Chapter 72 Chaos in the Hall
Deborah stepped out of the private room with a calmness so perfectly controlled that no one would ever guess where she had just been or what she had just allowed to happen. Her breathing had already steadied, her expression impeccably smooth, her hair and gown flawless as always.
On the outside, she looked untouched. Untouched by Luther’s sudden appearance. Untouched by his confession. Untouched by the way he pulled her back into feelings she swore she had buried.
She walked down the corridor, back toward the event hall, rehearsing what she would say if any of her brothers questioned her disappearance. She would simply shrug. “I was on a call.” “I needed a minute.” “Don’t make it dramatic.”
But the moment she crossed the threshold into the grand hall, her steps faltered.
Something was wrong.
The once-elegant event glistening with chandeliers, glass sculptures, and golden décor was now a storm of panicked movement. Guests trampled over the marble floors, some crying, some pushing each other with raw desperation. Security alarms wailed, vibrating through the air, and the sweet scent of the banquet food had been replaced by smoke, fear, and the sharp sting of adrenaline.
“What the—?” Deborah whispered, her eyebrows pulling together as her eyes raced across the chaos before her.
A waiter sprinted past her, dropping an expensive silver tray that clashed loudly on the floor.
“Miss, run!” he shouted over his shoulder. “They said there are shooters.....”
BANG!
A gunshot exploded through the air, so loud that several people dropped to their knees in terror. Deborah instinctively staggered back, her chest tightening.
Before she could even process where the shot came from, a hand latched around her arm from behind, gripping tight.
She gasped but didn’t scream. Because she knew the hold.
“Deborah!”
Knight’s voice came out breathless, frantic, and sharper than she had ever heard it.
He didn’t wait for her answer. He yanked her toward the nearest marble column, pushing her behind it and pressing his own back to the wall to shield her.
“Knight..... what’s.. happening?” she demanded, her voice tight as she tried to peek around him.
He immediately blocked her view with his arm. “Don’t look. Don’t move. Don’t even think of walking out there.”
“But—”
“Deborah,” Knight snapped, more harshly than usual, “I am not in the mood to argue with you right now.”
His breathing was uneven, his jaw tense as he scanned the chaos with calculating eyes. Sweat glistened at his temple rare for him, the most controlled of her brothers.
She swallowed hard. “Where are the others?”
Knight didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he grabbed her waist and pushed both of them lower as another gunshot cracked through the high ceiling, sending shards of crystal raining down from one of the chandeliers.
People screamed. Deborah’s pulse pounded in her ears.
Knight cursed under his breath. “This is exactly why Caelum is furious.”
Her head snapped toward him. “Caelum? Why? what did he say?”
“He said....” Knight paused, his throat bobbing, “....that if something happens to you tonight, he’ll burn this entire city down.”
Deborah blinked, stunned. “He said that?”
“He growled it,” Knight corrected. “Loudly. In front of the Devereaux executives.”
Despite the chaos, her lips parted slightly in shock. Caelum losing control in public meant only one thing, he thought she was in danger.
Knight tried to peek again, and Deborah saw his hand subtly shaking not from fear, but from restraint.
She reached for his sleeve. “Where are they? Caelum, Lucio, Casper, Lysander—”
A third gunshot cut through her words.
Knight immediately pulled something from inside his jacket....a gun. A compact, matte-black one. Not for show. Not for intimidation.
For survival.
Deborah stared, breath stuck in her throat. “Knight… you’re armed?”
He gave her a hard look. “What did you expect? We’re Valmeres.” Then he added, quieter, “And you’re our only sister.”
Before she could respond, he curled his hand around her wrist and tugged her forward.
“We need to move now. Before the shooters reach this wing.”
Deborah nodded, gripping the fabric of her gown with one hand to avoid stepping on it.
They ran.
Knight stayed slightly ahead of her, his gun raised, his movements controlled but urgent. Deborah followed closely, her heels clicking against the marble as they maneuvered through knocked-over chairs, broken glasses, and fallen decorations. The luxurious hall now looked like a battlefield, the kind she only saw in films not the kind she thought she’d ever sprint through.
“Knight,” she called breathlessly, “why would anyone attack the gala? Is this targeted at—”
“I don’t know yet,” he replied quickly. “But there were multiple shooters. Professional. They knew the layout.”
“Do you think it’s connected to—”
“Don’t.” Knight stopped her as they ducked into another hallway. “Don’t assume anything yet. Let’s just get to the others.”
They reached another corner, and Knight pressed her gently against the wall again, raising his gun.
“Stay behind me.”
She nodded.
He peeked around the corner then exhaled. “Security is pushing them back. I think we’re close.”
They emerged carefully, slowly, and the farther they walked, the clearer it became, the gunfire was fading. Security forces had overwhelmed the shooters. The chaos was settling, replaced only by trembling guests and fallen decorations.
Deborah released a long breath.
Knight lowered his weapon but kept it in hand. “Deb… we’re safe now, I think.”
The moment he said it, heavy footsteps echoed from the opposite hallway. Fast. Purposeful. Aggressive.
Deborah turned and froze.
Caelum appeared first.
She had never seen her eldest brother like this.... hair slightly disheveled, sleeves rolled up, chest rising violently with each breath as if he’d run through flames.
The instant he spotted her, his entire body reacted, his shoulders sagged with relief, his jaw clenched, and he stormed toward her with a mix of fury and fear.
“Deborah.” His voice was raw, low, almost broken.
She tried to speak, but her throat tightened.
Before she could take a step, Lucio came into view blood on his right sleeve, a cut on his cheek. Casper followed behind him, talking rapidly into a radio, though limping, still held himself with his usual controlled posture.
They were all there.
Frightened. Disheveled. Armed. Searching for her.
Knight stepped aside, letting them see her clearly.
Caelum reached her first, gripping her arms tightly as if afraid she might vanish again. “Where were you?” he asked, voice trembling with suppressed anger. “Why weren’t you with us?”
“Caelum, I—”
He didn’t let her finish. He pulled her into a fierce embrace, his hand cradling the back of her head. She stiffened, surprised, but slowly lifted her arms to return the hug.
Lucio exhaled sharply. “We thought the worst. Dammit, Deb. Fundano might kill us if something bad happened to you.”
Casper added, “Next time you disappear, we’re putting a tracker on you.”
Caelum sat down on a nearby chair, wincing. “Thank God you’re alive. All of you.”
But then, the realization settled in. The hall grew quiet.
The brothers exchanged looks and Deborah saw it. A missing presence. A missing voice.
Her stomach dropped. Her voice trembled.
“Where is…” She swallowed, dread rising.
“Where is Lysander?”