"Did you really have to put her into a yellow dress, matching yours?" Atlas asks as he looks towards the backseat where Allie is sound asleep. "The cheeseball is too young to wear dresses. I mean it looks good, not as drop dead gorgeous as you, but cute."

"Well, at least now the colour of her clothes suit your nickname for her." I cross my arms in front of my chest, making a fake-ignorant sound.

"Cheeseball is an amazing nickname, thank you very much."

"It is not."

"It is."

"Oh, shut up." I roll my eyes at him, trying to appear annoyed but the grin on my mouth says otherwise. "Oh wait, did you just say 'thank you very much'?" I gasp, slapping a hand to my mouth.

"I didn't hear myself say that."

"That is because you're deaf." He shrugs, not bothering to disagree. "Why don't you ever try to disagree when I insult you?"

"That wasn't an insult." His hand lies down on my thigh, giving it a firm squeeze. "But because I'm afraid of more insults. You have a big mouth for someone that's a teeny tiny woman with a sun right over her head."

My eyes snap to his instantly. "But you like that."

"I don't think I ever mentioned 'I want a 1.65 meters short woman with an attitude problem and yet being a ray of sunshine' on the 'create-a-wife' website."

I laugh. "Whoever uses a website like that...they shouldn't have a wife."

"That's called online dating."

I shake my head. "I've had a couple dates with a guy from Tinder, and I don't remember asking for a guy named Ted and he has to be obnoxious and narcissistic. If I could create the perfect husband for me—"

Atlas's eyebrows rise up to greet Pluto. "He would look like what?"

I chew on my bottom lip, trying not to laugh. "He'd be blonde, scrawny, an IT nerd, no tattoo's."

"You're just describing the complete opposite of me, aren't you?"

I nod, grinning.

"I have to sign a few papers and I'll be right back out of there. I won't be long," Atlas says, kissing my lips a couple of times. "I love you, sweetheart."

"I love you too."

He jumps out of the car and sprints right towards his office building.

It's Monday, and like I promised Atlas, we'd go on our long overdue honeymoon. I'm not sure where we're going because he planned it all by himself in just a few days, but I'm truly looking forward to it.

I mean, a couple of weeks with just him and I? And Allie, obviously. Oh, even Taco. I couldn't bring myself to give him to Cody and Athena for the while being, so I begged Atlas to take him with us. He didn't stand a chance. He never does.

As time passes and it's been thirty minutes, I try calling him, but Atlas doesn't pick up. He always picks up his phone when I call. That's not normal, is it? Nobody needs thirty minutes to signs a few things and then doesn't pick up his phone when they usually do, even when they're busy.

I try to call again, but once again, I'm being send to voicemail. Suddenly I have a really bad feeling. Something inside of me says whatever is going on, it isn't something good. Not at all.

And said suspicion is confirmed when I notice a few police cars driving up and down the street, a handful stopping a block down, another two right in front of the building.

My blood runs cold, my heart sinking into the floor. This isn't good. Not fucking good at all.

With shaking hands, I unbuckle my seatbelt, rush out of the car and go to get Allie from the backseat. I'd leave her there, if she was a little bit older, five years old for instance. But we're far from that age.

I don't bother getting her stroller out of the trunk, I can carry her it's not a big deal. However, I leave all four windows wide open for Taco. Running across the street to the building, one of the cops stops me from entering. "M'am, you cannot go in there," he says as he stands in front of me with crossed arms.

"Why would that be?" The policeman doesn't answer, but I can see the hesitation on his face, the seriousness. "I demand to know what's happening in there."

"I can't tell you. But I need you to go as far away as possible."

I shake my head, taking a deep breath before I put on the best version of the Storm in me as I possibly can. "I will walk right in there if you don't tell me what is happening in the next two seconds." My voice is cold, unrecognisable.

"What's your name?"

"Sierra Storm," I answer, though I wonder why he wants to know that.

"I cannot give you any information about what is happening in there, Sierra."

I nod, slowly. "You may call me Mrs. Storm," I say harshly. "Look, Officer, my husband, I'm sure you know him, Atlas Storm, the CEO." His eyes widen, then quickly, he nods. "Great, he's in there, so let's try this again; what the hell is happening inside this building."

He swallows thickly, it's pretty damn visible. Sir Officer is uncomfortable. That's just great. "There's a shooter inside the building, Mrs. Storm."

Okay. "Who's the shooter? Do you know their name?"

"Unfortunately, no." Of fucking course. "M'am!" He yells after me as I walk past him, marching up the stairs. "YOU'RE PUTTING YOURSELF AND YOUR CHILD IN DANGER!"

So be it. Whoever is in there, they're going to kill Atlas, if the haven't already. There's no point for me to live if it's not together with Atlas.

It's a stupid idea, I admit. But by the time the SWAT team will storm the building and save everyone, it might already be too late for Atlas. If it isn't already.

I walk into the building; the entry hall is so empty, yet so messed up. Chairs are thrown across the room, tables turned over, sheets of paper spread all around. Fresh bullet holes in the walls, right behind the front desk. And like it couldn't get any worse, a trail of blood is smudged down the wall, leading to Eleanor Maxwell.

I cover my mouth with one hand, my eyes meeting hers. She looks so lifeless, but she's still breathing, softly at least. "You have to leave," she says between coughs, painful and teary. And just when those words leave her mouth, Eleanor tips over, falling to the floor. Her eyes stay open, but she's no longer breathing.

Instead of continuing to cover my mouth, I cover my daughters eyes. I know she's only three months old and probably won't remember any of this, but I won't take risks. She doesn't need to see this.

The whole building is quiet, so quiet I can hear my own blood rushing through my veins. At least I can't hear shots, right? That means Nico isn't currently shooting someone. Well, or he's somewhere at the top floors, I doubt I could hear noises coming from the eleventh floor when I'm on the ground floor.

Taking a deep breath, I make my way over to the elevator. The buttons have some blood on it, and I'd rather not touch that, but in order for me to get up into Atlas's office, I'll have to.

Perhaps taking the stairs is the smarter option, just so Nico wouldn't hear the ding coming from the elevator once it stops. But taking the elevator is faster given the amount of floors I have to get up.

I press the button to Atlas's floor, my hands shaking like crazy.

Once the elevator has reached the floor and the doors open, my breath gets stuck in my lungs. There's blood everywhere. And when I say everywhere, I mean everywhere.

The floor is drenched in blood, splatter all over the walls. This floor barely even has people up here, so where does all the blood come from?

As I walk around the corner, I find a few bodies, none of them moving. One big puddle of blood surrounds them all. I want to puke. Actually, I just might.

"Sierra?" I hear someone whisper through strained tears. "What the hell are you doing here?"

I turn around to find my best friend huddled up together, her knees pulled up underneath her chin with her arms wrapped around her legs.

"Are you okay?" is all I ask, not bothering to answer her question.

Athena shakes her head, but then nods. "Physically, yes." That's at least something. "I think she killed him." She? Tears run down her cheeks. "Sierra, I think they're dead. They're all dead, aren't they?" She nods towards the bodies thrown on top of the other on the opposite side of her.

"I think so, yes."

"Why am I alive, Sierra?" If only I knew.

She doesn't even have a scratch on her whereas whoever's the shooter has shot multiple people to death. I doubt he went sentimental on my best friend.

"Atlas, Nico and someone else are in the office. I think he's dead."

I don't have to ask who she refers to as dead. The answer is obvious. "I doubt it." I truly do. As much as my heart is ripping into pieces thinking about that being a huge possibility, Atlas can't be dead. Nico wouldn't be here anymore if he was. "Nico doesn't want Atlas, he wants me."

"How would you know?" Suddenly her eyebrows dip into a confused frown. "Nico?"

"If it weren't for me, Atlas wouldn't try to ruin Nico's life. They'd still be close and—" I shake my head. "It's not the time for that talk."

Athena reaches for my hand, it's a weak grip, but I can't blame her. "It's not Nico," she tells me.

I make my way over to the office door, hearing Nico talk. Clearly Nico is there. So what the hell is Athena talking about? Atlas responses. I can feel the instant relief. He's still alive. But another voice, a female one sounds through.

"You can't go in there," Athena whispers, wiping her tears away. "I texted Cody, he said he'd call the police and—"

"Fuck them, Athena. They arrived twenty minutes ago. Do you see some of them enter the building? Nah. They're waiting. God, one didn't even manage to keep me from running in here."

"Why ever you would be so stupid to do that. With Allie in your arms!"

She's right. Risking my daughter's life isn't worth it at all. Even risking mine isn't worth it, probably. And yet, I don't back down. "Can you take her?" I ask while handing Allie over to Athena.

She takes Allie, tears running down Athena's face when she says my name ever so softy. "Sierra..."

I shrug. "Atlas won't make it out alive if I'm not here." That said, I give Athena a slim smile before I open the office door and walk inside.

Three pairs of eyes land on me, one pair yelling at me because I'm in here, the other pair laughing at me. And the last one looking extremely stunned.

"See, told you she'd come," Lisa says, waving her gun around. "You like the new wall colour outside? I call it blood red."

"That's not very creative." I take a step closer, even though Atlas tells me not to. I turn to look at Nico, ignoring Lisa. "You're not here for Atlas, are you?" If he was, Nico would've killed him half an hour ago.

"I was waiting for the rest of the family to arrive. Wouldn't want you missing out on the party," says Lisa. Then she looks startled for a second.

"What do you want?"

Nico holds up his hands as if I was holding a gun towards him. "I just came for a talk with Atlas about the rights for my own company. Found out he wasn't supposed to be in today. Was about to leave when this crazy bitch showed up." He nods towards Lisa.

My eyes snap to Atlas, frowning in confusion. I have no idea what he's talking about, but Atlas seems to know. Atlas rolls his eyes and lets out a deep sigh. "I don't even have them anymore. I sold them like five minutes after I left the office."

"Are you fucking kidding me!" Atlas shakes his head. "You're telling me I could be sitting at home with my kids right now? And not have your crazy ex threaten to kill me?" He waves his hands around like a maniac, his anger showing on his forehead as the vein on it is about to pop.

Lisa does the same, mocking Nico. Though she's still holding a gun in her hand. "Would you quit swinging your gun around like that?" She doesn't. What Lisa does is turn herself around to face me, pouting the gun into my direction and then...

...a shot is heard.

Do you remember as kids when you went swimming and you felt as light as a feather? You were floating, carefree. Yeah? Cause that's not me right now. Everything hurts, every part of my body feels heavy.

I hold one hand to my right rib, feeling the blood that's leaking from my body.

In a matter of seconds, Atlas is rushed to my side. A tear slips down my face but I'm not quite sure why.

"Sierra," I see Atlas mouth move, but I don't think he makes a sound. And why is he moving in slow motion? And why is he growing taller?

I can feel one of his arms wrap around me, right before I hit the floor. Oh, I was falling. Then I lie, but without the thud because Atlas helped me falling without falling.

"Stay awake, Sierra!" I hear someone yell, I think that's Atlas. He's so far away. Aw man, I love him so much, I wish he was closer to me.

Someone hits my face lightly, tapping it a couple of times. "Stay with me, sweetheart!" A drop of what I think is water hits my cheek. Is it raining inside the building? That's odd. "I said you look drop dead gorgeous, not you should drop dead, gorgeous."

Ha! That's funny. I try to laugh, but I'm sure all that's leaving my mouth is a pain-filled groan.

God, my head hurts. Everything is spinning. I might be on a carousel.

"Don't leave me, Sierra. I need you." That's nice. But I think I might take a little nap for a while.