For one suspended second, nobody moved.Not Victor.Not Roman.Not Ariana.The shattered window still hissed with falling glass, tiny fragments scattering across the polished floor like frozen rain, but the greater sound was silence—A silence thick enough to suffocate thought.Victor’s phone remained in his hand.The message glowed cold against his palm.She is alive. Ask Roman now.Ariana stared at it, her breathing shallow.Then slowly, almost afraid of her own voice, she spoke.“Who is alive?”Victor did not answer immediately.His gaze stayed locked on Roman.And Roman, for the first time since entering the mansion, lost complete control of his expression.It lasted less than a second.But Ariana saw it.Fear.Not guilt.Not hesitation.Fear.And suddenly that frightened her more than the bullets outside.Victor stepped forward, voice low enough to cut skin.“Answer her.”Roman’s jaw tightened.Another gunshot cracked outside.Closer.The mansion walls shook faintly from movement
Read more