Chapter 4

I slid down the wall again, clutching the small box of rescued bottles to my chest, my tears mixing with the wine that had splashed onto my clothes. In that moment, I understood with perfect clarity that there was nothing—absolutely nothing—these people wouldn't take from me.

And then, cutting through the chaos of destruction and my own despair, came the unmistakable sound of my front door being broken down.

The splintering crash silenced the room instantly. Victoria's friends froze mid-laugh, champagne flutes suspended in the air. Even Thor stopped barking, his ears perked toward the commotion.

"What the hell?" Marcus…