Karol, understanding the language, realized they were looking for a woman from Hualand.

Karol's voice cut through the chaos, sharp and urgent. "She's in Room 306. Hurry!"

Room 306, the last room on the floor, was Lilah's.

Karol pressed herself behind a large vase near the door, her heart pounding as a flashlight's beam swept past. She stayed perfectly still, unnoticed.

Whoever they were after, she was determined to shift their focus to Lilah.

Lilah, amidst the chaos, opened her door and ushered her bodyguards inside. Flames licked the hallway, and two guards were already injured. The situation was critical.

The doors had been reinforced to withstand fire, but they had no idea who the attackers were or what they wanted. It was hard to decide whether to fight or flee.

A shout rang out nearby. It sounded familiar and unsettling, and Lilah's mind flashed to Karol's face.

Footsteps thundered closer, the assailants were near.

Damn it!

Lilah dismissed thoughts of Karol. She shattered the balcony glass with one shot and turned to her bodyguards. “We have to climb down."

“Miss Phillips, you first," Musa Quimby said, his voice steady and firm. He and four guards formed a defensive line at the door.

The rest of the guards readied themselves to follow Lilah, bracing for whatever came next.

Lilah didn't hesitate. Musa had worked with Gerard for years and knew how to handle dangerous situations.

She quickly climbed over the balcony's guardrail. Seeing that the third floor was about twelve feet above the second, she instructed one bodyguard to hang from the guardrail, another to hold his legs, and a third to climb down them. They worked together to help each other down.

Lilah was the last to descend. Just as she began, a bomb went off inside. The blast, along with her bodyguards' screams, sent a wave of scorching heat over her.

Lilah's heart sank. The attackers were incredibly powerful, enough to take down Gerard's best guards.

No, she told herself. They were just well-armed. One bomb could kill even the strongest person.

Though heartbroken, Lilah stayed focused. She fired at the intruders, hitting the leader in the arm and slowing their advance.

“You guys go first!" she commanded her bodyguards, spotting a swimming pool below.

Without hesitation, she jumped down from the third floor.

Just before she leaped, a bullet grazed her shoulder. Blood ran down, and the pain flared.

The pool wasn't deep, but it broke her fall. Ignoring the pain, Lilah climbed out. Smoke filled the air, and people ran in panic.

What were they after?