The video ended.
I sat frozen, staring at the blank screen. My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears.
A new email arrived, containing just coordinates: Café Lumière, 52nd and 6th Avenue, Midtown.
And below it: Time remaining: 1 hour, 59 minutes.
It was a public location, not an abandoned warehouse or a dark alley, but a busy coffee shop in the middle of the city where hundreds of people would see us. Charles was being smart; he knew I couldn't ignore this.
Eclipse Beauty wasn't just my company. It was Helena's career. It was jobs for three thousand employees across twelve countries. It was proof that I had built something real, something that mattered.
I should tell Axel. I should show this to Tye immediately.
But my hand moved to my phone instead, pulling up Prince Leopold's number.
"Prince Leopold speaking," a cultured voice answered on the second ring.
"Your Highness, this is Layla O'Brien," I said. "Duke Silas' granddaughter."
