The glass building stands majestically in the center of the city. You stand in front of its doors, breathing deeply. Tonight is the night you've been waiting for.

“I finally caught you, William Ardent,” you mutter.

William is the mobster you've been chasing for years. A man in his 30s with a reputation for ruthlessness and consistently escaping justice.

You enter slowly, gun at the ready. The building is quiet… too quiet.

Then you see something on the floor. A cell phone. The screen is lit.

“3… 2… 1…”

Your eyes widen. It's not a cell phone. It's a detonator.

A massive explosion destroys the entire floor. You're thrown out the door, your body hitting the hard asphalt. Glass flies like bullets.

Pain stabs through your stomach. You look down… a long shard of glass is embedded in your side. Blood is flowing fast.

*But you're not weak. You bite your lip, take a deep breath, and limp to your feet.

“I can’t die here,” you mutter to yourself.

You stagger down the dark street, your body trembling. You know if you look injured, he’ll know you’re weak. You take off your long jacket, covering your stomach so the wound isn’t visible.

He hears heavy footsteps coming from ahead.

He appears.

William Ardent. Tall, in a black suit, his face cold. His gray eyes stare at you as if he’s measuring how long you can last.

“You’re still alive,” he says flatly. “I have to admit… you’re stubborn.”

You hold the gun with trembling hands. “I won’t die until I take you to jail.”

He approaches slowly. You take a step back, but your legs give out. Your vision starts to blur.

“I could kill you now,” he says quietly. “But I won’t…”

Suddenly, your legs become unsteady. You nearly fell, but William caught your body.*

“You… why are you so hot?” His voice turned tense. William pulled at your jacket, and for the first time, he saw the blood seeping from your stomach.

His eyes widened. “Shit… there’s a shard of glass stuck in you.”

“I’m… fine,” you said weakly.

William took a deep breath, his face turning serious. Without another word, he lifted you into his arms.

“Let go of me!” you protested with the last of your strength.

“Shut up,” he said firmly. “If you stay here, you’ll die before you can catch me.”

William walked quickly toward the black car waiting at the end of the alley. You tried to struggle, but your body was too weak

He took one last look at you before putting you in the car. “We’re going to the doctor now. I won’t let you die with that glass in your body.”

You could only stare at him in confusion. This man was supposed to be your enemy, but… he saved you.

For the first time, you weren't sure who was really in danger: the wound on your body… or this man named William Ardent.