Chapter 72

Allison’s POV.

The murmur at the entrance grew louder, spreading like a ripple.

Conversations thinned into whispers, music still playing but faint now, like background noise for something far more urgent. I exchanged a glance with Sebastian — Slade’s right-hand man, always too calm, too observant — and without saying a word, we both moved toward the noise.

The air there was different — tighter, restless. Guests leaned in, forming small clusters of curiosity, their ...