Chapter 1 Terrorist

Deep breaths. Inhale and exhale. Camilla May McKenna could handle this. After all, she was an actress—keeping her cool in difficult situations was practically her job. But this wasn’t a scene on set. Today, she wasn’t just observing; she was about to catch her best friend's lying boyfriend red-handed. Vanya—charming, sleek, and slippery as an eel. Camilla had warned Faye a thousand times, but her best friend refused to listen. If Vanya was cheating, Faye deserved to know. And today, Camilla was going to prove it. She adjusted her pink lipstick in the boutique’s mirror and fluffed her hair. This wasn’t how she planned to spend her day—she had been here to shop in peace—but then he walked in with another woman. The gall of him. Camilla slipped her phone into her coat pocket and made her way out of the bathroom. Her heart pounded as she descended the stairs, every step quieter than the last. If she could catch him now, Faye would finally see Vanya for the cheat he really was. Her phone buzzed in her hand. Faye. Camilla ignored the call, knowing her friend would just ask where she was—when the answer wasn’t something she could explain right now. She paused on the last step. There he was. Tall, dark-haired, leaning against a counter with an air of complete arrogance. His hand rested on the shoulder of the boutique assistant, and the casual way he smirked made Camilla's blood boil. How could Faye not see through him? Camilla pulled out her phone, the camera poised to capture everything. But as she focused the lens, something caught her off guard—his eyes. They locked onto her with unsettling intensity. This wasn’t just guilt or surprise. There was something sharper, colder, as if he wasn’t just annoyed—he was angry. Dangerous, even. She forced herself to hold steady, but her heart pounded. Focus, Camilla. Get the evidence and go. Before she could hit record, the man’s voice sliced through the air. “Ubiraysya,” he commanded, his tone cold as steel. The assistant scurried away, leaving Camilla standing there, her phone trembling in her grip. “Give me the phone,” he said, his voice dangerously calm. He straightened his jacket, adjusting his cuffs as if this was just another business deal. Camilla blinked, the adrenaline rushing through her veins. "Excuse me?" “You’re recording me,” he stated, his eyes narrowing. “Give. Me. The phone.” Her grip tightened on the device. Not a chance. “No.” His lips curled into a smirk, something wicked flashing in his eyes. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way, kot. Your choice." One word echoed in Camilla’s mind: Run. Without waiting for another word, she spun around and bolted down the hallway, her heels clicking furiously on the polished floor. Her heart thundered in her chest as footsteps pounded behind her. He was faster than she expected, the distance between them closing rapidly. “Is this the game you want to play?” His voice taunted her from behind, dark amusement lacing every word. “You can’t outrun me.” Camilla pushed harder, darting down another hallway, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Focus. Find a way out. But before she could make her escape, his hand clamped down on her arm, yanking her backward. The force nearly knocked the air out of her lungs. She twisted, trying to free herself, but his grip was iron. “You should have handed me the phone,” he growled, his face inches from hers, his eyes gleaming with cold menace. He didn’t raise his voice, but the threat in his tone was unmistakable. Camilla’s pulse raced as she glared at him. This man seems too dangerous to be fallen in love for her friend. He crouched, his grip still tight on her wrist, and calmly sifted through her bag, pulling out her phone. He glanced at the screen, then back at her with a chilling smile. “You think you can mess with me, kot? You’ve made a big mistake.” Before Camilla could reply, he threw her phone to the ground and stomped down hard, the sound of shattering glass echoing in the empty hallway. “Are you insane?!” she shouted, struggling against his hold, but he didn’t flinch. “You should have run faster,” he replied coldly, his eyes flashing with dark amusement. Camilla’s breath hitched. This was no ordinary confrontation—she had stepped into something far more dangerous than she could have ever imagined. And now, she was trapped with a man who wasn’t about to let her off easy. As he took a step forward and grabbed her wrists, Camilla caught her breath, but before she could react, he said, “Now, you're coming with me.” No!!! Camilla’s heart pounded in her chest as she yanked her wrist free from his grasp, her breath shallow and panicked. She didn’t wait for another word. Her instincts kicked in, and she bolted toward the boutique’s back exit, her heels echoing off the polished floors. “Run, kot, but you won’t get far,” his voice called after her, laced with cold amusement. She shoved open the door, the cool air hitting her like a slap in the face. Move. Don’t stop. Camilla darted into the street behind the boutique, her pulse racing, the shadows of the buildings closing in around her. She could still feel his eyes on her, his presence looming even though he wasn’t behind her anymore. He let me go—but why? Her thoughts spiraled as she ran, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She had no idea what she had stumbled into, but it was more than just catching a cheating boyfriend. This was something darker. She had to tell Faye! As she neared the street, she spotted the familiar black sedan parked by the curb. Relief flooded through her as her driver Alvin stepped out of the car, his expression shifting to concern the moment he saw her. “Miss McKenna!” Alvin hurried toward her, opening the back door. “What’s wrong? Are you all right?” “No time—just drive!” Camilla gasped, practically throwing herself into the car. Alvin wasted no time, slamming the door shut behind her and rushing back to the driver’s seat. The tires screeched as they sped off, leaving the street—and the man—far behind. Camilla slumped back against the leather seat, her chest heaving, her mind spinning. She glanced out of the rearview mirror, half-expecting him to appear, chasing after them. But all she saw was the empty street fading into the distance. “What happened back there?” Alvin asked, his voice calm but his eyes darting to her in the rearview mirror. “I... I don’t know,” Camilla muttered, running a trembling hand through her hair. “Just... get me out of here. Take me to Faye.” Alvin nodded, understanding the urgency in her voice. He drove in silence, navigating the city streets with practiced ease, but Camilla couldn’t shake the feeling that she was still being watched, that the man’s cold gaze was lingering, even from miles away. She closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing, when her phone buzzed in her bag. Confused, she pulled out her backup phone—the one she rarely used. The screen lit up with a message from Faye: "Where are you, Camilla? You’re supposed to be here! Vanya’s waiting. Please hurry!" Camilla’s heart stopped. Vanya! Was this why the man stopped chasing after her? She had just barely escaped the man, who was far more dangerous than her friend could ever imagine, and now Faye was walking straight into him… Her fingers trembled as she quickly typed: "He’s a terrorist! I’m coming!" She hit send, her mind racing. If she didn’t get to Faye in time, who knew what would happen? * * *GLOSSARY* * * Ubiraysya: Get out Kot: Cat. Podlyy kot: Sneaky cat