The "Red Suite" got its name from the crimson damask walls, but as Sloane pulled Julian through the heavy oak doors, it felt like a fittingly ominous choice. The manor was completely locked down, with distant sounds of gunfire and hounds barking outside. Inside, a heavy silence hung in the air like a suffocating shroud.Sloane shut the door with a kick and secured the deadbolt, her body trembling from a mix of shock and adrenaline. Her midnight-black dress was torn at the hem, with a jagged cut along her collarbone oozing blood onto the satin."Julian," she croaked, sinking to her knees beside him. He was slouched against the foot of the grand canopy bed, his face covered in blood from a head wound, breathing shallowly."I'm... I'm here," he groaned, opening his eyes weakly. Trying to focus on her, he reached out a hand for support, but it slipped on the polished floor. "Viktor?""He's safe. Thorne's men took him to the medical wing just before the doors sealed," Sloane reassured him.
Last Updated : 2026-02-09 Read more