(Evelina's POV—Casino of Shadows—30 Seconds to Attack)
The world didn't just blur.
It fractured.
Twelve red warnings floating above smiling faces. Twelve walking deaths wrapped in silk, suits, diamonds, and champagne.
[Assassination Attack begins in 30 seconds.]
Thirty Seconds.
I swallowed the scream climbing my throat. My hand instinctively gripped Rowan's wrist—a silent SOS.
"Get ready," I whispered, barely mouthing the words. "There's a mass hunt about to start."
Rowan's entire body stilled. For the first time since I met him—his eyes widened.
Not much. But enough to prove he understood: This wasn't a bar fight. This was a massacre waiting to spark.
Then—his reaction was instant.
He shifted behind me, posture snapping into combat mode, one hand subtly resting at the small of my back as he pulled me imperceptibly closer to his chest.
A shadow.
A shield.
A weapon coiled and ready.
"Miss," he murmured, voice low and lethal, "who is the target?"
Target?
