They barely made it through the bedroom door.
Jeff had Liam pressed against the wall, kissing him with raw hunger. Their engagement still felt electric — the ring on Liam's finger catching the low light every time their hands moved. Jeff's shirt was already off, Liam's hands roaming over his bare back as their mouths moved desperately together.
"Fuck, I love you," Jeff growled against Liam's swollen lips, grinding their hips together. "Can't wait to marry you."
Liam moaned softly, pulling him closer. "Then stop talking and—"
A sharp CRACK shattered the moment.
A gunshot rang out. The floor-to-ceiling window beside them exploded in a spray of glass. The bullet whistled past, embedding in the opposite wall with a sickening thud.
"Get down!" Jeff roared.
He threw his body over Liam's instantly, shielding him completely as they dropped to the floor. Shards of glass rained down around them. Liam's heart hammered violently against his ribs. For a second, the world narrowed to the sound of his own breathing and Jeff's weight pressing him protectively into the carpet.
"Jeff—!"
"Stay down," Jeff hissed, voice tight with fear and fury.
Chaos erupted outside.
Shouts from the guards echoed through the estate. Flashlights cut through the darkness. Rylan burst into the room moments later, gun drawn, eyes scanning wildly.
"Sir! Are you hit?" Rylan moved toward Liam, ready to pull him to safety.
Jeff's head snapped up. "Don't touch him!" he snarled, a dangerous edge in his voice. He kept Liam covered with his own body. "Stay back!"
Rylan froze, respecting the order but staying close, weapon raised toward the broken window. "Perimeter team is sweeping now. No visual yet."
More gunfire cracked in the distance — guards exchanging shots with shadows. Footsteps pounded through the halls. Someone was shouting orders. The entire estate had turned into a warzone in seconds.
Arthur's voice boomed through the estate's intercom system moments later.
"Lock it down! All units report! I want every inch of this property searched. Now!"
Arthur had been alerted instantly. He stormed into the command room in the main house, shirt half-buttoned, eyes blazing. Ben stood behind him, holding a now-crying Lin tightly to his chest.
"Who the fuck got through?" Arthur barked into his phone, already making rapid calls. "I want faces. I want names. Someone followed them home. Find them!"
The response was frantic. Guards reported movement near the east wall, then nothing. Thermal scans showed heat signatures that vanished. Dogs barked wildly but found no trail. It was as if the attacker had melted into thin air.
Liam's hands were shaking as he clutched Jeff's arms. Glass crunched under them. A thin line of blood ran down Jeff's shoulder from a small cut.
"You're bleeding," Liam whispered, voice hoarse.
"It's nothing," Jeff replied, refusing to move until Rylan gave the all-clear. His body remained a human shield. "You okay? Tell me you're okay."
Liam nodded, but his pulse was racing. The proposal high had shattered into pure terror. One moment they were celebrating their future, the next — death had whistled past their heads.
Abbey's voice came through the hallway, panicked. "What the hell is going on?!"
"Stay with Smart!" Jeff shouted back.
Minutes stretched into what felt like hours. The search continued — guards sweeping every corner, drones humming overhead, floodlights turning night into day across the grounds. Arthur's voice remained ice-cold over comms, issuing orders with lethal precision.
Yet they found nothing.
No body. No footprints. No shell casings outside the shattered window that matched the bullet. It was as if the shooter had never existed — a ghost that had slipped in and out of their fortress undetected.
When Arthur finally entered their wing, his face was thunderous. "The estate is secure. For now. But this shouldn't have happened. Heads will roll for this breach."
Jeff slowly helped Liam up, brushing glass from his hair. His hands were still trembling slightly as he checked Liam over for injuries.
Rylan stood guard at the door, silent and alert. "We'll double the watch tonight, sir."
Arthur nodded once, then looked at his son and future son-in-law. "You two stay inside. I'm calling in more men. This wasn't random."
Liam swallowed hard, the adrenaline crash hitting him. He leaned into Jeff, who wrapped both arms around him tightly.
The night that had started with joy and celebration had turned into a terrifying reminder: their peace was fragile. Someone out there still wanted them dead.
And they had no idea who.