The transition from the heavily fortified Apex penthouse to the sleek, glass-paneled corporate headquarters of Thorne Enterprises was incredibly jarring. With Valerius strictly confined to the master suite to heal his catastrophic shrapnel wound, the immediate physical management of the syndicate’s legitimate fronts fell entirely to me. I wore a tailored, slate-grey designer pantsuit, my dark hair pulled securely into a severe, elegant twist. The heavy black diamond on my left hand felt like a permanent, physical anchor to my new reality.
Viktor walked exactly half a step behind me, his massive frame easily intimidating the corporate employees who rapidly scrambled out of our way. We entered the top-floor executive boardroom. Dominic, the Chief Financial Officer, was already sweating prof
