Nikolai POV
The city blurred past the SUV's tinted windows.
Manhattan was alive in a way few places ever truly were. Horns echoed through the streets. Pedestrians flowed across intersections like rivers changing course. Construction workers shouted over machinery while businessmen hurried beneath towering skyscrapers, convinced every meeting carried the weight of the world.
Normally, I barely noticed any of it.
Today, something changed...
I found myself watching Belladonna disappear in the side mirror, and I wondered why it lingered.
The building remained visible for only a few seconds before another tower swallowed it from view.
Interesting.
Most meetings disappeared from my mind the moment they ended.
This one refused to leave my mind.
I leaned back against the leather seat, l
