mouth to state

the sharp, rapid clicking of stiletto

uing bled through t

pt, the double doors were violently sho

designer dress and carried a limited-edition Birkin bag. She

e, her face twisting in disgust. "Go

the room and

ack turtleneck, and the lack of any visible de

ll. "Why is there a stray dog in my cousin

aised her hand, aiming a hard shove at A

e, t

eyes we

ame down, Ayla shifted her weight slightly

fingers around P

utal twist, Ayla

pop echoed

buckled under the intense pain, and she dropped to t

etting Penelope's arm dro

own her face. She looked up at the bed. "Aron

ure in the r

face was a mask of pure, terrifying

ked at

Aron's voice was a lethal whisper

stantly cutting off. She star

single glance. "Revoke her access to the estate. If she

" Penelope shrieked, he

k of her expensive dress, hauling her up like a ragdol

ed shut, cutting off

erous rage in his eyes vanished in an insta

erruption," Aron said sm

nd. She liked how he handle

d closer t

pound X-7,"

pping on the bedsheets. H

loped in one of his underground labs. It wasn't something money could buy.

lating the risk, weighing the danger of this g

s smile spread a

voice thick with a promise, "I won't just give y

hed upward in a r

t it. Their palms slapped to

back. She pulled out her encrypted phone, dialing a familiar number. "Clotilde," Ayla said softly as the line conn