Page 123 of Falling for the Grump Billionaire

"You can’t promise that," she replies, her voice barely above a whisper.

"No, I can’t," I admit. "But I can promise that I’ll do everything in my power to stop him. For you. For us."

Her lips tremble, but she nods, gripping my hand tightly.

The facility in Berlin is a testament to Reyes’s paranoia—a sprawling complex of reinforced concrete and razor wire. Floodlights sweep across the perimeter, illuminating armed guards patrolling in synchronized patterns.

Adrian’s team moves like ghosts through the shadows, disabling cameras and neutralizing guards with swift precision. Eva stays close to me, her every movement careful and deliberate.

"Central server room is two floors down," Adrian whispers through the comms. "We’re clear to move."

We slip through the entrance, the silence pressing against my ears like a physical weight. Every step feels like a gamble, every breath a risk.

As we descend into the heart of the facility, the tension thickens. The hum of the servers grows louder, the air colder.

"Dominic," Adrian’s voice cuts through the comms. "We’ve got movement on the north wing. Reyes’s men are closing in."

"How much time do we need to finish this?" I ask, my voice tight.

"At least ten minutes," Adrian replies.

"Then we hold them off," I say, glancing at Eva. "Stay here. Don’t move until I say."

She opens her mouth to argue, but the look in my eyes silences her.

Reyes’s men descend like a storm, their weapons blazing as they flood the server room. I move instinctively, firing off calculated shots as I duck behind cover.

"Dominic!" Eva’s voice cuts through the chaos, sharp with urgency.

I glance toward her, my heart clenching at the sight of a guard closing in on her position. Before I can move, she reacts, slamming a metal pipe into the man’s head with a strength that surprises even me.

"You okay?" I call out, my voice hoarse.

She nods, her chest heaving. "Keep going!"

Adrian’s voice crackles through the comms. "We’ve got the data! Pull out now!"

"Go!" I shout to Eva, covering her as she sprints toward the exit.

We burst out into the cold night, the sound of alarms blaring behind us. Adrian’s team piles into the waiting van, and I shove Eva inside before climbing in after her.

As the van speeds away, I glance back at the facility, the adrenaline still coursing through my veins.

"We got it," Adrian says, holding up the flash drive. "Everything we need to destroy Reyes."

But as the city lights blur past, a sinking feeling settles in my chest.

Reyes is still out there. And I know this isn’t over.

Not yet.

33

_____

Eva

The first light of dawn spills across the city skyline as I stand by the window in Dominic’s penthouse, clutching a steaming mug of coffee. The soft orange glow bathes the buildings in warmth, but it does little to thaw the chill that’s settled deep in my chest. I take a slow sip, hoping the bitter liquid will steady the chaos swirling inside me. It doesn’t.

---