Chapter : The Devilish Bargain

The screen flickered.

Alex’s head lolled to the side, blood trailing from the corner of his mouth. He was chained to a post like a dog, every breath a struggle.

Wallace’s voice echoed through the speakers again, cruel and composed.

“You have twenty-four hours. Bring the girl, or bring a shovel. You choose, Adeline.”

I couldn’t breathe.

The air in the surveillance room felt too tight, too heavy. Rose’s tiny form was safe upstairs, blissfully unaware. But now, Wallace had brought hell to our doorstep.

Lucien’s face was stone.

“He’s bluffing,” Elira said quietly. “He needs her alive. He won’t kill Alex yet.”

Lucien didn’t...