Chapter 6 - The Whispered Name
Night 26 arrived with a black sky and the warning whispers of an approaching hurricane. The gulf air was heavy, hot, and thick with moisture as high-society guests began arriving at the Ashford estate in sleek black limousines.
Downstairs, the grand ballroom was a spectacle of wealth and power. Women in silk gowns and men in tailored tuxedos sipped champagne under the crystal chandeliers, their laughter floating upstairs like cheap perfume.
Upstairs, the house was dark and quiet.
Audrey sat in Julian's bedroom, dressed in an elegant navy gown that Dorian had chosen for her. She looked like one of the high-society guests, but beneath the silk dress, a small wireless microphone was clipped to her collar, transmitting every sound directly to Marcus’s earpiece downstairs.
Julian sat on the bed beside her, dressed in a small suit. He was holding Audrey’s hand tightly.
"Are you scared, sweetheart?" Audrey asked softly, kneeling down in front of him.
Julian looked at her with his large, dark eyes. Slowly, for the first time in nearly a month, he shook his head. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a fresh drawing.
It wasn't a shadowy wolf anymore.
It was a drawing of three people standing under a bright sun—a tall man, a small boy, and a woman with brown hair holding his hand.
Audrey’s heart swelled, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. "Oh, Julian..."
Suddenly, the door handle turned.
Audrey stood up instantly, stepping in front of Julian.
Victor Ashford stepped into the room. He was wearing a silver tuxedo jacket, a glass of bourbon in his hand, smelling heavily of peppermint and cigars. He clicked the door shut behind him, locking it with a quiet turn of the brass key.
"Party's downstairs, Miss Voss," Victor said, his eyes scanning her up and down with a predatory sneer. "Though I must say, you clean up remarkably well for a neighborhood nurse."
"What do you want, Victor?" Audrey asked, her voice steady, though her hands clenched into fists within the folds of her dress.
"I came to say goodbye," Victor said, taking a sip of his drink. He walked slowly into the room, his leather shoes clicking against the hardwood. "Dorian thinks he’s so clever, keeping you locked away up here. But the board just voted downstairs. Given Dorian’s... unstable mental state and his failure to attend the annual summit tonight, executive control of Ashford Enterprises has been temporarily transferred to me."
He smiled, a dark, wicked grin. "By tomorrow morning, I will be named Julian's legal guardian. And once I am his guardian, I will have him placed in a private facility far away from New Orleans. A place where children who suffer 'accidental falls' can be properly looked after."
Julian cowered behind Audrey’s legs, clutching her dress in terror.
"You're a monster," Audrey said, stepping closer to Victor, forcing him to keep his attention on her. "You took an eight-year-old child from his bed. You carried him to the bridge. You threw him into the river like trash!"
Victor chuckled, taking another step toward her. "I gave him a chance to swim. The little brat was always weak, just like his mother. Dorian built an empire on blood, and he thought he could soft-hearted his way into fatherhood. I did what was necessary for the business."
"He knew it was you," Audrey said, her voice rising slightly so the microphone would pick up every word clearly. "Julian remembered your smell. He remembered your watch. He was terrified to say your name because he knew you were inside this house!"
Victor’s smile faded, replaced by a cold, murderous glare. He set his bourbon glass down on the side table and reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a small, sleek silver syringe.
"It doesn't matter what the boy remembered," Victor whispered, stepping closer. "He didn't talk. And now, neither will you. A tragic overdose for the nurse who tried to blackmail the family... and a heartbroken father who finally loses his mind entirely. It’s poetic, really."
He lunged forward, grabbing Audrey by the throat and pinning her against the wall, raising the needle toward her neck.
Audrey didn't scream. She looked past Victor's shoulder toward the balcony doors behind him.
"You forgot one thing, Victor," Audrey choked out, a cold smile breaking through her pain.
May you like
"What's that?" Victor snarled.
"Dorian doesn't stay upstairs."
