The echo of the shattered glass had barely died down before the heavy oak doors of the home office were violently thrown open. Within seconds, the room was swarming.
"Sir! Freeze! Stay down!" Miller’s voice barked with lethal efficiency as tactical guards swept into the space, their weapons drawn, flashlight beams slicing through the dense Atlantic fog that was now pouring into the room through the ruined wall.
Alexander did not immediately stand. He remained slouched over Elena on the floor, his massive, rigid frame acting as an impenetrable shield. His hands were braced against the hardwood, keeping his weight off her, but his chest was pressed firmly against hers. Elena could feel the heavy, erratic thudding of his heart—a frantic, terrifying rhythm that betrayed his absolute panic fo
