The ambulance doors snapped shut, its siren wailing into the night as Edward lay strapped to a stretcher. Clara interlocked her fingers with his tightly as the paramedics worked on his bruised body. His eyes flashed open, weak but alive."Don't leave me, Edward." Her voice trembled as tears welled up in her beautiful eyes."You couldn't..... get rid of me if you tried," Edward whispered back weekly.Her heart collided with a mix of relief and fear all at once. He was still the same stubborn, protective soul she had loved and risked everything for.Angelo's captured men were being dragged into police vans outside the warehouse, but Angelo himself was gone, like he wasn't even there."Where's Angelo!" The sponsor asked."He slipped out." one of the detectives replied grimly.The sponsor stood rigid, her face stern as she watched the chaos. Inside, her chest ached. That bastard always found a way to vanish.She turned sharply to her lieutenant. "Place a man in blue at every possible exit

Sirens kept the chaotic night alive. Blue and red lighs painted the street outside the hospital, but in the basement where Edward and Clara stood under flickering lights, It felt like the whole world had shrunk to Angelo's shadow.He stepped forward, his polished shoes tapping the basement floor, his men flanking him like wolves. He smiled the same way Clara could remember from years ago, charming on the outside, deadly inside."Oh Clara, I've missed you." Angelo drawled, spreading his arms in welcome. And you've made me proud. Risking everything to save him. THat kind of loyalty is pretty rare....and dangerous.Clara pushed Edward slightly behind her, placing herself between him and a psychotic Angelo. "I'm not here for your petty games. Let us leave." Clara said, her voice shap and steady.Angelo mocked with a laugh. "Let you go? You're quite the dreamer if you think am gonna let you go. Swetheart, I didn't hunt you down through all these trouble just to shake hands aand say goodby

The mansion lit under the dark of the night. Beyond the gates of the sponsor's mansio, silence engulfed the city, only the annoying sound of crickets filled the air, but Angelo's presence stretched like a dark cloud, seeping through cracks no wall could stop.Inside their room, Clara woke up. Edward stirred beside her, his face covered in sweat, muttering words she couldn't understand, names she hadn't heard before."Edward..." Clara whispered caressing his hair with her fingers.His eyes fluttered open, disoriented. "Clara?" "I'm here Edward." she replied softly. "You were dreaming, but it looks like it was bad."Edward sat up slowly, wincing. "No Clara. It wasn't just a dream, it was a memory. His voice was hoarse, almost brittle.Clara's worry gradually turned to a frown. "What do you mean?"He looked away, jaw clenched. "There was another boy. His face... his voice... Its like I knew him, yet I just can't get the perfect picture. Everytime I try so hard, my head feels like split

The first scream came from the west wing.Clara was already running before she knew why.She threw open the bedroom door and rushed into the corridor, her heart pounding as the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the mansion.“What's happening?” Edward called behind her.“I don't know!”Another scream followed.Then silence.The kind of silence that made Clara's skin crawl.Edward caught up with her.“Stay behind me.”“No.”“Clara—”“I'm not hiding behind you.”They reached the staircase.Two security guards were already running toward the west wing.The sponsor appeared at the top of the stairs.“What happened?”One of the guards stopped.“We don't know, ma'am.”“Then find out.”“Yes, ma'am.”The guards disappeared down the corridor.Clara looked at Edward.“Someone screamed.”“I heard.”“And then nothing.”Edward's eyes narrowed.“That's what worries me.”Before they could move, Lily appeared from the opposite corridor.Her face was pale.“Miss Clara.”Clara turned.“Lily?”“I