Chapter 107

Tristan smoothed his crumpled shirt with a sharp flick of his wrist, his voice icy. "I'm not his babysitter, Bianca! I don't have time to track his every move. Find him yourself!"

Bianca's fist collided with his chest in a burst of fury. "His phone's dead, and no one's seen him! Even his own bodyguard has no clue where he is! Stop lying—you planted that signal jammer on purpose! This is all part of your twisted plan!"

Tristan clamped a hand over her mouth and hoisted her over his shoulder effortlessly.

"Listen carefully, Bianca," he growled. "You're staying in your room tonight. After this, you won’t have to suffer anymore."

Back in the banquet hall, Evelyn shot up from her seat.

Her pulse quickened as she scanned the sea of unfamiliar faces.

She pulled out her phone—missed calls and a single text from Dominic: [Come find me when you see this. I’ll be in the banquet hall.]

But Evelyn was already there. Where was he?

She dialed his number, only for the call to drop instantly.

Was the south wing not the only dead zone?

A shadowy figure in black rushed toward her, panic etched across his face.

"Have you seen Mr. Blackwood?" Dominic’s bodyguard demanded, his voice strained.

"No! Wasn’t he with you?" Evelyn’s chest tightened as paranoia clawed at her thoughts. "I tried calling—no signal here!"

"That bastard Tristan must’ve used a jammer! I lost track of him—didn’t even realize he was gone until Miss Bianca came screaming at me!"

Evelyn’s fists clenched as she remembered the venom in Bianca’s eyes when she’d confronted Tristan earlier.

"Tristan… I’m going after Tristan!" she declared.

"I’m coming with you!"

When they reached the south wing of Mooncrest Manor, Dominic’s bodyguard lunged at one of Tristan’s guards, fingers digging into his throat.

"Where the hell is Tristan Chamberlain?! Take me to him—now!"

Evelyn shoved the bodyguard back. "He can’t talk if you’re choking him!"

The guard gasped for air, coughing violently. "I—I don’t know where Mr. Chamberlain is! I’m just stationed here—I swear!"

"Did you see Dominic Blackwood pass through?" Evelyn pressed.

A cold dread settled in her stomach.

Dominic had been calling her all afternoon. He’d waited for her.

He must have known where she was and come looking.

Noticing the flicker in the guard’s expression, Dominic’s bodyguard kicked him to the ground.

"Where. Is. He?" he snarled, pressing his boot against the man’s skull. "Three seconds. Three… two…"

"He went up the hill!" the guard wheezed, pointing into the darkness. "That way!"

"Bullshit! Why the hell would he go up there in the dark?" The bodyguard ground his heel harder. "Talk!"

Evelyn’s heart hammered against her ribs, tears stinging her eyes.

Dominic had only just stopped using his wheelchair.

He wasn’t strong enough for that climb—not in this darkness.

The guard’s voice was barely a whisper. "He… went… to find… Miss Thorne…"

Then his body went limp.