The standoff in the middle of the Galaxy Event Center felt like the air had been sucked out of the room. One minute, there was music and the scent of expensive perfume in the air, and the next, it was just the cold, heavy tension between two men who looked like they were ready to tear the building down. Emmanuel leaned in close to Marcus, his voice barely a whisper but his eyes never leaving Baron.“Yo… Marcus, look at him,” Emmanuel said, his voice shaky. He wasn't just talking about Baron standing there, he was talking about the way Baron was looking at them. It wasn’t a look of anger, it was the look of a hunter who had finally cornered something he’d been chasing for a long time. Baron had this calm, nasty smirk on his face that made the hair on the back of Marcus’s neck stand up. He wasn't there for the party. He was there to break someone.Marcus’s jaw clenched. He didn't look away, not even for a second. “He’s up to something,” Marcus muttered, his voice so low it was almost

The SUV sped through the backstreets, taking sharp shortcuts that only a driver who knew the city’s underworld would ever find. The engine was a low, heavy hum that Freya could feel vibrating through the floorboards and right up into her bones. Inside the cabin, the air felt thick and suffocating, smelling like a mix of expensive new leather and the heavy scent of sweat. Freya’s heart was hammering against her ribs so hard she actually thought it might burst, and she thrashed against the seats, her heels digging into the floor mats as she tried to find any kind of leverage. But the men on either side of her didn't even move, they sat there like statues made of solid muscle, their expressions completely blank.Every single time she tried to wrench her arms free, the rough texture of the ropes bit deeper into her skin, the friction burned her wrists until they felt like they were on fire. "Let me go!" she snapped, her voice cracking as she struggled to hold onto whatever dignity she

Freya’s scream was cut short, swallowed whole by the deafening roar of a modified engine as the heavy Cadillac Escalade tore away from the curb and vanished into the shadows of the city. Inside the SUV, the air was thick, smelling of old leather, sweat, and the heavy feeling of pure terror. Freya’s wrists burned as she twisted against the rough hemp rope, her nails digging into the upholstery while she slammed her shoulder into the door with everything she had left. But the men holding her didn’t even flinch, they were professionals— no panicking, no unnecessary shouting, just cold, silent control that made her more uncomfortable.“Hold her steady,” the driver muttered, his voice as flat and emotionless as a machine’s as he yanked the steering wheel into a hard right turn, not even bothering to tap the brakes.The tires shrieked in protest against the asphalt, and the city outside the tinted windows blurred into a long, distorted streak of yellow streetlights. But they weren't as a

The grand hall still hadn’t recovered from the shock of Baron’s vanishing act. Small clusters of students were huddled together in tight, nervous circles, the blue light from their phone screens illuminating their faces as they obsessively replayed the grainy image of the overturned Escalade. The air was thick with a new kind of energy— not the fun, bubbly excitement from earlier, but a dark, curiosity that was spreading like a fever.“Baron’s actually gone,” one girl whispered, her eyes darting toward the exit. “He didn't just leave, he slipped out like he was running from something.”“And Freya and Thaila in the same car? In an accident like that?” her friend added, shaking her head. “There’s no way that’s just a coincidence. Something is seriously wrong tonight.”Marcus stood right in the center of the shifting atmosphere, looking as calm as a deep pool of water. He didn't jump into the gossip, he just stood there, measuring the room, letting the doubt he’d planted grow and fester

The sound of the engines outside was the first thing that gave it away. The rumble was so deep it actually made the champagne flutes on the tables vibrate. Inside the Galaxy Event Center, the chatter didn’t just quiet down everything stopped.People started nudging each other, pointing toward the glass entrance. But Marcus didn't bother turning around. He stayed exactly where he was, his face unreadable, already knowing that the silence in the room meant his plan had actually worked.The massive front doors finally creaked open, and Jack stepped through first. He was wearing a well tailored suit that fit him perfectly, looking like he’d just stepped out of a boardroom instead of a high speed chase. He had this way of walking that made everyone else feel like they were in his way. But the second people saw who was following him, the room erupted in a wave of shocked whispers.Freya was there. And right behind her, Thaila."Is that... is that really them?" someone muttered from the ba