Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows of the penthouse, New York gradually settled into the uneasy quiet that arrived just before dawn. The endless grid of streets and towers stretched toward the horizon in a sea of cold electric light, while the sounds of traffic faded into a distant hum.
Inside the apartment, an almost unnatural silence prevailed.
Roman sat alone in his office without turning on the overhead lights. The glow from his laptop screen provided the only illumination in the room, casting sharp blue shadows across his face and making his features appear even harsher than usual, as though they had been carved from stone rather than flesh.
The wound along his side throbbed steadily.
The pain was dull and persistent, serving as a constant reminder that even he could bleed.
Toni
