The horror unfolded in a sickening blur of motion.

Avery stood frozen, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird, as Madison tumbled forward. The sickening crack of bone against stone echoed in the stairwell, and crimson began to pool instantly against the cold marble.

Avery’s mouth fell open, a silent scream caught in her damaged throat. Her eyes were wide, fixed on the broken form of the woman who had just tried to kill her.

At the sound of the struggle and the fall, Preston Hale burst into the stairwell. His face mirrored Avery's shock as he took in the carnage. He was at her side in...