The SUV raced down the coastal road, engine roaring as the night pressed in from all sides. Wind whipped through the broken back window, carrying the metallic scent of blood and gunpowder.

Elena stared out in silence, arms wrapped tightly around herself. Beside her, Xavier leaned against the seat, his shirt soaked with blood where the bullet had grazed him.

But she couldn’t look at him.

Not after everything.

The man who’d married her to protect her…

The man who’d kept the truth about her legacy locked behind silence.

Her fingers grazed the Blood Key—the ornate ruby pendant now resting in her palm. The weight of it felt unbearable.

“Talk...