Shane’s grip on Emilia’s delicate wrist was harsh, unrelenting, as he dragged her with blazing fury through the eerily silent garden at the back of the estate. His steps were fast, powerful, and full of purpose, as if driven by a storm that raged within him. The air was unnaturally still, heavy with a strange tension, and aside from the sound of rustling leaves beneath their feet and Emilia’s soft, stumbling gasps, there was nothing—no voice, no presence, nothing but the violent energy emanating from Shane.
His phone vibrated again in his pocket—rapid, desperate—but he didn’t even glance at it. His jaw was clenched so tight it seemed it might crack. Whatever message awaited him could wait. His rage blinded everything.
Suddenly, Shane’s furious steps came to a jarring halt.
A figure had
