LOGINVictoria had never been particularly religious.She had always believed that there were things people could control and things they couldn’t, and she had never been one to turn to prayer whenever life became difficult. But now that Ryder had been rushed to the hospital theatre for the second time within the same month, she clasped her hands tightly and screwed her eyes shut.“Please, God. Please let him be okay.”She didn’t know how many times she had repeated those words since the ambulance brought them to the hospital. She had followed the medical team through the emergency entrance, refusing to let go of Ryder’s hand until they had to separate them to prepare him for surgery. One of the nurses had tried to explain his condition, but Victoria had barely understood anything beyond the fact that he needed immediate attention.Now she sat outside the theatre, unable to do anything but wait.Her clothes were still covered in dust from the hotel, and there were dark marks of soot al
Victoria stumbled through the service corridor, coughing as she tried to keep up with Julie and Julius. The smoke had become so thick that she could barely see the people walking a few steps ahead of her. Her eyes were watering, her throat hurt, and every breath seemed to make it harder to continue, but she refused to stop.She had no idea where Sam had taken her after dragging her through the door. She only remembered struggling against his grip, hearing Julie scream her name, and the sound of the door slamming between them. By the time she managed to pull herself away from him, Sam had disappeared into the smoke, leaving her alone in an unfamiliar section of the building.She had searched for another way out, following the emergency signs until she heard voices coming from the corridor ahead. It was Julie and Julius. They had found their way through another passage, and the relief of seeing them had been immediate.But Ryder was still missing.“Victoria, slow down!” Julie called, co
Ryder pushed another piece of burning wood away from his path, coughing as smoke filled his lungs. The corridor was almost impossible to recognise now. Flames had spread across the ceiling, and several sections of the wooden beams had collapsed, leaving debris scattered across the floor.He had to get out.Not because he was afraid of dying, but because Victoria was somewhere downstairs, and he had no intention of letting her face the consequences of this fire alone.“Victoria!” he shouted, trying to see through the smoke. “Julius!”There was no response.He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, struggling to make out the passage ahead. The last time he had seen Victoria, she had been standing on the other side of the fallen beams, reaching for him while one of his bodyguards tried to lead her away. He had told her to go downstairs, promising that he would catch up with her.He needed to keep that promise.Another loud crack came from overhead. Ryder immediately moved away
From across the road he watched with satisfaction.Someone had called firefighters.He could hear the sirens approaching from a distance, their sounds growing louder as more people gathered outside the hotel. Several guests had managed to escape, some running across the road while others stood on the pavement, coughing and pointing toward the upper floors. A few hotel employees were trying to direct people away from the building, but the growing crowd made it difficult to control the situation.He paid little attention to them.His eyes remained fixed on the flames spreading across the building.The fire had started exactly where he wanted it to, and it was spreading faster than he had anticipated. Thick smoke poured from the windows, while the orange glow illuminated sections of the hotel that had once been hidden behind glass. Every few moments, another loud crash came from inside, followed by frightened screams from people who were still trapped.He watched without moving.T
Victoria stumbled backward as another beam crashed down, sending pieces of burning wood scattering across the floor. She covered her head with both hands, coughing as dust and smoke filled her lungs."Ryder!" she screamed, trying to see through the thick cloud between them. "Ryder, where are you?""I'm here!" His voice came from the other side of the fallen beams. "Victoria, get away from the ceiling!"She looked around frantically. The passage that had been clear only moments ago was now blocked by burning debris. Flames were spreading across the wooden beams, and the heat coming from them made it impossible to get close.Ryder tried to move around the obstruction, but another piece of the ceiling broke loose and crashed down in front of him."Damn it!" he shouted, kicking aside a smaller piece of wood. "Victoria, listen to me. You need to move toward the stairs!""I'm not leaving without you!""Sweetheart, I need you to get out of there. I'll find another way around."Victor
Victoria stood frozen beside the window, staring at the flames spreading across the building’s exterior. Thick smoke rose beyond the glass, and the orange light flickered against the walls of the room. For a moment, she struggled to understand how the situation had changed so quickly.Someone had set the hotel on fire.“Ryder!” she exclaimed, turning away from the window. “The building is burning!”“I can see that, sweetheart.” Ryder caught her hand and pulled her toward the door. “We need to get out of here. Now.”Victoria followed him into the corridor, coughing as the smoke grew thicker around them. The others had already begun moving toward the exit, with Ryder’s bodyguards taking the lead while the remaining men tried to keep everyone together.Serena was no longer struggling against the two men holding her. Her face had lost its earlier defiance, and she stared at the smoke filling the passage as though she couldn’t believe what was happening.“What’s going on?” she demand







