"If your guards step inside my room, Sean," Sia said, her voice dropping into a deadly, haunting whisper, "you will never look me in the eyes again for as long as I live."
Sean froze where he stood in the center of the Breakfast Pavilion, his outstretched hand hanging motionless in the chilly morning air.
The silence that settled over the grand dining space was oppressive, broken only by the rhythmic hum of the estate's climate control system.
Across the glass table, Elena smoothed the silk lapels of her robe, a subtle glint of satisfaction dancing in her dark eyes as she watched the rift widen between them.
"Execute the search, Gumay," Sean commanded raspy, forcing his arm down to his side while keeping his eyes fixed on Sia's pale, trembling face. "Search every corner of the cen
