With a swift movement, Carter turned back to Liam, his face hardening with cold determination. There was no room for hesitation. His hand clamped down around Liam’s throat, fingers tightening with a merciless, mechanical precision. Liam gasped for breath, his wide eyes locking onto Carter’s as his body jerked, desperate for air. But Carter’s grip was unyielding, the pressure relentless. The life drained slowly, painfully, from Liam’s form. His body became limp, and his limbs slackened in Carter’s unbreakable hold.
“Not today,” Carter muttered, his voice a cold, emotionless rasp, as he felt the final spark of life leave Liam’s body. His heart never faltered. Liam’s last breath was but a fleeting whisper.
The room was silent for a fraction of a second—then Olivia’s scream shattered the sti
