Sophie’s pov
The morning sunlight crept into my apartment, brushing my skin with warmth, but it did nothing to calm the storm inside me. The world outside was alive—bustling streets, distant honks, the familiar hum of a city that never slept—but inside me, everything felt raw, exposed, a tension I couldn’t push aside. Today was different. I could feel it in my chest, in the subtle tightening of my muscles, in the way my thoughts danced between fear and desire. Something had shifted in the weeks since the gala, since the professional crises, since the private, charged encounters with the brothers. My life had become a delicate balancing act, and the stakes—emotional, personal, and dangerous—were reaching a peak.
I wrapped my hands around a steaming cup of tea, trying to anchor myself. The
