Clara looked deep into Valthera’s cold eyes, she realized instantly that the older woman was completely serious. Out here, mercy was a weakness that got people buried. "Follow me," Valthera ordered, turning on her heel. Clara swallowed hard, quieted her racing thoughts, and followed her down a hidden set of stone steps. They descended deep into the building, eventually entering a cold basement that smelled heavily of iron and formaldehyde. On a metal slab in the center of the room, Dorian and a few underlings were already hard at work. They were assembling the body parts of the Titan Heir, matching the severed limbs like a puzzle. Clara’s stomach rolled. She pressed a hand against her mouth, a wave of nausea hitting her so hard her knees buckled. "The person who hired the Deathshade to destroy your brother is right here on this table," Valthera said, gesturing casually to the butchered torso. "And now, he is dead." Clara forced herself to look away from the bloody mess. "Where

Men in sharp black suits lined the entrance, ushering the recruits inside.The interior was a breathtaking white palace, but it was filled with sin. Half-naked women were everywhere, draped over velvet couches, wearing extravagant costumes, stripping, and casually smoking long cigarettes. Recruits were led to a massive banquet table covered with roasted meats, exotic fruits, and rich delicacies. The moment the malnourished girls saw the food, they descended upon it like a pack of starved, wild dogs. They stuffed their faces, shoving bread and meat into their mouths, completely blinded by their hunger.Except for Clara.She stood at the edge of the crowd, her plate was empty. Her eyes scanned the room, mapping out the security guards, the security cameras, the hidden exits, and the layout of the grand hall. Suddenly, a door at the top of the marble staircase opened. Madame Fiona descended.Even in her seventies, she moved with grace. Her velvet dress swept the floor."Welcome, my ne

Fiona parted her red lips; she breathed out a sweet-scented breath. A wave of intense warmth washed over Clara’s mind, a heavy, numbing spell that commanded her to surrender, to trust Madame, to tell her everything about Valthera, Kane, and her brother. Clara's eyelids grew heavy. No, Clara thought, fighting through the fog. She pictured Adrian's still face in the hospital bed. She remembered the cold concrete of the prison's solitary cells. She refused to break. Deep within her blood, a raw willpower surged forward, creating an impenetrable wall that completely blocked the mind-bending magic.Despite the heavy spell tearing at her consciousness, Clara narrowed her eyes and insisted, "No one sent me. I am alone."Madame Fiona’s eyes snapped back to normal. She stepped back, looking genuinely surprised and slightly frustrated that her power had failed. However, she quickly masked it with her usual graceful smile."Please, let her go," Madame Fiona ordered her guards.The men reluctant

She spun around and sprinted as the three beasts unleashed furious barks, tearing after her. Clara ran with everything she had. She sprinted down the narrow lanes of metal, leaping over the hoods of rusted sedans and sliding under the old trucks.She could hear their snapping jaws behind her.She scrambled up a stack of crushed cars, reached the top, and kicked a heavy iron sheet down, creating a barricade that trapped the dogs.Meanwhile, Valthera moved with lethal precision, dropping the remaining masked guards before they could even raise their weapons. Suddenly, a guard who had escaped her scrambled into a massive yellow caterpillar bulldozer. He roared the engine to life, aiming the heavy crushing bucket straight toward the minivan to destroy the evidence inside.Valthera sprinted out of the office. With a flick of her wrist, she threw a knife across the yard. The blade sliced through the air and embedded itself deep into the guard's shoulder just as his hand gripped the lever.

Tears finally spilled over her cheeks, but she forced her voice to sound angry, harsh, and final. "You deserve better than this. Better than me."She shoved her chair back, stood up, and stormed toward the exit."Clara, wait!" Henry yelled, chasing after her. He burst through the glass doors right behind her and grabbed her by the arm on the sidewalk, pulling her around. "Clara, please, just tell me what's going on!"Clara ripped her arm violently out of his grip. She stared at him. "Did you hear me? I never want to see your face again in this life! Just stay the hell away from me!"She turned and sprinted down the concrete sidewalk, leaving him standing there under the dim streetlights, holding the tickets and completely heartbroken.Tears streamed down Clara's face as she walked blindly down the block. She sobbed like a helpless baby. She wasn't even looking where she was going. Her mind was entirely consumed by grief. She stepped off the curb, about to cross the dark street, when a