LOGINAt noon, Avery adjusted the blinds in her consultation room to a precise, subtle angle—enough to let in light, but not enough to make the space feel exposed. The slanted rays fell across the desk in neat, geometric lines, casting the rest of the room in a soft, muted shadow that made the space feel both intimate and contained.Professor Andrew arrived on time. But the moment he sank into the sofa, the fine beads of sweat on his forehead and the rigid tension in his shoulders betrayed the anxiety the renowned scholar couldn't hide. His hands were clasped tightly in his lap, the knuckles pale, and his eyes darted around the room as if searching for an exit he knew wasn't there.Avery didn't rush to speak. She moved with deliberate slowness, measuring every gesture. She brewed a cup of calming herbal tea and set it before him, the ceramic warm against her fingertips. Then she turned the room's diffuser down two notches, letting the subtle fragrance settle into something softer, less intr
In that instant, Avery's rationality was simultaneously overwhelmed by fear and clarity.She couldn't let him see her. She couldn't let him find her here. Dorothea had just enrolled at St. George's Academy. Mother and daughter had finally managed to carve out a fragile peace in Sunset City. She had just settled her mother and brother into their treatments. The truth about the fire was slowly unraveling, thread by thread, and she was finally beginning to see the shape of what had happened all those years ago.If he discovered her here in Sunset City, she would be dragged back. The bottomless vortex of Obsidian City would swallow them whole once again. Everything she had fought for—every sleepless night, every calculated risk, every step of this desperate escape—would be for nothing.Her heartbeat thundered in her ears like war drums, each pulse a deafening roar that drowned out the storm around her. Avery moved on pure instinct, retreating backward until her back pressed flat against t
The Sunset City Opera House blazed with light. A biotechnology research charity gala, backed by top-tier capital, was underway.Avery had changed into a sleek black evening gown, her arm linked with Evan's as they entered the venue. The dress was cut with clean, sharp lines, elegant without being ostentatious.She had never wanted to socialize after leaving Obsidian City. She had only wanted a quiet, low-profile life, to fade into the background and disappear from the world that had tried to consume her.But tonight, the renowned scholar Professor Andrew—whose reputation spanned the entire Federation—was attending as a special guest. She had no choice but to be here.Avery kept a composed smile on her face, her eyes scanning the room with practiced subtlety. Her gaze swept across the glittering chandeliers, the clusters of wealthy patrons, the waiters gliding through the crowd with silver trays.Her professional instincts were razor-sharp. Several "businessmen" in custom suits, exudin
Early morning. At a private winery on the outskirts of Sunset City.The light was completely blocked by heavy velvet curtains. The room was thick with the mingled scent of medicinal herbs and cold leather—the smell of a man fighting a losing battle with his own body. The air was stale, heavy, carrying the faint metallic tang of blood and the sharp bitterness of the drugs that had become his only companions.Sweat beaded on Dominic's temples, sliding down the hollows of his cheeks. The nerve blocker was wearing off, and the knife-like pain in his skull was surging back with a vengeance, each pulse of agony sharper than the last. His fingers had gouged deep cracks into the leather armrest, the sound of tearing fabric barely audible over his labored breathing. The broken pen lay on his knee, a talisman he refused to let go of."Boss, Obsidian City swept three divisions last night. The remaining insurgents think you're injured and out of the city. They're planning to retreat to the west d
The morning after the storm, Sunset City was washed clean. A pale, watery light filtered through the dispersing clouds, catching the last droplets of rain still clinging to the leaves.The underground garage was still dim, the concrete floor slick with residual moisture. The air smelled of damp stone and exhaust.Evan had just opened his car door when two black sedans emerged from the intersecting passages ahead, one in front and one behind, boxing him in with surgical precision.The front vehicle's door opened. Drake stepped out, his expression unreadable, and pulled open the rear door.From the shadows within, Dominic leaned back against the seat. The black band across his eyes was impossible to ignore, even in the dim light of the garage. It wrapped around his head like a wound that refused to heal. Yet even sightless, the oppressive weight of his presence had not diminished by a single degree. His stillness was absolute—the stillness of a predator waiting.Evan rested his hand on
The violent impact of her back against the door sent a shockwave straight up her spine to the crown of her head. The cold wood pressed against her shoulder blades, unyielding and solid.In the pitch darkness, Avery instinctively curled her body and clenched her fists, every muscle primed for defense. Her knuckles were white, her nails biting into her palms as she tried to steady her racing pulse.A marine-scented cologne suddenly drew close. The scent was subtle—clean, restrained, carrying a faint, elusive herbal undertone that she had caught before in a different context.This scent… was familiar.Outside, a bolt of lightning split the night sky, illuminating the room in a stark, white flash. The brief burst of light revealed the sharp, refined face before her—those familiar features, those glasses she had come to recognize.Evan locked the door behind him with a soft click and released her arm, stepping back just enough to give her space."Don't be afraid. It's me."Evan leaned down
Dorothea was still standing in the hallway, a tiny, spectral figure in the gloom.Avery walked over and scooped her up. The child’s skin was like ice; there was no telling how long she’d been rooted there."Sweetheart, why are you out of bed?"Dorothea didn't answer. She buried her face in the croo
Avery couldn't sleep.She watched the sky bleed from ink-black to a bruised, pale gray. She lay there, eyes wide, as Dominic's words played on a loop in her mind: “I wanted to see if you would use Wenger's method. To kill me.”Beside her, Dorothea's chest rose and fell in a rhythmic, innocent slumb
"You're afraid of me."He moved closer as he spoke. Close enough that she could smell the cedar on him.Dominic reached out and pinched her chin, tilting it up. Her head was forced back. Her throat exposed.His thumb pressed down on her lower lip."All talk."She raised her hand to slap his away. He
Avery was shoved into a car. The door slammed shut behind her.The cabin was dark. Dominic sat across from her.Before she could catch her breath, he spoke."Your daughter is with me."Avery's fists clenched. "What did you say?""Wenger's men grabbed her. I intercepted them." Dominic's voice was fl







