The ride back to Blackwood Manor was completely silent. Ethan sat in the back seat of the SUV, staring out the window at the passing city lights. The glowing skyline blurred past him, but he barely noticed.
His mind replayed the scene again and again.
The gunshots.
The falling bodies.
Dominic’s cold voice.
“Their blood is on your hands.”
Ethan clenched his fists tightly.
Was it?
Had he made the wrong choice?
Could he have saved them by surrendering… just this once?
Or would that have only opened the door to even worse demands later?
The questions gnawed at him as the vehicle finally rolled through the gates of Blackwood Manor.
The atmosphere inside the estate was heavy.
News of the attack had spread quickly through the security team.
Guards moved through the hallways with gri
