The morning sun over Zurich was sharp and unforgiving, cutting through the floor to ceiling glass of the new penthouse with a clinical brightness. Elea stirred against the silk pillows, her mind instantly snapping from the hazy borders of sleep to the high alert of her reality. Beside her, the space where Kai had slept was already empty, though the indentation on the mattress remained as a silent witness to their shared, guarded night. The air in the room felt filtered and artificial, a reminder that every breath they took in this apartment was being logged by Ethel’s sophisticated wiretapping system.
"You are awake early, Darling," Elea said, her voice slightly raspy as she sat up.
Kai was standing by the window, already dressed in a crisp linen shirt that hid the tactical scars and t
