after they met her

fifty

l o g a n

Darkness swallowed the room whole.

I could barely hear anything over the chaotic pounding of feet and panicked voices. It was like the world had imploded in on itself, and all I could feel was the weight of my own fear choking me.

Dad's voice cut through the noise, screaming for us, for Ivana. My heart was a wreck, hammering in my chest as I scrambled blindly across the floor, searching for her.

My fingers brushed the cold tiles, the slickness of spilled drinks and shattered glass beneath them, but there was no sign of her. Just as my panic surged, my hand hit something solid—an arm.

Matthew's. I recognized the weight of his watch.

But Ivana... oh God, where is Ivana?

I heard Caelum shouting above the crowd, commanding his men to get the lights back on, to draw their weapons, to be ready.

His voice was calm but firm, like this was all part of the plan. When the lights finally flickered back on, it was like time stood still. Caelum and Ethan were standing there, guns drawn, their men mirroring them, ready for something. The rest of us—unarmed, just like we'd agreed—stood there, frozen.

But Ivana was gone.

"Where is she?" Gray's roar shattered the silence. He stormed across the floor, rage radiating from him like heat, and lunged at Caelum, shoving him hard. "Where is she?!" His voice cracked, wild with desperation.

He didn't care that Caelum had a gun; nothing could stop him now.

He shoved Caelum again, eyes blazing.

Caelum quickly holstered his weapon, palms raised in defense. "I have nothing to do with this. I swear," he panted, his voice strained but calm. "Graham, please. We have to act. She can't be fa—"

Gray's fist connected with Caelum's face before he could finish.

The crack of bone on bone was sickening, and Caelum went down hard. But Gray wasn't done. He was on him in a second, raining down blows, his fury uncontainable. Caelum didn't fight back. He didn't even try to defend himself.

"There is no we," Gray growled through clenched teeth, his fists moving like hammers. He was angrier than I'd ever seen him, like something had snapped inside him, and there was no coming back.

Dad was standing off to the side, and for the first time, he looked lost. He had always been the strong one, the leader, but now... now he looked old.

Broken.

He dropped to his knees, and it was only then that I realized I was still sitting on the floor too, staring at my hands. My hands that had been holding Ivana just moments before.

I had her in my arms. I had her, I touched her, and now... now she was gone.

I should've held her tighter. I should've clung to her like my life depended on it. How could I have let her slip away? How could I have been so careless?

Everything around me was happening so fast. I could barely keep up.

Ethan was trying to pull Gray off Caelum, but Gray was relentless, his fists flying like he couldn't stop, even if he wanted to. Matthew was the only one who kept his head. He was on the phone, shouting commands, organizing our men, sending them out to search every inch of the place. He was a machine, focused, determined.

The guests that were still there? They scattered like cowards.

From across the room, on the grand staircase, I spotted Asher. He stood tall, dragging someone behind him. "I got this one!" he called out, his voice strained but triumphant. He had a smear of blood under his nose, but he barely seemed to notice as he hauled Raymond up by the collar. "Caught him trying to grab his gun," Asher sneered, jerking Raymond forward like he was trash.