The city never slept, but Julian’s penthouse was eerily silent. The usual low hum of traffic below, the distant sounds of Vienna’s nightlife, none of it reached Emily. She stood at the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, arms wrapped around herself, staring blankly at the skyline. It was beautiful—golden lights stretching infinitely, a masterpiece of civilization. But to her, it felt distant. Detached. Just like everything else.
She hadn’t slept since they escaped Edmund’s chateau. Every time she closed her eyes, she was back there—ropes biting into her wrists, the cold air pressing against her skin, the muffled voices of her captors discussing her fate like she wasn’t even human. Her chest tightened, her breathing shallow.
She flinched at the sound of footsteps behind her.
Julian.
He mo
