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
453 Marisol shook her head. “Zayne is smarter than that. If he’s doing this, he’ll cover his tracks well. But he’s also reckless when pushed. We can’t outmaneuver him with brute force.” Whitaker’s lips curled into a thin smile. “Then we don’t need to outmaneuver him. We need to make him come to us
454 Zayne moved quickly, shoving papers and weapons into a worn canvas bag. “Zoe, get him up. Now.” Zoe’s gaze met Darwin’s for a fleeting second before she grabbed his arm, helping him to his feet. “Come on, we have to move.” Darwin winced as his raw wrists brushed against her hand. “Where are w
455 The Oakbar brothers grew increasingly impatient, the tension in the cramped hideout palpable. Their voices, once unified, now splintered into sharp, cutting tones. The eldest brother, eyes cold and calculating, paced the room, his steps echoing with frustration. “It’s been too long. We’re riski