Chapter 26

Elena’s POV I was just about to step down from the executive booth when a loud gunshot cracked through the air. The sound was sharp. Too close. My feet locked in place. My whole body went cold. Screams erupted around the club. Chairs scraped. People ran in every direction, shouting, panicking, trying to escape. The music was gone. All I could hear was chaos and my own heartbeat pounding in my ears. Then Philip stepped in front of me. His shirt was still soaked from the beer I had poured on him. His face was calm, but his eyes were dark. Dangerous. “Do you have any idea what you’ve just done?” he asked quietly. I couldn’t speak. My throat felt tight. I only swallowed. “I could kill you right now,” he continued, his voice flat, almost bored. My breath caught. “Elena, apologize,” Mark snapped suddenly. “Apologize to him right now.” I turned slightly, surprised to see Mark standing so close. His face was tense, his eyes sharp. I opened my mouth to obey but something inside me broke. “No,”