445 “Darwin, please,” Zoe’s voice came again, strained and edged with desperation. Her fingers twisted nervously, nails digging crescents into her palms as she struggled to keep her composure. “You don’t understand what they’ll do.” Darwin managed a weary smile, one that spoke of memories and mome
446 Zayne’s fists clenched and unclenched at his sides, the battle waging inside him visible in the tightening of his jaw and the pulse hammering at his temple. “You think you know what justice is?” His voice, quieter now, quivered with restrained fury. “He dragged you into this life. You’re defend
447 Darwin’s voice trembled, barely rising above a whisper. “Mom... it’s me... I need your help.” There was a pause, a silence that seemed to stretch into an eternity, filled only by the quickening beats of Darwin’s heart. He knew the power of those words, what they would set into motion. He glanc
448 Darwin’s chest heaved as he struggled for breath, his eyes wide with horror at the scene unfolding before him. Zoe stirred, her gaze finally meeting Darwin’s, and he saw it: the fracture lines of doubt and pain. “You didn’t have to do that,” she said, her voice hollow but tinged with defiance.
449 The phone on the floor buzzed, slicing through the tension in the room like a knife. All eyes darted to it. Zayne snatched it up, his fingers trembling despite the cold mask he wore. His voice was rough as he answered, “What is it?” A beat of silence, then James’s voice came through, cracked a
450 “Zayne, please,” James tried one last time, desperation bleeding through. “If you go through with this, if anything happens to him, there won’t be a place in this city where you and your family can hide.” Zoe flinched at that, a shiver running down her spine. She stepped forward, cutting in be
451 Lady Margaret stood in her opulent study, the heavy drapes pulled tightly shut as the weight of the evening pressed on her like an iron vice. The flickering glow from the ornate lamp cast long, restless shadows across her face, highlighting the sharp set of her jaw and the determined glint in h
452 The silence in Lady Margaret’s private study was a stark contrast to the chaos in her mind. She paced back and forth, the hem of her emerald silk gown whispering across the polished floor as she moved. A knock at the door snapped her out of her thoughts, and she turned sharply. “Enter!” she ba