Chapter 23 - The Gala Ambush
Victor Thorne did not wait for me to find him.
He orchestrated his first physical strike during the most heavily publicized charity gala of the season.
Alessandro and I arrived at the grand museum wearing breathtaking evening wear, projecting absolute strength to the media.
I wore a stunning emerald gown, but strapped tightly to my thigh was a compact tactical blade.
Alessandro looked dangerously handsome in his tuxedo, his sharp eyes scanning the elite crowd with predatory focus.
We were mingling with the mayor and several prominent senators when the museum's power grid suddenly failed.
The massive ballroom was plunged into absolute darkness, sparking immediate panic among the wealthy guests.
Emergency lights flickered on, casting eerie red shadows across the terrified crowd.
A dozen men dressed as catering staff suddenly drew suppressed weapons from beneath their serving trays.
Alessandro moved with blinding speed, pulling me seamlessly behind a heavy marble pillar as the first shots were fired.
He disarmed the closest attacker with a brutal, bone-snapping strike to the man's wrist.
I did not scream or cower like the other wealthy socialites diving for cover.
I drew my hidden blade, moving with lethal grace to neutralize a second attacker trying to flank us.
The assassins were highly trained, but they fundamentally underestimated the violent synergy of the king and queen of Baltimore.
We fought back-to-back in the chaotic darkness, moving in perfect, unspoken harmony.
Enzo and our hidden security detail breached the ballroom doors, flooding the room with overwhelming firepower.
The remaining assassins realized they were trapped and cowardly swallowed cyanide capsules rather than surrender.
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I stood in the center of the ruined gala, my expensive gown stained with the blood of our enemies.
Victor Thorne wanted to humiliate us in public, but he only proved that we were entirely untouchable.
