The guards seized Alexander with brutal efficiency, tearing him away from Emily despite his desperate attempts to hold onto her. Eleanor watched with cold satisfaction as they dragged him toward the service corridors, away from the ballroom's elegant facade.
"Take them both to the holding cell," Eleanor commanded. "I want them contained together while I finalize the paperwork. Let them have a few hours to contemplate what their obsession has cost them before we separate them permanently."
Emily fought against Viktor's grip, but he was too strong, too experienced. Within minutes, both she and Alexander were being hauled through the estate's lower levels—the parts guests never saw, where the architecture shifted from luxury to pure function.
