<h4>Chapter 416: Chapter 416 Night Shadows</h4>


    Cecilia’s pov


    The guests began to drift out of the main house, their cars already waiting along the circr drive.


    The elders boarded first, while family representatives traded polite goodbyes with Cassian, who was coordinating everyone’s departure.


    Soon the driveway was thinning out, headlights winking into the distance.


    The Cole family’s cars were the first to roll out, followed by the Lawson convoy. Sebastian had arranged for his parents and siblings to leave ahead of us and made sure Helena had a private ride back to her hotel.


    "Grandmother," I said, leaning toward her window, "I’ll visit you in the morning."


    Helena smiled, her eyes soft. "Sweetheart, don’t worry about us. Have breakfast with Martha instead. She’s missed you for years."


    "But Grandmother—"


    "Hush." Her smile deepened, lines crinkling at the corners. "Spending time with the Lockes doesn’t change who you are. You’ll always be our family. As long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters."


    My eyes stung unexpectedly.


    "We’ll go home tomorrow," Helena said seriously. "I trust Sebastian now, but stay careful. That woman Maggie is trouble. Don’t let her get close to you."


    I nodded. "I won’t."


    She gave my cheek onest pat. "Good. Get some rest."


    I stepped back as her car pulled away, watching until the taillights disappeared down the drive. A quiet heaviness settled in my chest.


    Sebastian appeared beside me, silent as ever.


    "Watch until it’s gone," he murmured.


    He slipped an arm around my waist. We stood there in the night breeze, saying nothing, only breathing the same cool air.


    Cassian came over after thest cars left. He looked tired but pleased.


    When Sebastian’s car arrived, I got in and stopped cold.


    Beta?Sawyer was the only one behind the wheel.


    "Where’s Harper?" I asked, a sharp edge in my voice.


    The air tightened.


    Sebastian stayed calm. "She probably left ahead of us. Call her."


    I pulled out my phone. The call connected, then dropped.


    "She hung up," I said, my pulse spiking.


    Cassian frowned. "Try again."


    I redialed. Rejected again.


    Beta Sawyer’s brows drew together. "I haven’t seen her since the banquet ended. Alpha sent me to pick up Daisy, and I lost track of Harper after that."


    Sebastian and Cassian shared a quick look. They both realized they had missed something.


    My phone buzzed. "It’s from Harper."


    The message said:?[Can’t talk now. Will exinter.]


    Something inside me tightened. Harper never sent messages like that.


    Cassian called Locke Security at once and told them to check the surveince cameras. Within minutes, several clips arrived.


    The first showed a tall woman in a pink dress, Harper, walking after another woman in a burgundy gown along a narrow path behind the parking lot.


    The second woman was Luna?Dora.


    Cassian’s face darkened. "That trail only leads to the old wine cer. What’s she doing there?"


    "Harper might have been curious," I said slowly.


    The next clip showed Harper climbing into a silver?McLaren. The car waited until a white?Bentley passed, then pulled out behind it.


    Sebastian rewound the footage, freezing the frame.


    The image was grainy, but I recognized the owner instantly.


    "Xavier," I said.


    Sebastian’s gaze flicked to me, cold and sharp. "You recognized him fast."


    I lifted a brow, pretending not to notice the warning in his tone.


    He took the phone from Cassian. "Then tell me,?darling, how you spotted him in that blur. Enlighten me."


    I exhaled through my nose. "Maybeter. Right now, Harper’s what matters."


    Sebastian’s jaw flexed. "Fine. If she left in his car, I’ll text him myself."


    I was faster. "I’ll do it."


    My thumbs flew over the screen.


    [Harper left in your car. Where are you?]


    The reply came almost at once.


    [Jealous?]


    My jaw tightened. Xavier was the same as always, pushing and testing.


    I erased my first reply and typed:?[Bring Harper back to the Lawson house. Safe.]


    He answered: [?Don’t worry. Nothing happened.]


    I frowned.


    [Then bring her back now.]


    He sent one smiling emoji.


    [Sure.]


    That single word made my skin crawl.


    I switched off my phone. When I looked up, Sebastian was watching me, his eyes cool and calm.


    "See?" I said quietly. "I stayed calm. He’s the one acting strange."


    I showed him the exchange. His eyes scanned the screen, the tension in his shoulders easing.


    "Drive us home," he said atst, his tone clipped but calm.


    As the car rolled forward, I stared out at the dark road ahead, unease coiling low in my chest.


    Author’s pov


    The car rolled up the long drive to the Lawson estatete that night.


    Most of the house was dark; the elders had already gone to bed, and Julian was still at the hospital with no sign of returning anytime soon.


    Only Zaria and York were awake, waiting in the living room when Alpha Sebastian and Cecilia stepped inside.


    The moment Alpha Sebastian crossed the threshold, Zaria jumped up from the couch, her curls bouncing.


    "What took you so long? I was about to call the highway patrol! I thought you’d crashed or something!"


    Alpha Sebastian brushed her off with a faint smile. "We’re barely ten minuteste. You’re overreacting."


    "Ten minutes? That’s basically forever when you’re panicking!" she said, throwing up her hands. "We all left together. How are you thest ones here?"


    "Zaria, keep it down," York muttered from his armchair, looking every bit the bored older brother scrolling through his phone.


    Before Zaria could answer, the sharp click of boots sounded outside.


    The metallic scent of blood filled the air—thick, coppery, and wrong.


    Everyone turned toward the door as Tang stumbled in, covered in red from head to toe.


    Beta Sawyer was the first to react.


    "Tang! What happened?" he shouted, rushing forward.