(Alessandro’s POV)
The ringing in my ears faded, replaced by the frantic, terrified beating of Isabella’s heart against my chest. I held her, my arms a steel cage, my body a shield against the chaos my brother had unleashed. The scent of ozone from the flash-bang mingled with the cool night air rushing through the shattered window, a gaping wound in the side of my sanctuary.
He was gone. Vanished into the night as if he were truly a ghost. But the cold dread coiling in my gut was real. The threat was real.
For a moment, I allowed myself to feel the pure, unadulterated terror of it. Not for me. For her. Cassian’s eyes when he looked at her… it was the look of a predator savoring his next meal. He didn't just want my empire; he wanted to defile everything I held sacred. He wanted to burn
