ws of the fountain. Her bare feet stepp
voice cut through the night air like a whip. She ordered Offi
ed mere inches away from the lockdo
nuine shock at seeing Ava outside. She hadn't
eet facade and took a step toward Ava. "Sister, w
ast her, her shoulder brushing roughly against Seraphin
dark and unforgiving. "Who gave you the aut
at Seraphina. "Miss Vance told me... she said they w
"Since when do you have the right to d
her eyes well up with tears. "I was only trying to protect th
re disdain. She turned her back on Seraphin
s hands. "Miss Sinclair, please. Protocol dicta
the guard dead in the eye. "I am the primary heir to
hisper, "or I will have you fired and blacklisted from ever
ority, Officer Miles stepped aside. He was sweating pr
button on the console. The massive iron ga
heavily on his cane. His stern expression in
ssessed the situation immediately, noting Ava's bare fe
gates. She entirely abando
his bespoke wool coat. The familiar scent of cedar and ex
he immediately wrapped a protective arm around his granddaug
cket and draped it gently over Ava's shivering shoulders.
e Ava had failed, ran up to the gates.
gustus, trying to act like a lo
pped his silver-tipped cane. His cold eyes
us stated in a booming voice that echoe
e looked down at Seraphina like she was a pi
e family so informally again," Griffin
. Her hands clenched into tight fists at her sid
brow, realizing he had almost turned away the most po
rity personnel. The guard immediately jogged over to the fountain, retrieved Ava's
/1/116375/coverbig.jpg?v=62366e9c44d175d070efa18c8528f91b&imageMogr2/format/webp)