Seventy two

Zane's POV

The streets of Brixton blurred past me as I sped through the near-empty roads. The engine of my car roared in protest, but I didn’t let up. My foot pressed harder against the pedal, heart hammering in my chest. Belle’s call had come through only minutes ago, but instead of her voice, I heard the chaos of her family in the background. The tension, the shouting—it was enough to make my stomach twist. What made me bolt from Zeke and Fletcher’s meeting wasn’t just that. It was the sound of her mother accusing her—blaming Belle for everything her family was going through.

But the real kicker, the thing that set me off, was hearing Belle throw up. The sound echoed through the phone, making my blood run cold. Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong.

I had to get to her. And fast.

The Perri mansion was beautiful, elegant enough for doctors of their status and nothing out of the ordinary. But right now, all it felt like was a prison Belle couldn’t escape from.

I slammed t