CHAPTER 6

Rachel’s POV

The moment I stepped out of Raphael Enterprises, I felt like invisible eyes were following every moment I made. 

Most employees had already gone home after the disastrous luncheon, but a few people still lingered outside the building pretending not to stare at me.

The phone in my hand vibrated, there were headlines RAPHAEL HEIRESS LINKED TO MATTHEW KANE, INSIDE THE SECRET SCANDAL OF RACHEL RAPHAEL. I just stared with no emotions. The comments underneath were worse 

I locked my phone and kept walking towards the waiting car when I noticed several people secretly taking pictures of me. A man standing near the entrance lifted his phone when I looked at him, and another woman whispered something to her friend while staring openly at me, fear and curiosity mixed. 

Across the street, I saw a luxury car sitting motionless beneath the rain, and I knew exactly who had it. But when I looked closer, the windows were too dark to see through.

I opened the back door of my cab and entered, the driver glanced at me through the mirror, “There’s been a change of route tonight, Miss Rachel.”

I frowned, “What kind of change?” 

“Orders from Mr. Raphael’s office,” he answered after much hesitation. There was something off about his voice, but I waved it off. I looked through the rain covered window as the car pulled away from the building. The black car across the street remained parked exactly where it was. 

The city lights blurred while silence filled the vehicle, I tried ignoring the anxiety that was growing in me and tried convincing myself I was overthinking. But I noticed a black car behind us, which was too far away to identify. 

Every turn we made it followed, my pulse quickened now as I kept watching through the rear window carefully. We turned left and it followed, that’s when I knew something was up fear slowly crept in. 

I reached into my purse and grabbed the silver key I had taken from the hidden compartment behind my mother’s portrait. The metal felt cold and strangely comforting. 

The driver’s phone suddenly rang, he answered through the car speakers, I don’t know what he heard but his face lost all colour. 

“What’s wrong?” I asked. 

He gripped the steering wheel tighter, before he could answer a black SUV swerved violently in front of our vehicle, our tires screeched as the driver held the brake and I  was thrown sideways against the door. 

Another vehicle appeared behind us, blocking the road completely making it impossible for us to reverse. The rain suddenly intensified, hammering against the windshield as dark figures stepped out of the vehicles surrounding us. They were men dressed entirely in black.

One of them lifted a weapon, and the driver cursed under his breath, “Stay down.” I heard a loud crack on my window as someone smashed the glass with the side of a gun. I screamed instinctively. 

Another man was pulling the handle of the door aggressively. The driver turned to me, “Run when I tell you to.” 

Gunshots erupted outside, the sound shattered through the night. I froze completely, the windshield cracked from another shot, and rainwater sprayed through the broken glass while shouting echoed outside the car. 

The driver yelled, “Run now!” My body moved before my brain caught up, I opened the door and stumbled out into the rain, before I could move, someone grabbed my wrist roughly before I could run. 

I was so scared that I reacted without thinking, and I drove my knee upward as hard as I could. The man cursed loudly and loosened his grip. I ran as hard as I could as he loosened his grip. 

My heels went off while rain soaked through my clothes, and my breathing became uneven. Behind me, angry voices shouted “Don’t let her get away!” Thunder cracked as I ran deeper into the industrial district near the docks. 

Everything here looked abandoned, rusting warehouses, broken fences, dark shipping containers stacked endlessly beneath the storm. I turned sharply around a corner and finally stopped behind several large containers, collapsing against the freezing metal while struggling to breathe quietly. 

My entire body trembled uncontrollably, rainwater dripped from my hair into my eyes while footsteps echoed somewhere nearby. Flashlight sliced through the darkness, they were searching for me “She couldn’t have gone far,” one man growled. 

Another answered coldly, “Boss said she dies tonight.” My blood ran cold, they wanted me dead. A terrified sound almost escaped my throat. I put my hand over my mouth instantly, I grabbed my phone desperately trying to call Lucas but there was no signal. 

Panic nearly crushed me completely, I was alone. Then suddenly, I heard a scream followed by gunshots. The men searching for me became chaotic instantly, “What the hell,” “They’re here!” There was fear in their voices. 

Black clothed men emerged from the darkness, I watched in horror as one attacker was slammed against a container before collapsing lifeless onto the ground, and another barely lifted his weapon before being disarmed brutally. 

I backed away slowly, terrified of everyone around me now, then someone stepped out from the darkness, tall, broad coat drenched by rain

Before I saw his face, I knew who it was. “You should have stayed close to me.”

I slowly turned toward him, and for a moment I forgot how to breathe. Rain slid down the sharp lines of his face, he looked untouched by the chaos happening around us. I was instantly relieved, seeing him made me feel safer and I didn’t know why. 

Matthew's eyes moved over me slowly, my trembling hands, the fear I couldn’t hide anymore. His expression became cold when he saw my trembling hands. 

“How did you find me,” I whispered shakily. But he ignored the question completely and stepped closer and used his thumb to brush lightly against the corner of my mouth.

I flinched, but when he pulled his hand away, it was stained with blood. I hadn’t even realized I was hurt until I saw his hands. Matthew’s gaze darkened, “Did they touch you?” He asked in a quiet but dangerous voice. 

I swallowed hard before nodding slightly. Behind him, one of his men dragged an injured attacker across the warehouse floor. Matthew never looked away from me, “Find out who sent them.” He ordered calmly. 

I stared at him through the rain, “Was this because of you?” 

“No.” He answered.

I wanted to believe him but I was still very much scared 

Matthew noticed and stepped closer, then quietly said, “But now they know you matter.”

He suddenly lifted one hand and cupped my jaw gently, the way his palm was warm “You’re shaking.”  He led me to his vehicle.

Inside his vehicle was quiet, I sat beside him wrapped inside his black coat, my wet hair clinging to my skin. Matthew sat beside me. I found my voice, “Who were they?” 

His eyes shifted toward me, “Not random.” He leaned back, “The rumors were meant to isolate you first.”

I stared at him, everything connecting, the articles, the whispers, the surveillance, everything tonight. “This was planned.”

“Yes,” Mathew studied me before speaking again. “You’re standing too close to something dangerous.”

My fingers wrapped around the silver key hidden inside my coat pocket, and Matthew noticed it. His gaze dropped briefly toward my hand, “You were brave tonight.” 

A weak laugh escaped me, “I was terrified.”

His expression softened, “Brave people are usually terrified.” 

I looked at him, at the man the entire city feared, he didn’t feel like a monster, he felt like a safe place. Matthew’s phone suddenly rang, and he answered immediately. Antonio’s voice filled the vehicle through the speaker, “We identified one of the attackers.” 

Matthew’s entire expression turned deadly, “Who sent them?” 

There was silence, then Antonio finally spoke. “Someone connected to the Raphael family.”