Johnny sneered, “Do you still have the mouth to talk, you crazy fool? Huh?” His voice dripped with contempt.
Emilia began to tremble, fear settling like cold water in her chest. Before she could speak, Dante let out a low, effortless laugh—an infuriatingly calm chuckle that only made Johnny’s anger spike.
Johnny’s eyes widened. “Right. Seems you’ll never learn.” His voice rose louder, gaining confidence from the attention gathering around them. “Not only will you be thrown out of this party tonight, you’ll end up in jail. Today. I’ll make sure of it.”
He jabbed a finger toward Dante, full of triumph.
But before he could say more, the atmosphere shifted.
A heavy, synchronized sound echoed behind the crowd—boots, marching in formation. Conversations stilled. Guests turned instinctively
