The penthouse was eerily quiet, the absence of Damien’s commanding presence making the air feel heavier. Isabella sat curled on the edge of the couch, her thoughts racing. Damien’s arrest replayed in her mind like a nightmare she couldn’t wake up from. How had everything unravelled so quickly? And who was behind it?
Her phone sat untouched on the coffee table, its screen dark. She’d been dialling contacts all day—Damien’s lawyers, Victor, anyone who might have answers. But the silence on Damien’s end was deafening.
A sharp knock at the door pulled her from her spiralling thoughts. Her pulse quickened. Who could it be? Victor? The lawyers? She hoped for good news, something to anchor her in the chaos.
But as she opened the door, her heart dropped.
Claire Kensington stood on the other si
