Chapter 82. Bloody

Half an hour later, Lucien realized something was off. Subtly at first — an instinctual tickle in the back of his mind, the kind that never failed him. He scanned the hall with his eyes, taking in the clusters of guests laughing and socializing, the soft glow of chandeliers reflecting off polished wine glasses, the buzz of music and chatter. But something was missing from the picture. Someone.

Charles wasn’t in the hall anymore.

Lucien’s gaze swept across the tables again, slower this time, a knot forming in his chest. He looked toward the entrance, toward the bar, toward the corners of the room where Charles tended to stand when he was working. Nothing.

Then another realization struck him — Mario wasn’t present either.

Before the thought could fully settle, he saw movement by the open doors leading outside. Mario stepped in from t