The morning turns colder after the tech team’s revelation. Two blocks away. Adrian had been two blocks away when he recorded the message. It shifts something inside me, something brittle and sharp, and by the time Damian begins issuing orders, I can barely feel my hands.
Security floods the penthouse within minutes. Men in black suits, armed, scanning windows and hallways with quiet efficiency. They speak in firm, clipped tones, updating Damian on radio sweeps and camera angles. I stand back, pressed against the wall, trying not to look as overwhelmed as I feel.
Damian moves among them with a precision I have not seen before. Not just commanding. Not just leading. He looks like a man preparing for war.
He turns to one of the security leads. “Lock down the neighborhood. I want eyes on ev
