CHAPTER 45 — THE SILENCE AFTER THE EXPLOSION
The night after the explosion felt too heavy to breathe in.
Smoke mixed with the storm's cold wind, weaving into the thick darkness around Adrian's estate as firefighters and security moved like shadows across the wreckage. Sirens wailed in the distance, cutting through the rain, but none of it felt real to Elena.
Her entire body trembled—not just from shock, but from the memory of the moment the world had erupted behind them. The blast still echoed in her skull like a nightmare refusing to fade.
"Elena."
Adrian's hand tightened around hers, grounding her. "You're safe now. Stay with me."
She tried to breathe, but her chest felt caged. "Someone tried to kill us."
His jaw flexed with lethal calm. "Yes. And they will fail every time."
Adrian wasn't shouting. He didn't need to. His voice was low, cold, and absolute—like a promise carved from steel.
