Three black armored SUVs tore into the driveway, crushing decorations as men in suits poured out, moving with precision, locking down every exit as panic spread through the crowd.
Then the door opened.
And Nicholas stepped out.
Tall. Controlled. Dangerous.
His eyes found me instantly.
He walked toward me, ignoring everyone else, removing his jacket and placing it around my shoulders as he pulled us close.
“I’m here,” he murmured. “Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine,” I whispered. “But they pushed Sophie.”
His expression hardened.
He turned to his team.
“Shut everything down,” he said coldly. “No one leaves.”
And in that moment—
everything changed.
