I stared at Ashton, my mind in a whirl. I had thought he was a hostage of Miles, but now? He wasn’t just an accomplice—he had turned on Nora.

Why not take me instead? Was it because he couldn't bring himself to hurt me? Or was this some twisted scheme to use Nora against us? The chaos around us came to an abrupt halt. Everyone froze, eyes locked on Ashton. His icy glare swept across the crowd, eventually landing on Samuel. "Mr. Cooper," Ashton said sharply, his voice slicing ...