Reborn Heiress: Escaping My Contract Marriage with the Cold CEO Chapter 81: Someone I Care About

LEONARDO ANNISON

The car door slamd shut behind us, sealing us in silence. The only sound was Oliver’s ragged breathing beside , his fingers still tangled with mine like he was afraid I’d vanish if he let go.

I wasn’t sure which one of us was holding on tighter.

Charles slid into the driver’s seat without a word, the engine roaring to life. The Belmont mansion burned in the rearview mirror, flas licking at the night sky, casting an eerie glow over the scattering crowd. Sirens wailed in the distance, but we’d be long gone before they arrived.

I exhaled slowly, forcing my grip on Oliver’s hand to loosen. It was a mistake—touching him, letting him in, wanting him here. I’d known that from the mont I saw him across the ballroom, that infuriating smirk on his lips like he already knew every secret I’d ever tried to keep.

And now, because of , soone had tried to kill him.

Oliver coughed, rubbing at his throat where that bastard had pressed his forearm. A bruise was already forming, dark against his skin. My jaw clenched.

Oliver turned toward , his knee bumping against mine in the cramped backseat. "That guy wasn’t just so random psycho. He knew your na. He knew mine. And he seed real convinced I was using you." His eyes narrowed. "Which, for the record, is ridiculous. If I wanted to manipulate soone, I’d pick a guy who actually talks instead of brooding."

I should’ve been annoyed. Instead, sothing dangerously close to amusent flickered in my chest.

Charles snorted. "He’s got a point."

I shot him a glare before turning back to Oliver. "It doesn’t matter who he was. What matters is that he’s not the only one looking for you."

Oliver stilled. "Looking for ?"

The car swerved as Charles took a sharp turn, putting distance between us and the chaos. I braced a hand against the door, my other instinctively reaching for Oliver again. My fingers brushed his wrist before I caught myself and pulled back.

Too late. He’d noticed.

"I’m sorry, Oliver," I said quietly. "You’re a target."

His breath hitched. "Why?"

I hesitated. The truth was a grenade, and once I pulled the pin, there was no going back. But he’d already been dragged into this. He deserved to know why.

"Because of ."

Oliver blinked.

I ignored him. "My family has enemies. Powerful ones. And now, for so reason, they think you’re leverage."

Oliver stared at , his expression unreadable. "Because you care about ?"

I wanted to lie. To protect him. To make him give up. There was a reason he called Leonardo da Asshole behind my back. Because I was an asshole. I’d wanted him for so long. For years.

I didn’t want to shove him away anymore. But I couldn’t draw him in closer, either. He deserved better.

My voice ca out sharper than I intended. "You don’t listen."

Oliver threw his hands up. "You don’t get to decide what’s best for , Leo. If soone’s coming after , I have a right to know."

He was right. And that was the worst part.

I exhaled, dragging a hand through my hair. "Fine. You want the truth? The man back there was a hired gun. And this isn’t the first ti soone’s tried to get to through—" I cut myself off.

Through soone I care about.

Oliver’s gaze flickered, catching the unspoken words. His voice softened. "Leo..."

The car lurched to a sudden stop.

Charles twisted in his seat, eyes locked on sothing behind us. "We’ve got company."

I turned. Two black SUVs had appeared in the distance, headlights cutting through the dark. They weren’t police. They weren’t slowing down.

They were gaining.

Oliver’s fingers dug into the seat. "Please tell those are your guys."

"They’re not."

Charles slamd his foot on the gas. The car shot forward, tires screeching. Oliver grabbed the door handle, knuckles white. "So what’s the plan?"

"Glove compartnt."

Charles opened it and pulled out a sleek, black handgun. As he handed it to , Oliver’s eyes widened.

"The plan," I said, checking the clip, "is to survive."

Then the first bullet shattered the rear window.

The second bullet hit the side mirror, exploding it into shards of glass and tal. Oliver flinched, ducking low in his seat as another round pinged off the car’s fra.

"Faster, Charles," I snapped.

"Oh, really?" Charles gritted his teeth, swerving around a sharp bend in the road. "I hadn’t considered that."

I ignored him, twisting in my seat to get a clear shot through the shattered back window. The SUVs were relentless, their engines roaring as they closed the distance. No license plates. Tinted windows. Professional.

This wasn’t just a warning. This was a kill squad.

Oliver’s breath ca fast beside . "You’ve got to be kidding ."

I didn’t answer. I fired.

The first shot hit the lead SUV’s windshield, spiderwebbing the glass but not penetrating. Bulletproof. Of course.

"Well, that’s just unfair," Oliver muttered.

Charles took a hard left, nearly sending us into a ditch. The SUVs followed without hesitation. We were on a back road now, trees crowding in on either side, the moon our only light. No witnesses. No help.

Perfect for an ambush.

I cursed under my breath. "They herded us here."

Oliver’s fingers dug into the seat. "What do we do?"

I t his eyes—wide, but not panicked. Good. Panic got people killed.

"We fight back."

I rolled down the window, the rush of wind whipping through the car. The second SUV had pulled up alongside us, its passenger window lowering. A glint of tal—

I fired first.

The gunman jerked back, his shot going wide.

Oliver grabbed my arm. "Leo, look out!"

The lead SUV ramd us from behind. The impact sent us lurching forward, my head snapping back. Oliver swore, bracing himself against the dashboard.

Charles gripped the wheel, knuckles white. "We’re not gonna outrun them."

"Then we don’t run." I ejected the spent magazine and slamd in a fresh one. "Oliver, get down."

He didn’t argue.

The SUV beside us revved, trying to force us off the road. I leaned out the window, aid, and fired three rapid shots into its front tire.

The rubber blew out in a burst of sparks. The SUV swerved violently, fishtailing before crashing into a tree with a deafening crunch.

One down.

The second SUV didn’t slow.

A muzzle flashed from its window.

I ducked as the bullet tore through the headrest where my skull had been half a second earlier.

Oliver’s voice was tight. "Okay, new plan."

Charles suddenly slamd the brakes.

The SUV behind us didn’t have ti to react. It shot past, skidding as the driver overcorrected.

I didn’t hesitate. I fired into its gas tank.

The explosion lit up the night.