Emily stood frozen, her world suddenly turned upside down. The man she'd dismissed, the fiancé she'd rejected, was now being honored by Harmonfield's most feared family.
William looked around the room, his message crystal clear. "Mr. Parker is under our protection," he announced. "Remember that."
The ballroom fell into an absolute silence so profound that the subtle clink of champagne glasses seemed to echo like thunderclaps. William Thompson's words hung in the air, a heavy promise of potential destruction that suffocated every breath.
Michael Wilson's collapse was not graceful. He tumbled into a nearby chair, his expensive suit wrinkling, his face turning a sickly shade of pale gray. Sweat beaded on his forehead, droplets catching the crystal chandelier's light. Emily stood beside him
