Chapter 483

Alexander's voice was cool as ice. "Go on. I'll stay right here. Just call if you need me."

Having brought Isabella along, he felt responsible for her safety tonight. His unspoken promise hung in the air—he had her back.

Isabella exhaled softly and trailed after the staff member.

They weaved through the glittering banquet hall, the noise fading as they turned down a deserted corridor. The sudden silence prickled at her skin.

"Is this the right way?" she asked, her voice tight.

The attendant didn't answer. He halted abruptly and motioned toward a door with a stiff nod.

Isabella pushed it open.

Behind her, the staff member's face twisted into something like pity as she stepped inside.

Darkness swallowed her whole. The oppressive blackness made her stomach clench.

The room was empty.

A cold realization slithered down her spine—she'd been played.

Isabella Morgan felt an eerie chill crawl up her spine.

Without warning, a single beam of light flickered to life, casting elongated shadows across the bare walls. The silhouette of a man materialized within the dim glow.

Her breath hitched.

Was that… Dominic?

Why was he lurking in the shadows like this?

Even after a decade behind bars, his striking features remained untouched by time. The sharp angles of his profile could rival any Hollywood heartthrob.

Isabella couldn’t tear her gaze away.

She didn’t notice the faint rustling at her feet.

Something cold and sinuous brushed against her ankle.

Her blood turned to ice.

Snakes.

At least four of them, coiled and ready, their emerald eyes gleaming in the darkness.

A scream tore from her throat as she spun toward the door, fingers scrambling for the knob.

Locked.

Panic clawed at her chest.

She was trapped.

Why were there serpents slithering across the luxurious hotel suite?

In mere moments, the cold, scaly creatures had begun coiling around Isabella's legs.

Her breath hitched, terror locking her muscles in place.

She tried to shake them off, but the more she twisted, the tighter their grip became.

From the waist down, she was completely ensnared. Every nerve screamed in silent panic.

Tears welled in her eyes, but she bit back any sound.

"Dominic," she whispered through clenched teeth, squeezing her eyes shut. "This is your doing, isn't it?"

She knew he could hear her.

The rumors about his twisted nature were proving true. Was this his revenge for dancing with Alexander at the gala?

Isabella’s resolve hardened. She would never marry this monster. One wrong move, and she might not live to see morning.

"Call them off!" Her voice trembled, fraying at the edges. She was seconds from shattering.

Her entire body quaked, yet she couldn’t budge—frozen in place by sheer dread.

"If these snakes aren’t gone in the next ten seconds," she forced out, "I swear I’ll have the entire police force at your door—"

Yes, Evelyn could call the police!

The thought struck her like lightning.

Her fingers trembled as she fumbled through her bag, desperate to find her phone.

Alexander was just outside. If she could just reach him—

But the moment the screen flickered to life, the snakes struck.

A slithering tongue grazed her skin, cold and slick.

Evelyn screamed.

Her phone clattered to the floor, the screen shattering on impact.

The serpents coiled tighter, their hisses filling the air.

Secret Longing: A Love Reborn After Darkness (Evelyn Carter) novel