The penthouse air was thick with tension, the scent of earth and fear swirling around the intruders.
David and Samyra Reed stood in the center of the room, looking less like concerned parents and more like sharks sensing blood in the water. They had been exposed, their debts revealed, but they hadn't given up. If anything, desperation had made them bolder.
"You don't understand," David said, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. He took a step toward Ethan, trying to project an air of insider knowledge. "This... Malachi... he isn't just a Councilman. He’s something else. We’ve heard things."
"Things," Ethan repeated dryly. He didn't move. He stood with his arms crossed, a monolith of black muscle and indifference. "Enlighten me."
"He has eyes everywhere," Samyra chimed in, cl
