Because Evelyn was circling.
Colton was watching from the shadows.
Alex was weighing his next move, calculating loyalty the way a predator measures distance.
Sebastian? He didn’t need a reason. Just an opening.
And Arden? She had been targeted.
Her car—windows shattered. Glass everywhere. Rose petals torn and scattered across the dash—a warning dressed in beauty. It hadn’t been random. Not vandalism. Not noise.
A message.
But from who? Family? Someone else?
She hadn’t told him everything. He’d seen it—the flicker in her eyes, the hesitation before she said she was fine.
Maybe she knew more than she was saying.
Maybe she carried it alone because she didn’t believe anyone could lift it with her.
Andthatcut deeper than the glass.
Because if she didn’t trust him with this, how the hell was he supposed to protect her?
His jaw tightened.
No more waiting. No more silence.
Whatever storm was coming, he’d meet it head-on.
Because Arden wasn’t a liability.
She was the line in the sand.
And he’d burn every name on the Blackwell ledger before he let anyone cross it.
The lounge hushedthe moment Gideon stepped inside.
Not because he demanded attention, but because he didn’t have to.
Real power didn’t need to announce itself. It walked in, and made the room forget what it was saying.
He didn’t scan the crowd. Didn’t hesitate.
He knew who he was looking for.
His gaze found Alex first.
Seated near the bar like he owned it, arrogance coiled around him. But Gideon didn’t stop for him. Not yet.
His eyes found Arden next, and the world narrowed to her.
She noticed him instantly.
No flinch, no double take.
Just a shift in her posture.
