The descent from the executive suite felt like a funeral procession. The Royal guards didn't use unnecessary force, but their presence was a ice wall that escorted the group toward the elevator.
Ruby walked with her head down, her teeth clenched so hard that a tiny bead of crimson blood escaped her lip. Beside her, Hailey was a ghost of her former self. Her blouse was torn, the fabric hanging in useless shreds; she walked with her arms wrapped tightly over her chest, trying to cover her exposed skin with trembling hands. The image of Ethan's cold, indifferent eyes as he watched her humiliation burned in Ruby's mind.
"Bastard... you absolute bastard," Ruby whispered, the words tasting like ash.
Quinn and Ming followed in a daze, their faces ashen. They didn't speak. There was nothing left to say. The Ethan they had joked with, the friend they had defended and waited for, had died the moment he walked into that room. In his place was a monster wrapped in a tailored suit.
