The quiet ballroom felt completely frozen for three long seconds. Julian stood near the entrance, his chest heaving as he took in the shocking scene before him.

He had sprinted into the palace expecting to fight off a team of armed killers to save his wife. Instead, he found the big, dangerous criminal lying flat on his stomach, completely knocked out cold on the hard marble floor.

Julian did not waste another second. He closed the wide distance between them with long, fast strides, pulling Evelyn tightly into his strong arms. He held her close against his broad chest, his large hands gently cupping the back of her head as...