Page 53 of Shattered Reign

I raised my fist and pounded on the dark, heavy oak door. As we waited for someone to respond, Easton moved so that I was slightly behind him. The door creaked open slowly and a man loomed in the doorway, tall and gaunt, clad in an all-black suit. His eyes were pale, and his face was very angular.

For some reason, I’d been expecting Soren Grant to answer his own door, but I was completely wrong. And I wasn’t sure if I’d wished he had.

There was nothing good about any of this. I felt it deep down in my bones. But I remained focused on the goal that brought us here.

I stood up taller, even though I wanted to fold like a house of cards and asked, “Where is Iris Bennington?”

The man’s pale eyes flicked between us, and I could see the cold and calculating nature of them. If I didn’t already have a sense of unease about this situation, I definitely would have now.

Then he did the last thing I expected him to do. He smiled, thin and sharp like a knife’s edge, but he said nothing at all.

I glanced at Easton, but there was no expression on his handsome face. His jaw was set in a hard line.

“Where is Iris?” I said again, struggling to keep my voice even.

The man tilted his head as his gaze narrowed. “And who are you?”

My breath caught in my throat. My emotions jumped between dread and hope. I couldn’t decide which. But I refused to show weakness. I kept my chin high and glared at the man standing there, barring the threshold. “Take me to her. Now.”

“Bianca—” Easton’s warning was cut off by the man stepping aside with a graceful sweep of his arm.

“Please, come in,” the man said.

Every instinct screamed not to cross over the threshold. But we couldn’t turn back now.

I looked at Easton to see what he was thinking. He gave a slight nod, jaw clenched, and he put his hand on my lower back as we stepped into the creepy house together.

The heavy door shut behind us, the sound a resounding boom that echoed around the room. My heart pounded as my eyes adjusted to the dim light within.

This was a mistake.

But it was too late.

EPILOGUE

BIANCA

Two and a Half Years Later

Outside was abuzz with excitement and chatter as I walked down the aisle in my cap and gown. Four years of hard work that included all-nighters at the library, lots of drinks during my freshmen and sophomore year, and an existential crisis or two finally paid off. I was ready to walk across that stage and move on to the next stage of my life.

Well, that’s how I felt right then. Yesterday, I couldn’t help but cry at the fact that I was graduating.

As I looked into the sea of faces, my gaze instinctively sought out the familiar ones that belonged to my family. First, my eyes landed on my mother. She was dabbing at her eyes with a wadded-up tissue, while my father remained stoic on the other side of her. It had taken some time, but they were in the process of getting divorced because my mom realized there was no way she was going to be able to forget what Dad had done. I applauded her for making the best choice for her. Mom and I were working on our relationship every day, whereas, with my father, I barely saw him and preferred it that way.

Nash slung an arm around Raven and used his fingers to whistle loudly.

I smiled at Amelia and Oliver Beaumont because I was happy they were able to join us and for their presence in my life.

And then there was Easton.

His presence in my life was a story of its own and while we started as a jagged puzzle, we now fit together perfectly. I couldn’t believe how his life had become intertwined with mine, even when we’d been in a long-distance relationship for almost the last year or so because Easton graduated last year.

His green eyes met mine and I couldn’t help but grin. Even after all this time, when his gaze met mine, it felt as if my heart had stopped beating. How was that fair?

I tore my gaze away, fixing it on the stage ahead. If I looked at him again, I’d trip over my own feet.

After what seemed like hours of talking and clapping, it was nice to collect our diplomas. When the president of our university called my name, the crowd cheered.

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