After dinner, Selene couldn’t wait to slip into Leo’s study.
Calling it a study hardly did it justice–it was more like a private library. Leo’s home. boasted a three–story book haven, with shelves lined by rare, out–of–print volumes and classified archives. Some of the materials were so sensitive that even top professors at the most prestigious universities could only dream of seeing them.
Selene dove into the ocean of knowledge, utterly absorbed. But with Daph and Luke Holloway still waiting for her, she finally tore herself away after more than two hours, reluctantly leaving the library behind.
Sky Pastures Ranch, at the bottom of the slope:
The mountain wind howled, icy and sharp.
“Dad, I have to pee! I can’t hold it anymore!” Dames’s voice quavered on the edge of
tears.
He was the little prince of the Vaughn family, coddled and cherished from birth. Now, here he was, stuck in this humiliating predicament–hands bound at his sides, slumped against the slope, unable even to unbutton his pants, let alone find a
bathroom.
Harrison lay next to him. Even wrapped in his outdoor jacket, the cold, damp forest pressed in all around. The temperature had plummeted, and being stuck in one position for so long had left his limbs numb and his whole body stiff.
He clenched his jaw, drawing a shaky breath. In his head, he tried to convince himself that this was just another trial set by Leo–a twisted sort of training.
But Dames’s constant whining grated on his nerves. Harrison was hardly used to kids, and this boy was especially difficult. Honestly, he had no idea how Selene had managed five whole years with him.
Earlier, Harrison had called up the slope, hoping someone was stationed there, but the top was deserted.
He glanced upward. The later it got, the less likely anyone would come. Sighing, he decided to act. With one arm, he hoisted Dames up, planning to carry him out first and then come back for Felicity. After all, Felicity had twisted her ankle and injured her thigh and tailbone, the thought of dragging two helpless people out of here only made Harrison more annoyed. He’d always had little patience for the weak.
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Steadying himself, Harrison started the climb. Just as he reached the top, he spotted a few beams of flashlight flickering in the darkness between the trees.
Quickly, he ducked, pulling Dames down with him, hiding them both beneath the edge of the slope. “Don’t make a sound,” he whispered.
Dames pouted, his face flushing red with the effort of holding it in.
Up on the slope, Quentin was led over by several of Leo’s men.
One of them instructed him, “Tonight, Professor James, you’ll keep watch here. If you see Mr. Vaughn or young Master Damien trying to climb up, you do what you said–give them both a couple of punches.”
“I–I can’t–this is a misunderstanding–keep your voices down…” Quentin
stammered, glancing nervously down the slope, terrified that Harrison, still below, might overhear the conversation.
Leo’s punishment was clear: he was protecting Harrison. Quentin wanted to slap himself. He’d known Selene was with Leo, and yet he’d bragged to her over the phone. Now look at him–the Vaughn family always protected their own. Only Leo could discipline Harrison. Quentin, the in–law, had opened his mouth once too many times and was now being punished as well.
“Professor James, there are cameras everywhere. We’ll be watching you on the monitors–don’t even think about slacking off!” Leo’s men raised their voices, clearly making sure Harrison heard every word.
With their instructions delivered, the men departed, leaving Quentin alone and fuming. He’d noticed plenty of people camped out at the ranch–escaping would be impossible.
“Dad..” Dames whimpered softly, and Harrison immediately clamped a hand over
his mouth.
In the darkness, Dames’s eyebrows arched in a pitiful expression. Suddenly, his legs trembled, his tense little face relaxing all at once. A warm stream trickled down his legs, dripping off his shoes,
Is it raining? Felicity, lying nearby, looked up–only to be hit by a sharp, unpleasant smell. It didn’t take long for her to realize what that steady trickle on her head was. Horrified, she jerked her head away and shrieked, “Dames! Did you just wet your pants? Ugh, gross!!”
Suddenly, Felicity felt a chill at her neck. She looked down, only to find something
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cold and rope–like coiling around her throat.
But it wasn’t rope. It moved.
The faint rustling sound made her skin crawl. The thing tightened around her neck, panic closing in as her hands remained tied. She opened her mouth, desperate to scream for help-
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