The storm had quieted, but its wreckage lingered in the silence of dawn. Smoke coiled from the burned-out remains of the southern wing, the once-grand archway now a skeleton of stone. Adrian stood on the balcony of the main estate, fists clenched around the cold railing, his face painted with soot and fury.
It wasn't just about survival anymore.
It was about what came after.
The attack on the Lockwood estate hadn’t been random. It was calculated. Personal. A message carved into the walls of his sanctuary.
And it carried the scent of betrayal.
"We lost seven men," Zora reported, stepping beside him, her jacket speckled with ash. "Two more in critical condition. Valentina's safe. She's with Dr. Ellory."
His jaw tightened. "She shouldn't have been here."
"She wouldn't have left even if
