I crushed out my cigarette, the last wisps of smoke curling around my fingers before dissipating into the air. The momentary respite I'd found in that solitary corner had faded, leaving behind a hollow ache in my chest. It was time to return to Daniel, to the façade of normalcy I'd been cultivating since my return to the city.
As I made my way back through the dimly lit corridors of the bar, my mind was still reeling from the encounter with Ethan Stone. His cold dismissal shouldn't have affected me so much, yet I couldn't shake the unease that had settled over me like a shroud.
Lost in thought, I barely paid attention to my surroundings. The VIP rooms looked alike in the muted lighting, their dark wood doors blending. I reached for what I thought was the handle to Daniel's room, ea
