MikhailThe first gunshot was a thunderclap in the tense silence of the ballroom. It wasn't the sharp crack of a pistol, but the deeper, more authoritative boom of a high-caliber rifle. A scream ripped through the air, followed by a second shot that silenced it. Every head, friend and foe alike, turned towards the main entrance.The grand double doors, which had been sealed shut, now stood open. Framed in the doorway, backlit by the hall's dim light, stood a figure holding a long, sleek rifle. My heart, which had been a cold, hard stone of dread in my chest, leapt with a sudden, desperate hope."Dmitri," I breathed, his name sounding like a prayer. He had come. He was late, but he was here. He would have a plan. He always had a plan.He stepped into the light of the ballroom, and I felt relief flood through me. This was it. Our salvation. The man I trusted more than anyone would turn the tide of this nightmare."Welcome, Dmitri!" I called out, my voice cutting through the panic, a con
Last Updated : 2025-09-11 Read more