As we descended the stairs slowly, careful not to draw attention, Sergie’s maniacal laughter echoed through the mansion.
"You have no idea what it means to lose my son..." Sergie’s voice was thick with venom. "He was the one I created this empire for. But now you have taken it all away from me."
Natalya stood firm, her gun unwavering. "Do you think you can get in here, kill my people and me, and leave here alive?" Sergie continued, his voice dripping with false confidence.
"If you shoot, my people will shoot. In the end, we will both die together. But you have a choice—you can hand over that Viper, and we can forget this ever happened. What do you say?"
Sergie’s arrogance was palpable; his belief that Natalya wouldn’t risk her life for a subordinate like me.
Natalya’s voice was cold and steady. "Don’t even think about him. At worst, we will die together."
Sergie was visibly surprised by her choice. "Why? Viper is just a dog."
Boom!
The sound of a gunshot rang out. Sergie’s body crumpled to the ground, a bullet hole in his head. Natalya’s voice was deadly calm. "Nobody insults him."
Sergie’s men hesitated, their guns still pointed at Natalya. She didn’t flinch. "Your boss is dead. It’s best you surrender now."
One by one, Sergie’s men lowered their weapons. Vito was left standing alone, his face a mask of hatred.
Polina and I moved closer, our footsteps muffled by the chaos around us. Natalya’s eyes widened as she saw me, her face a mix of shock and fury. "Viper!" she snapped, her voice trembling with a storm of emotions. "What the hell are you doing here? You should be resting!"
I stepped forward, my voice steady despite the pain radiating through my body. "I couldn’t let you face this alone. Not when it’s because of me."
Natalya’s expression softened for a moment, her eyes filling with a mix of anger and relief. "Damn it, Viper," she whispered, her voice breaking. "You’re injured!"
She turned to Polina, her hand raising as if to strike. "You brought him here despite my order—"
I grabbed her hand before she could follow through. "Boss, it’s not her fault. It’s because of me. I forced her. Don’t blame her."
Natalya’s anger was palpable, but her hand dropped, her fingers trembling. She looked at me, her eyes filled with a storm of emotions—fear, relief, and something deeper, something she couldn’t yet name.
Suddenly, I saw Vito behind her, his gun pointed directly at Natalya’s back. "I know you won’t let me go," Vito sneered, his voice dripping with malice. "But if I am dying, you are coming with me."
The female bodyguards around Natalya opened fire, their bullets tearing through Vito. But even as his body was riddled with holes, he managed to fire one last shot—directly at Natalya.
Time seemed to slow. I saw the shadow guards preparing to move, but I stopped them with a sharp gesture. In an instant, I wrapped my arms around Natalya and turned, letting the bullet pierce my back.
The pain was excruciating, a searing, white-hot agony that stole my breath. I coughed, blood splattering onto Natalya’s face. She gasped, her eyes widening in horror as she realized what had happened.
Vito collapsed, lifeless, his body crumpling to the ground.
Natalya’s voice broke as she held me tightly, her hands trembling. "No... No, Viper... Why do you keep getting hurt?" Tears streamed down her face, her grip on me tightening as if she could will me back to full health through sheer force. "Why do you keep doing this for me?"
I didn’t use my healing factor, letting the pain remain, letting her see the cost of my devotion. I wiped her tears away, my voice weak but steady. "Boss... I am your bodyguard. It is my duty."
Natalya’s sobs wracked her body, her hands clutching at me desperately. "You idiot," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "You absolute, stubborn idiot. You could have died!"
I looked into her eyes, my own filling with a depth of emotion I had never let myself acknowledge. "I couldn’t let anything happen to you," I said softly. "Not when you mean everything to me."
Natalya’s breath hitched, her tears falling faster. "Viper..." she whispered, her voice breaking. She pressed her forehead to mine, her body shaking with sobs. "You mean everything to me, too. More than you know. More than I ever wanted to admit."
I reached up, cupping her face in my hands, my thumbs brushing away her tears. "Boss..."
"No," she said, her voice trembling. "Don’t call me that. I don’t wanna be your boss." She took a shaky breath, her eyes locked onto mine.
"I love you, Viper. I love you so much it terrifies me. I’ve never felt this way before, and I don’t know what to do with it. But I can’t lose you. I can’t."
My heart swelled, my own eyes filling with tears. "Natalya..."
She pressed her lips to mine, her kiss desperate and filled with all the emotions she had been holding back. When she pulled away, her forehead rested against mine, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
"I was so scared," she confessed. "When I thought I might lose you, I realized I couldn’t live without you. You’re not just my bodyguard. You’re my everything."
The female bodyguards surrounded us, their expressions a mix of respect and sorrow. Polina stepped forward, her voice firm but gentle. "We need to get him to a doctor, Boss. Now."
Natalya nodded, her tears still falling. She carefully helped me up, her touch gentle despite the urgency. "You’re never leaving my sight again," she vowed, her voice fierce yet trembling with emotion.
As we moved toward the exit, the weight of the moment settled over us. Natalya’s grip on me was unyielding, her determination to protect me now matched by my own resolve to protect her. The bond between us had deepened, forged in blood, pain, and an unspoken love that had finally found its voice.
In that moment, we both understood the depth of our bond—one that transcended duty and loyalty, one that was forged in the fires of battle and the vulnerability of confession.
And as Natalya held me close, her tears mixing with my own, I knew that no matter what came next, we would face it together. Because we were no longer just boss and bodyguard.