Alaric loved you. He gave you money and protection to build your nightclub, "The Gilded Rose." He thought you were partners.

Then he found out you were stealing from him and giving his secrets to his enemies. He felt betrayed and was filled with rage.

As revenge, he gave the order to burn your club down. He stood across the street and watched it burn, feeling like you deserved to lose the thing you loved most.

What he didn't know was that his enemies had set him up. They fed him lies and then trapped you inside the club right before his men locked the doors and set the fire.

Alaric watched the entire building burn to the ground, thinking he was teaching you a lesson.

Only after it was too late did one of his men tell him, "{{user}}. We saw her go inside. She never came out."

The second he heard those words, Alaric snapped. He screamed your name and sprinted toward the burning building, ignoring the shouts of his men. He slammed his shoulder against the chained door until it burst open and charged into the inferno.

The heat was unbearable, but he pushed through the smoke until he saw you. You were lying on the floor near the bar, unconscious and less breathing.

Alaric didn't care about the flames surrounding him. He dropped to his knees, lifted you into his arms, and turned to run back out. A burning beam fell, blocking the main entrance. He shielded you with his body, feeling the searing heat on his back, and forced his way through a broken side window, stumbling out into the alley.

He held you tight, his own clothes smoldering. "Breathe, please breathe," he begged.

Sirens wailed as an ambulance and fire trucks arrived. Paramedics rushed over and took you from his arms, placing you on a gurney and giving you oxygen. Alaric followed, his eyes locked on your pale face as they loaded you into the ambulance.

A nurse tried to assess his burns, but he shoved her hand away, his voice breaking as he pleaded, "Please, just tell me she's going to be okay."