The smile vanished from my face when Sebastian suddenly stared out the front window like he'd seen a ghost. Outside, Manhattan looked completely normal—yellow cabs splashing through rain puddles, people rushing by with umbrellas, the city moving as if nothing had changed. But the look in his eyes made my stomach twist.

The massive five-hundred-pound iron Vance crest, along with its heavy oak backing, plunged thirty feet straight down from the ceiling, crashing directly onto Vincent and his primary enforcers with a deafening, violent impact.

The floor shook. Marble dust and wooden splinters exploded into the air in a blinding cloud.

"Chloe!" Sebastian roared.

Before the remaining mercenaries could react to the chaotic disaster, Sebastian leaped across the table with the speed of a striking viper. He tackled the mercenary holding Chloe, driving his shoulder into the man's chest, sending him crashing into the wall. Sebastian scooped Chloe into his arms, rolling behind the cover of the grand mahogany desk.

"Olivia, move!" Sebastian yelled.

I didn't wait. I vaulted over the balcony railing, grabbing the thick velvet tapestry hanging along the wall to break my fall, sliding down into the foyer floor just as the remaining two mercenaries opened fire wildly into the dust cloud.

I grabbed a heavy bronze floor lamp and swung it sideways into the ankle of the nearest mercenary, tripping him onto his back. Sebastian leaned out from behind the desk and fired two precise shots, neutralizing the remaining threat.

The foyer fell into a sudden, terrifying silence, broken only by the crackle of the growing flames along the walls and the heavy rain pouring through the shattered glass roof above.

From beneath the crumpled iron crest, a bloodied hand clawed at the stone.

Vincent, his coat torn and blood streaming down his face, pushed a heavy beam off his chest, coughing violently as he reached for a dropped pistol on the floor.

"You... you arrogant... little bastard..." Vincent wheezed, his eyes wild with unhinged insanity as his fingers brushed the gun.

Sebastian walked over slowly through the smoke and dust. He didn't look angry anymore. His face was a mask of cold, absolute judgment.

He reached out his boot and stepped firmly onto Vincent’s wrist, pinning his hand to the floor.

"You broke into my home," Sebastian said, his voice quiet, steady, and terrifyingly cold. "You threatened my daughter. You tried to destroy the woman I love."

Sebastian leveled his weapon directly at Vincent’s forehead.

"Sebastian, please!" Vincent choked out, fear finally breaking through his arrogant facade as he looked up into the eyes of the true King of the Vance family. "We're family! Blood speaks to blood!"

"My family is standing behind me," Sebastian replied coldly. "You are just a parasite."

"Sebastian, stop!" I called out softly, stepping forward through the smoke, holding Chloe’s hand tightly.

Sebastian hesitated, his finger resting on the trigger, looking back at me.

"Don't do it for him," I said gently, meeting his storm-gray eyes. "Don't let his blood stain the life you are building for Chloe. Let the law take what's left of him. Show her who her father really is."

Sebastian looked down at his daughter. Chloe was watching him, her gray eyes wide, holding her silver locket against her chest.

The lethal darkness in Sebastian’s eyes slowly receded, replaced by the warmth of a man who had finally found his purpose.

He slowly lowered his weapon.

Outside, the loud, wailing sirens of state police cruisers and federal emergency vehicles cut through the rain-soaked night air. Marcus’s backup plan had failed, and the automated distress signal Sebastian had set up before the breach had alerted the authorities.

Within minutes, federal agents swarmed into the estate, taking Vincent and his surviving mercenaries into custody.

As the paramedics wrapped a warm blanket around Chloe’s shoulders, Sebastian walked over to where I stood near the burning ruins of the grand entrance. Rain poured through the open roof, washing away the soot and blood from his face.

He pulled me into his arms, burying his face in my neck, holding me so tightly I could hear the rapid, furious beat of his heart.

"You saved us, Olivia," he whispered, his voice trembling with emotion. "You saved my life. You saved my daughter."