Serena’s POV
The penthouse is a haven of quiet at noon, the midday sun streaming through the windows, illuminating the disarray of last night’s passion—scattered clothes, a tipped coffee mug, the sofa still warm from our bodies. The raid on my clinic, thwarted by Adrian’s cunning and my courage, lingers in my muscles, a mix of triumph and exhaustion. The captured mercenaries are in custody, their confessions linking Lila to a shadowy financier, but her escape gnaws at me, a predator circling for the kill. The “twins” threat, tied to Emily’s memory, haunts my every step, and I sit at the dining table, poring over old college photos—Emily’s laughing face, her twins in her arms—searching for clues. Adrian joins me, his presence a balm, his hand resting on my shoulder, his touch reigniting th
