Chapter 76

Silvia I ran until my lungs burned. The safe word still hung in the air between us – "red" ! The sound of it echoing in my ears like a thunderclap. Alpha Sherman had stepped back immediately, his face a mask of shock and pain that I couldn't begin to process. My chest felt like it was being crushed beneath the weight of his lies, each breath a sharp reminder of his betrayal. My heels clicked frantically against the marble floor as I fled, one hand clutching my evening purse against my ribs, the other pressed against my chest as if I could physically hold back the agony threatening to tear me apart. Keal whimpered deep within me, "Don't be afraid, Sylvia. You have me." I burst through the main hall, escaping that tomb of silence into the chaotic outer lobby where reporters and guests mingled. The silk of my gown swept around my legs like waves as I pushed past clusters of people, desperate for air that didn't taste like deception. The moment I stepped outside, they swarmed me. "Silvia!