Irina stood alone on the wide balcony of her mansion, one hand resting on the stone railing as she looked down at the long private road leading to the gates. The night air was cool but she barely felt it. She had been standing there for almost thirty minutes already, watching the same empty stretch of road, her patience thinning by the second.
Her phone was still in her hand. The last message she sent glowed faintly on the screen.
He is awake.
No reply.
She exhaled slowly through her nose, irritation crawling up her spine. Liam had better have a good reason.
Headlights finally appeared at the far end of the road. A taxi rolled in smoothly and came to a stop beneath the balcony. Irina straightened without realizing it, her sharp eyes narrowing as the door opened.
A tall young man stepped out first.
