All Chapters of ECHOES OF DECEPTION: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The sound of gunfire pierced the darkness as Lucian’s soldiers started firing. Clara shoved Alexander and Jane behind the crates, took out her revolver, and returned fire with deadly accuracy. “We need to move!” she yelled, her voice harsh. Alexander grasped Jane’s hand, dragging her toward the nearest cover. Bullets bounced against the metal container, sparks flying as chaos erupted around them. “This is insane!” Jane wept, tears flowing down her cheeks. “Keep moving!” Alexander encouraged his hold on her tightening. Clara was a whirlwind of speed, mowing down foes with a brutal efficiency that made Alexander both amazed and concerned. But the odds were against them. For every man Clara put down, two more appeared. To arise. “Over here!” Clara yelled, motioning down a side lane. Alexander and Jane followed, their breaths breathless as they rushed for safety. As they neared the bend, a huge explosion shook the docks, the shockwave pushing them to the ground. Clara was the fir

The warehouse was quiet; the one bulb above created ghostly shadows on the walls. Every groan of the old building set their nerves on edge; the air was moist and smelled of rust and mould. Leaning against a stack of boxes, Alexander's keen eyes wavered between Clara and Jane, seated across from him. "We cannot stay here long," Clara remarked, her voice tense as she looked at the strengthened door. "Lucian's troops will soon track us to this place. You know his kind of person”. Alexander closed his mouth, sensing being frustrated. "You said something like this previously, Clara. Perhaps we would not be in this situation if you had not brought them to us.” “I didn’t have a choice!” Clara yelled back, her voice shaking with controlled anger. “You won’t understand the pressure Lucian puts on people”. Jane moved uneasily, her arms curled about herself. “You expect us to believe you had no other option other than that after everything?” “Enough!” Alexander’s words ripped through the te

The warehouse was quiet; the one bulb above created ghostly shadows on the walls. Every groan of the old building set their nerves on edge; the air was moist and smelled of rust and mould. Leaning against a stack of boxes, Alexander's keen eyes wavered between Clara and Jane, seated across from him."We cannot stay here long," Clara remarked, her voice tense as she looked at the strengthened door. "Lucian's troops will soon track us to this place. You know his kind of person”.Alexander closed his mouth, sensing being frustrated. "You said something like this previously, Clara. Perhaps we would not be in this situation if you had not brought them to us.”“I didn’t have a choice!” Clara yelled back, her voice shaking with controlled anger. “You won’t understand the pressure Lucian puts on people”.Jane moved uneasily, her arms curled about herself. “You expect us to believe you had no other option other than that after everything?”“Enough!” Alexander’s words ripped through the tension

"We can't just walk in without a plan," Clara said, her voice rising above the rumble of the car's engine.Alexander held the car wheel firmly, with his eyes fixed on the dark road ahead. "We don't have a choice. Every second we waste gives Lucian more time to strengthen his grip on this."Lily grabbed Clara's arm, her tiny hands trembling with fright. "I don't wish to return," she murmured, her voice scarcely audible."You're not going back," Clara calmed her, pulling her close. "We'll protect you. I promise.""Promises don't mean much when bullets start flying," Isabella mumbled from the front seat, her arms crossed.Alexander shot her a warning look. "Enough. We need to focus."The tension in the car was suffocating as they neared the outer areas of Lucian's compound. The scattering estate stood near and threatened in the distance, surrounded by high walls and armed guards patrolling the outside border."How are we supposed to get in there?" Jane asked, leaning forward to get a bet

Clara felt her heart race as she glanced back and forth between the two men. The atmosphere was charged, and she realized that whatever occurred next would alter everything."This ends now," Alexander growled, stepping fully into the room. His broad shoulders blocked the doorway, and his burning eyes locked onto Lucian with a strength that could melt steel.Lucian turned, slowly and his smile widened. "Ah!, Alexander. Did you miss her already?""Let her go," Alexander demanded, his voice steady but burning with extreme anger. "I'm not asking again."Clara stood frozen, her heart pounding as the two men stared each other down. She could feel the heat of Alexander's anger and the cold threatening thing of Lucian's control, as she was caught squarely in the middle."She's not a prisoner," Lucian said coolly. "She came here willingly, didn't you, Clara?"Alexander's eyes flicked to her, and she moved under his piercing look. "Tell me he's lying," Alexander said softly, but his voice carri