Penelope POV
“What, here to give me another warning?”
The laptop screen flickered against the dark walls of my office. Julian stared back at me, his jaw set so tight the skin around his mouth looked grey. His uniform was immaculate, every button on his collar done up to the throat.
“That is not what I meant, Penelope,” he said.
I leaned back in my chair and let out a dry, rattling laugh. “Didn’t you Blue-Claw Pack folks scheme all this just to take me down a peg?”
Julian blinked once, his eyes cold and steady through the digital feed. “You went too far today. Violence only drives resentment deeper. Just return the item to Melvin, and I will take care of the rest. I will clean up the mess online.”
My fingers dug into the edge of my desk, my nails scraping against the polished wood. “T
