I clutch my bag tighter, trying to match Alex's long strides as his bodyguards flank us on either side. Lydia's heels click sharply against the pavement, her phone pressed to her ear as she barks instructions to someone on the other end.
But just as we round the corner to the car park, the shadows shift.
"Going somewhere, Mr. Cardwell?"
The voice is smooth, almost amused, and it freezes me in place. Several men step out from behind the parked cars, their silhouettes sharp under the flickering streetlights. They're dressed casually, but the hard set of their jaws and the way they carry themselves scream intimidation.
Alex steps in front of me immediately, his arm outstretched as if to shield me. His jaw tightens, his blue eyes narrowing dangerously. "What's the meaning of this?"
