Semua Bab His Runaway Queen: Bab 111 - Bab 120

*Aria’s POV*The days leading up to the wedding were a blur of final fittings, seating charts, and security protocols. The estate, usually a mausoleum of stone and silence, was alive with the sound of chopping knives from the catering team and the murmur of florists arranging thousands of white roses.But tonight, the chaos paused.The rehearsal dinner was held in the winter garden, a glass-enclosed sanctuary attached to the east wing. It was intimate by Drakov standards – only fifty guests. The Council members, a few politicians, and the core family.I stood by the open glass doors, watching the sunset paint the sky in bruises of purple and gold. I smoothed the silk of my emerald cocktail dress – the one Elena had approved of – and tried to steady my breathing."You look like you're waiting for a verdict, not a dinner."I turned. Rylan was walking over, looking dapper in a tuxedo, though his eyes were still scanning the room out of habit. He had been promoted to Head of Personal Secu

*Aria’s POV*The private jet touched down in Geneva just as the Alpine dawn began to bleed purple and gold across the horizon. From there, a helicopter waited – whisking us away from the civilization of the city, climbing higher and higher into the jagged teeth of the Swiss Alps.The transition was jarring but cleansing. One moment, we were in a world of concrete and stress; the next, we were suspended in a crystalline silence, flying over peaks that looked like frozen waves.The chalet was nestled in a valley near Zermatt, accessible only by air or a single, treacherous road that wound up the mountainside. It was an architectural masterpiece of old stone and dark timber, built into the side of the cliff, looking out at the majestic, jagged peak of the Matterhorn.It looked less like a holiday home and more like a sanctuary carved by gods.As the helicopter rotors slowed, the silence descended. It was heavy, absolute, and profoundly peaceful. No sirens. No traffic. No distant hum of th

*Aria’s POV*The peace didn't break; it shattered.It wasn't a sound that woke me–Lucian had trained me better than that. It was a smell. Acrid and sharp, cutting through the scent of pine wood and burning embers.Cordite.My eyes snapped open. The room was dark, the fire having died down to a faint orange glow in the hearth. Beside me, Lucian was already moving. He wasn't reaching for me; he was reaching under the pillow."Get down," he whispered, his voice barely audible over the howling wind outside.I didn't argue. I rolled off the mattress, hitting the cold floorboards just as the window exploded inward.It wasn't the wind.A hail of bullets tore through the room, shredding the duvet I had been sleeping under seconds ago. The sound was deafening–a rhythmic, tearing noise that vibrated in my teeth. Glass sprayed across the room like shrapnel.Lucian returned fire three times, the muzzle flash blinding in the darkness. He moved with terrifying speed, grabbing my arm and hauling me

*Aria’s POV*The phone line went dead, leaving only a dial tone that sounded like a scream in the sudden silence.Lucian didn't waste a second. He slammed the receiver down and spun around, his gun raised."Out," he barked. "Now. Back door.""They're already here," I whispered, my eyes glued to the window.A shadow moved across the snow outside. Then another.The cozy warmth of the cabin suddenly felt suffocating. The fire in the hearth wasn't a comfort anymore; it was a beacon."Go!" Lucian shoved me toward the kitchen.Before we could reach the hallway, the front door imploded inward.It wasn't kicked open; it was blown off its hinges by a concentrated shotgun blast. Wood splinters flew through the air like shrapnel. Two men in white tactical gear surged through the opening, their faces hidden behind balaclavas, their rifles sweeping the room.Lucian didn't hesitate. He dropped to one knee, bracing his injured arm, and fired.The first man jerked back, a red stain blooming on his wh

*Aria’s POV*I counted the seconds.One. Two. Three. A pause. Then two more knocks.The code.I scrambled off the cot, my legs stiff from tension, and threw the heavy bolts on the steel door. I pulled it open, my heart in my throat.Lucian stood in the tunnel, leaning heavily against the stone wall. He was covered in blood – some his, most not. His face was grey with exhaustion, but his eyes were burning with a cold, predatory fire."Lucian," I breathed, reaching for him."I'm okay," he rasped, stumbling inside. He dropped the rifle onto the table and sank onto the cot. "It's done. They're dead.""All of them?""Five. The van is disabled. The pilot..." He coughed, wincing as he held his injured arm. "The pilot had a satellite phone in the cockpit. I made the call.""The call?""Rylan. He's scrambling the extraction team from Geneva. He's also checking on the estate." Lucian looked up at me, his gaze darkening. "I told him to lock down the house. I told him to secure Adrian.""You thin