The afternoon train hurtled toward Manhattan with a sharp, heavy rhythm that matched the fast pounding of Evelyn’s heart.
Outside the window, the golden countryside vanished, swallowed up by tall grey brick factories, crowded overpasses, and the endless sea of concrete framing the city. Inside the passenger car, the air felt dense and cold.
Evelyn sat upright on the blue velvet seat, her dark navy coat buttoned up to her throat. Her eyes were fixed on the passing skyline, cold and focused. Beside her, Adrian was on his mobile phone, his low voice cutting through the quiet carriage like a sharpened blade.
"I don't care who authorized his security clearance, Julian," Adrian said into the receiver, his dark brows pulled low over his eyes. "Richard does not step foot past the lobby of the H
