city never slept.

Even at two in the morning, distant sirens echoed through the streets while neon signs painted the wet roads with shades of blue and red.

For most people, night was a time for rest.

For Riven Hale, it was just another shift.

The cold wind bit against his skin as he stepped out of a convenience store carrying two paper bags filled with groceries. His shoulders ached after fourteen straight hours of work, but he ignored the pain.

Pain didn't pay bills.

Money did.

And money was something he never had enough of.

Riven adjusted the strap of his worn backpack and continued walking through the narrow street toward the small apartment he shared with his younger brother.

A smile appeared on his face as he remembered Eli's message from earlier.

"Don't forget the noodles."

Riven had laughed when he read it.

No matter how difficult life became, Eli somehow always managed to make him smile.

Their parents had died six years ago.

Since then, everything had fallen on Riven's shoulders.

School fees.

Rent.

Food.

Medicine.

Every responsibility belonged to him.

And he carried them without complaint.

Because Eli was all he had left.

The apartment building finally came into view.

Old walls.

Broken windows.

Rust-covered railings.

Home.

Riven climbed the stairs quietly before unlocking the door.

The moment he stepped inside, the smell of instant noodles greeted him.

Eli was sitting at the small table with a textbook open in front of him.

"You forgot the noodles, didn't you?" Eli asked immediately.

Riven rolled his eyes.

"I literally carried them all the way here."

Eli grinned.

"Then you're officially my favorite brother."

"I'm your only brother."

"Exactly."

For a brief moment, the room filled with laughter.

A rare sound.

A precious one.

Riven unpacked the groceries while Eli continued talking about school.

Normal things.

Simple things.

The kind of things Riven worked so hard to protect.

Hours later, Eli had fallen asleep.

The apartment became silent again.

Riven sat near the window, staring at the city lights.

Exhaustion weighed heavily on him.

But sleep refused to come.

His mind was crowded with unpaid bills and growing worries.

The landlord wanted rent next week.

Eli's school payment was overdue.

And recently something else had begun bothering him.

A strange feeling.

As if someone was watching him.

Following him.

Waiting.

He shook the thought away.

Maybe he was simply tired.

Outside, rain began falling softly.

Riven closed the curtain and finally went to bed.

He had no idea that this ordinary night would be the last peaceful night of his life.

---

The next evening arrived with dark clouds hanging over the city.

Riven had just finished another shift when a shortcut through the industrial district caught his attention.

Normally he avoided that area.

Tonight, he was too tired to care.

The streets were almost empty.

Only the sound of rain accompanied him.

Then—

A gunshot echoed through the darkness.

Riven froze.

His heartbeat stopped.

Another gunshot followed.

Then shouting.

Instinct screamed at him to run.

Immediately.

But curiosity made him glance toward the source.

Big mistake.

At the end of the alley, several black vehicles surrounded a warehouse.

Men dressed in dark suits moved quickly while others aimed weapons.

This wasn't a street fight.

This was something far worse.

Something organized.

Something dangerous.

Riven stepped backward carefully.

One step.

Two steps.

Three—

A loose metal pipe rolled beneath his shoe.

CLANG!

The sound echoed loudly.

Every head turned toward him.

Silence.

Terrible silence.

For one horrifying second, nobody moved.

Then someone shouted.

"THERE!"

Riven's blood ran cold.

Without thinking, he turned and ran.

Fast.

Faster than he had ever run before.

Footsteps thundered behind him.

Voices shouted.

The sound of engines roared to life.

They were chasing him.

Because he had seen something he was never supposed to see.

Rain poured harder as Riven sprinted through the maze of streets.

His lungs burned.

His legs screamed in protest.

But stopping meant death.

And dying was not an option.

Not while Eli was waiting at home.

Not while his brother still needed him.

A sharp turn.

Another alley.

Another desperate sprint.

The city blurred around him.

Then suddenly—

A black luxury car appeared in front of him.

Riven stumbled backward.

The rear door slowly opened.

Someone sat inside.

Hidden in shadows.

Watching.

Waiting.

For the first time that night, genuine fear crawled down Riven's spine.

Because whoever was inside that car felt far more dangerous than the men chasing him.

And somehow...

The stranger's eyes were already fixed on him.

As if they had been waiting for this moment.

To Be Continued...

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