The city feels different at night.
Quieter.
Sharper.
Like the skyline itself is holding its breath.
Adrian’s car moves through the streets of Manhattan with controlled speed, the engine low and steady beneath us. Marcus sits in the passenger seat scrolling through construction permits on his phone while I stare out the window.
Pier 47 is getting closer.
And with every block we pass, the weight in my chest grows heavier.
Because somewhere beneath the Hudson River—my past is waiting.
Marcus finally breaks the silence. “Okay. I have good news and bad news.”
Adrian doesn’t look away from the road. “Start with the bad.”
“The construction site is guarded.”
I swallow. “Security?”
Marcus nods. “Private contractors. Night shift prepping equipment for tomorrow’s groundbreaking.”
Adrian’
