Chapter 21 Unraveling Threads

• Shane lay in the hospital bed, his face still and pale against the white sheets. Tubes and monitors surrounded him, a stark reminder of the near-fatal attack that had left him fighting for his life. Tristan stood by his side, silently watching the steady rise and fall of Shane's chest. The air in the room felt heavy with worry and unanswered questions.
• Across town, Felicia sat in a lavish penthouse, the distant hum of city life echoing outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. Her phone buzzed, disrupting the quiet. She glanced at the screen, a smirk playing on her lips as she read the latest update from her mysterious accomplice and another from Samson. She went to her vanity table to dab some more makeup on her unblemished face to enhance her beauty. She walked to her closet and picked out a simple outfit that was a tone down from her usual overly pink and ruffled outfits. She slipped her white knee-high socks on and donned her loafers to add to her innocent look. She then went back to her vanity table to look for her final piece to her outfit. She ran her finger against a topaz-colored jewelry box and pulled out the bottom drawer that revealed a bejeweled dagger.
• "Tristan, you are going to be mine, no matter the cost," she declared softly as she examined the dagger closely and then placed the dagger in her white bowler style purse.