Chapter 193

Conrad's eyes suddenly turned razor-sharp, slicing straight through the windshield like a hawk locking onto its prey. The high beams ahead stabbed through the dark like blades, tearing open the night. Through the shifting shadows, more than a dozen figures with cold, gleaming metal rods were closing in step by step. Calliope's heart skipped a beat. Panicked, she fumbled for her phone. "I-I'll call the cops!" "No need," Conrad replied, voice calm and steady. "Stay here, lock the doors, don't get out." Before she could process it, he had already pushed the door open and stepped outside. The headlights carved out a sharp silhouette of his tall frame-it was like watching a statue come to life, unshakable and imposing. The group of men surged toward him in an instant. Calliope had already dialed 911, and the operator's standardized voice came through: "Hello, what's your emergency?" But the words caught in her throat. She couldn't look away. Conrad hadn't given any of them a chance to get c