"You’re the liar!" I shot back. "You’ve poisoned him against me, against the truth. But you can’t erase me from his heart. No matter how hard you try."
Avery’s smile faltered.
Gavin took a slow step forward. His gaze locked onto mine, hard and unyielding. "Leave," he said, his voice eerily calm.
My breath hitched. He wasn’t yelling. He wasn’t lashing out. But something in his tone—something final—made my chest tighten with pain.
"Gavin," I whispered.
A flicker of something crossed his face, but then it was gone.
"You have five seconds before I make good on that decree," he said flatly.
And that was it.
Zach grabbed my arm before I could say anything else. "We need to go. Now."
"No!" Mavin screamed, his tiny hands reaching for me as a guard held him back. "Mommy, don’t go!"
My heart shattered. I fought against Zach’s grip, but it was too late. More guards rushed forward.
"Get her out of here!" Avery’s voice rang through the hall.
A burst of energy surged through me as Zach yanked me backward, his strength overpowering my own. The air whooshed past me as we were thrown into the night, the ballroom doors slamming shut behind us.
I collapsed to my knees, gasping. The cold night air burned my lungs.