not the

oice was

't need

ever had to shout to make a room of

dant froze mid-air, like he'd be

her bag. The inner compar

, holding out his hand. His eyes never

n his palm reluctantly. The heavy sil

ne else would. He turned it over, once, twice, his thumb rubbing over the back where the Callahan

hing. I could see it in

d missing?" he asked

. Callahan. Right

was breached at

s,

my father's fingerprint, opened a display case that hasn't been opened in ten years without a key that only two

s mouth. Closed it.

And landed on me. That gre

you at ten

shaking from the shattered glass at my feet. "I- at the entrance

oser to me. "She was with me the entire

irm?" Zayn asked, his

to make my stomach drop to the marble floor. There were five hundred p

o

too. His j

e gallery f

anding near the stage trying to contr

ped for the secon

was

ograph. Only not youn

n Cal

rfect, his hair touched with grey at the temples, but his eyes - Zayn's eyes, but without any warmth at a

he knew exactly who I was

ing twenty-one year

the voice of a man who owned half of Valenne. "Giv

oss ten feet of marble, and I swear the temperature dropp

matter? Because it looks like a scholarship student

ent through the crowd.

second, I felt completely stripped bare. Like he was seein

is mouth made me shiver. "Have you ev

. My voice cracked. "Never. I swe

ke he was trying to decide whether I was lying.

. "Take her to the security office for que

ity office. Statement. That mea

ompletely blocking me from his father's

N

lking. Slowly tur

did yo

footage. If someone really stole from us, I want to k

same height, same cold fury. But different. Adrian's fury

id to the security chief, and walked away, disappearing into the

ized I was holding my br

hand was warm against my fr

office like a criminal," I hisse

ey'll eat you alive." He glanced at the phones still pointed at

ed - away from the noise. The moment it clicked shut, the ballroom vanished. The hallway was dark,

I yanked my arm free, pu

me to look like a good h

frustrated with me, with himself, with the whole night. "There's somethin

ha

k room full of humming monitors - and pulled up

case under a spot

said, pointing. "Look. No sha

ticked backward. 10:17:03.

black for exac

f pure, glit

back, the c

era," I whispered, my f

with clearance level three or higher

ure in a long black coat, cap pulled low, face completely hidden

p at the camera. As if

ed a glo

ac

feed

ey knew where the cameras

hey planned

red people, why me?" My voice rose despite

me tonight, the cold, arrogant heir was gone. He looked... wor

en because you're a scholars

en

of your

My heart hammere

g all the times she'd warned me, her voice shaking, to stay away from this famil

er, his phone buzzed l

d the message. His e

ent comple

screen to me w

profile photo. Just one line

ER SUPPOSED

slipped from my shoulder and h

from the p

omething I hadn't expected

e

or hi

r

whispered, my voi

idn't

message like he knew

I was terrifie