The summer storm had hit the city without warning, turning the humid night air into a roaring torrent of warm, heavy rain. High above the street traffic, on the exclusive private rooftop lounge of the Grand Meridian, the weather was a magnificent spectacle. Sheets of water cascaded down the surrounding glass partitions, and overhead, a massive cantilevered glass canopy provided just enough shelter to keep the central lounge dry while the elements lashed wildly around its perimeter.
Sophia stood near the edge of the shelter, her fingers lightly touching the cool, rain-slicked glass of the perimeter railing. Far below, the city was a blurred canvas of smeared neon—red tail lights, gold streetlamps, and glowing skyscrapers bleeding through the water-streaked glass.
She wore a backless charc
