Chapter 240

"The elixir must be on that woman!"

"Come out now!"

"If you don't show yourself, I'll put a bullet in his head!"

The shrill shouts pierced through the chamber walls. Evelyn Roland's nails dug deep into her palms. Each threat felt like a poisoned arrow, twisting her insides with every word.

A muffled groan of pain from Sebastian Valdemar made her snap her head up.

Blood trickled from the corner of his lips.

Evelyn lunged at the wall, her fingers frantically searching the cold stone surface. Where was the hidden mechanism? Her fingertips brushed against a slight protrusion.

"Who's there?!"

Chaotic footsteps erupted outside.

"Special forces!"

"Drop him!"

A heavy thud echoed through the chaos. Evelyn pressed against the door, listening as the screech of tires faded into the distance.

The stone door rumbled open—just as the icy barrel of a gun pressed against her temple.

The armed man stood like a coiled panther.

His olive-green combat gear clung to his muscular frame. A jagged scar ran down his tanned face. When those hawk-like eyes locked onto her, Evelyn's breath hitched.

The gun lowered slightly.

"They were after the Divine Elixir?"

His voice grated like sandpaper on rough stone.

Evelyn's peripheral vision caught Sebastian lying motionless in a pool of blood. She clenched her trembling fingers and forced herself to meet the man's gaze. "I won't say a word until I know if you're trustworthy."

A slow, unsettling grin twisted his scar.

"You?" He kicked a spent bullet casing at his feet. "Couldn't even handle these amateurs."

"But I know where the formula is hidden." Her own voice sounded eerily calm. "Dead men keep secrets too."

The air turned to ice.

The man's eyes narrowed as his combat boot crushed glass shards underfoot. Without warning, he raised his gun, tilting Evelyn's chin up with the barrel.

"Interesting."

He turned, the movement stirring the metallic scent of blood.

"Take them both."

Two soldiers hauled Sebastian's unconscious form. When someone grabbed her wrist, Evelyn yanked free.

"He needs medical attention!"

The man waved a hand without looking back. A medic rushed forward with a kit. Just as relief began to settle, the sharp click of a gun being cocked cut through the silence.

The cold muzzle pressed against Sebastian's back.