Chapter 40

The tension in the air was palpable as Erica’s gaze locked with Ophelia’s. For a split second, the world seemed to freeze around them. The estate’s dim lights cast long shadows across the room, stretching the distance between them like a yawning chasm. But this wasn’t a standoff that could be won by waiting. This was the moment everything had been building toward.

Ophelia stood poised, elegant even in her cold menace, her dark eyes never leaving Erica’s. Her red lips curled into a smirk, and she tilted her head as though amused by the situation. The two men behind her, heavily armed, looked ready to pounce, their fingers hovering near their triggers.

“I knew it would come down to this,” Ophelia said, her voice smooth, carrying over the silence like silk over steel. “But I didn’t think you had the nerve to actually confront me face-to-face. I’m impressed, Erica.”

Julian, standing beside Erica with his gun drawn, took a step forward, his jaw clenched, eyes narrowed. “This ends tonight,