Contents
Chapter Thirty-One
Overview
Holland is nearly expelled from the Regal by red-tie enforcers, but Adam Bishop asserts control and lists her as his guest, binding her to remain with him for twenty-four Regal hours. Adam demands the truth about the shooting and Holland’s peril, and she agrees to confide in private.
Summary
Time seems to freeze in the Regal’s Black and White bar as Holland studies Adam Bishop, who appears alive, drunk, and disarmingly charming—nothing like the calculating villain she imagined. She stalls with small talk, wary of whether Adam is a deceiver.
Four men with vivid red ties enter, shifting the room’s mood. As they close in on Holland for lacking a key, Adam pulls her into a dance and confronts them with effortless authority. Intimidated, the red ties back down when Adam places Holland on his guest list and orders different drinks.
With the tension eased, Adam states the condition: as his guest, Holland must remain with him for twenty-four Regal hours. He then pointedly asks what happened after he was shot and why she looks hunted.
Torn between secrecy and survival, Holland weighs her sister’s trust in Adam. Deciding that January sent him for a reason, Holland agrees to tell Adam what happened, but insists they speak somewhere private.
Who Appears
- HollandProtagonist; nearly expelled from the Regal, protected by Adam; agrees to share what happened after his shooting, but in private.
- Adam BishopAlive, drunk, and influential at the Regal; intimidates red-tie enforcers, adds Holland as his guest for 24 hours, demands the truth.
- Red-tie enforcersRegal security; attempt to remove Holland for lacking a key, then retreat under Adam’s authority and offer complimentary drinks.
- SingerPerformer whose announcements and faltered lyrics reflect the room’s shifting tension as red ties arrive.