The heavy door of the Rolls-Royce clicked shut, sealing out the world.
Inside, the silence was absolute. It was a vacuum, sucking the oxygen out of the air.
Elena sank back into the leather seat. The adrenaline that had sustained her in the Orchid House began to recede, leaving behind a strange, vibrating exhaustion. Her hands, resting on her emerald dress, were trembling slightly.
Not from fear. From the sheer, intoxicating high of destruction.
"You're shaking," Julian's voice came from the shadows. It was low, rougher than usual.
"I'm fine," Elena whispered. She tried to clench her hands to stop the tremors, but a large, warm hand covered hers.
Julian didn't hold her hand like a lover. He held it like an anchor. His grip was firm, grounding her.
"You were magnificent," he said.
Elena turned her head. In the passing streetlights, Julian's face was half-illuminated. His eyes were no longer cold obsidian. They were burning with something else—something dark, hungry, and dangerously intense.
"I just... audited them," Elena breathed, her heart rate picking up speed.
"No. You dismantled them," Julian corrected. He shifted closer. The space between them on the wide seat seemed to vanish. "Catherine looked like she had swallowed glass. And Victoria... I think she forgot how to breathe."
He looked down at her, his gaze dropping to her neck.
"The necklace," he murmured. "It's heavy."
The Blackwood Tear—the massive emerald—was indeed heavy, pressing against her throat like a beautiful shackle.
"Allow me," Julian said.
He didn't wait for permission. He reached out, his fingers brushing against the sensitive skin of her nape. Elena's breath hitched. His fingers were cool, but where they touched, her skin felt like it was on fire.
He didn't undo the clasp immediately. Instead, his thumb traced the line of her pulse.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
It was racing. And he could feel it.
[SYSTEM ALERT] [PROXIMITY WARNING] [TARGET HEART RATE: 110 BPM] [TARGET INTENT: UNKNOWN / DESIRE]
Elena looked up at him, her lips slightly parted. The air in the car grew thick, charged with static electricity. She could smell his scent—sandalwood, rain, and the faint, crisp smell of apples.
"Julian," she whispered. It was the first time she had used his name without a title.
His hand froze on the clasp. He leaned in, his face inches from hers. She could feel the heat radiating from his body.
" tell me to stop," Julian growled softly, his voice vibrating in her chest. "Tell me this is just a business transaction. Tell me you don't feel this."
Elena looked into his eyes. She saw the reflection of her own desire there. She wanted to lean forward. She wanted to close the distance. She wanted to taste the danger.
But the car hit a bump.
The moment shattered.
Julian pulled back abruptly, the clasp of the necklace clicking open in his hand. The heavy diamonds slid from her neck, pooling in his palm like cold water.
He took a deep breath, turning his face away to look out the window. His jaw was clenched so tight a muscle feathered in his cheek.
"We're here," he said, his voice flat, devoid of the heat from seconds ago.
The car had stopped in front of the Obsidian Tower.
The Penthouse. Midnight.
The apartment was dark, save for the city lights bleeding in through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Elena stood in her bedroom. She had changed out of the emerald armor and into a silk robe, but she couldn't sleep.
Her skin still tingled where he had touched her.
She walked to her door and opened it a crack.
Across the hallway, the door to the master bedroom was ajar. A sliver of light spilled out.
She saw Julian.
He had discarded his tuxedo jacket and tie. His white shirt was unbuttoned at the top, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He was standing by the window, staring out at the city he ruled.
In his hand, he held the emerald necklace. He wasn't looking at the diamonds. He was running his thumb over the metal clasp—the exact spot that had touched her skin.
He brought the necklace up, pressing the cold metal against his lips for a brief, agonizing second.
Elena's breath caught in her throat.
It was a gesture of such raw, unguarded longing that it felt like an intrusion to watch.
As if sensing her gaze, Julian stiffened. He turned his head sharply toward the door.
Elena pulled back instantly, closing her door with a soft click.
She leaned against the wood, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird.
[SYSTEM ANALYSIS] [CONCLUSION: LOVE IS A LIABILITY] [RISK LEVEL: CATASTROPHIC]
She slid down to the floor, burying her face in her hands.
They had won the battle at the manor. But in the silence of this penthouse, fighting the gravity that pulled them together...
This was a war she wasn't sure she could win.
And God help her, she wasn't sure she wanted to.