Amelia hadn’t slept.
The voice of Marcus Thorne echoed in her head, wrapping around her like a chokehold. He hadn’t threatened her with violence. That would’ve been too simple. He had threatened her with the one thing she couldn’t shield herself from—the truth.
And if Seraphina had let him loose, he wouldn’t stop at the truth. He’d twist it. Shape it into something that would poison her reputation, sabotage her career, and fracture what she’d only just begun building with Sebastian.
She poured black coffee into a mug and stared at the fog-veiled city. Her phone buzzed—an encrypted message from Lila.
Update: Marcus has connections to two shell firms we flagged. Surveillance sweep of your apartment scheduled for 10 a.m. Stay alert.
Beneath it, another message.
From an unknown number.
