Chloe shrank back against the wall as Isabella's threat echoed through the foyer.

The heavy front doors slammed shut, rattling the crystal chandelier above.

Victor looked up the staircase, his dark eyes instantly finding Chloe in the shadows.

He took the stairs two at a time until he was standing right in front of her.

He grabbed her gently by the shoulders and asked if she was alright.

Chloe nodded, though her entire body was shaking with fear.

She told him that she needed to quit her job and leave Chicago immediately.

Victor's grip tightened slightly, refusing to let her pull away.

He told her that running away would only make her an easier target for the Donati family.

He declared that the safest place for her in the entire world was right by his side.

Chloe looked up into his eyes and saw a fierce, protective possession that terrified and thrilled her.

She asked him why he was risking a mafia war for a girl who cleaned his floors.

Victor leaned in close, his breath warm against her ear.

He confessed that she was the only bright thing left in his dark, violent world.

He was about to say something else when a sharp, whistling sound sliced through the air.

The massive stained-glass window at the top of the landing violently exploded inward.

Victor tackled Chloe to the marble floor just as a high-caliber sniper bullet embedded itself in the wall where her head had just been.

Shards of colored glass rained down on them like deadly confetti.

Alarms immediately began blaring throughout the massive estate.

Armed guards rushed into the foyer, shouting orders and drawing their weapons.

Victor covered Chloe's body with his own, shielding her from the sharp debris.

He pulled her up into his arms and carried her down the hallway toward his private panic room.

As the heavy steel door sealed them inside, Victor looked down at his hands.

May you like

Five minutes after our divorce, I boarded a flight overseas with our two…

THE MAIDS SENT ME TO THE MAFIA BOSS’S SILENT MOTHER TO MAKE HER CRY—BUT…

Graham went pale before I said a word. He recognized the envelope in my…

They were completely covered in bright red blood.

Chloe looked down and realized the blood was pouring from a deep laceration on her own side.