The penthouse felt like a fortress of glass and steel as the New York skyline glittered outside the floor to ceiling windows. I stood by the marble counter, clutching a cup of herbal tea that had long since gone cold. My mind was a chaotic map of tactical moves and emotional debris. Julian was in the study, his voice a low, rhythmic hum as he spoke to his legal team in Los Angeles. He was moving pieces I couldn't see, making calls that would eventually tighten the noose around Selena's influence.
I should have felt relieved. I had the most powerful man in the city acting as my personal shield. Yet, a cold knot of anxiety remained in my chest. Selena was not a woman who accepted defeat gracefully. She was a creature of the shadows, and if she couldn't win in the light of day, she would burn the house down while everyone was sleeping.
