A violent shudder passed through his massive frame.
Then something even more shocking happened.
Egon dropped to his knees in front of me.
Right there in the middle of the ballroom.
The giant Atlan warrior wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close, pressing his forehead against my chest.
Instinctively, my arms wrapped around him. Holding him. Grounding him.
"SECURITY BREACH!" Chet's voice exploded across the room. He sounded equal parts horrified and thrilled.
"We have a security breach! Someone get this man out of here!"
The room erupted into chaos. Cameras rushed forward. Producers shouted into headsets.
Security guards stormed across the ballroom and grabbed Derek, hauling him to his feet as he coughed and struggled.
"I love you!" Derek screamed hoarsely as they dragged him toward the doors. His face was flushed and wild. "Tori, I love you! This isn't over! I'll get you back! I'll?—"
The ballroom doors slammed shut behind him. Silence followed.
I looked down at Egon, still kneeling in front of me, his arms wrapped tightly around my waist.
My heart was still racing. Adrenaline buzzed through my veins.
Then something made the back of my neck prickle. I looked up.
Jessica stood near the foam throne Egon had abandoned. Her posture was perfectly composed.
Her face carefully blank.
But her eyes… her eyes were following Derek's retreat. Disappointed. Not surprised.
And there was something else in that look. Satisfaction. Calculation.
Cold realization slid through me like ice water.
Had she known? Did she know Derek was here tonight, disguised as one of the Coalition guests?
Had she deliberately kept Egon distracted—flirting, whispering in his ear—dancing with him while Derek made his move?
My stomach dropped.
Jessica and Derek? Working together? Plotting against us?
"Oh my GOD!" Chet's voice rang out, carrying across the entire ballroom. He was practically vibrating with excitement, his gold hair catching the lights, glitter falling from him like fairy dust. "Did you see that?! The beast mode! The rescue! The DRAMA!"
He spun in a circle, cape flying, arms raised in triumph.
"People! We are making TELEVISION HISTORY! This is Emmy material! This is ratings GOLD!"
He grabbed a passing producer, shaking the poor woman by the shoulders.
"Did we get that?! Tell me we got that! The whole thing—the taser, the chokehold, the 'you dare touch what is mine'? Guess the cat's out of the bag!"
"We got it, Chet," the crew member assured. "Every angle."
