Thunder cracked outside the compound with a force that shook the walls. The lights flickered again, dimming to a pale hum before stabilizing under the backup generator. Rain hammered the windows in violent sheets, as if the sky itself had turned hostile.
The Patron was not gone.
Every person in the room felt it.
His presence had not vanished when the fog tore away. It stayed pressed against the building like a predator circling a cage. His anger thrummed in the air like electricity. His voice whispered through the foundation, not loud enough to form words but strong enough to raise goosebumps along every arm.
Aria lay against the medical bed, still trembling, but her eyes remained open. Conscious. Present. Alive. Luca had one arm beneath her back, holding her half upright. She felt heavier now against his chest, no longer limp with unconsciousness. Her breath still trembled, but it flowed more evenly with each passing minute.
