The quiet that followed lunch lingered in the penthouse like a held breath.
Amelia sat curled on one end of the wide gray couch, her feet tucked beneath her, a ceramic mug cradled between her palms. The tea had gone untouched for minutes now, its steam thinning into nothing, but she barely noticed. Her gaze drifted around the open space—too clean, too perfect, too far removed from the life she actually lived.
This place still didn’t feel real.
The floor-to-ceiling windows framed the city like a painting, sunlight spilling across marble and glass, casting long reflections that made everything look sharper, brighter. It was beautiful. Intimidating. And deeply unfamiliar.
She shifted slightly, a faint crease forming between her brows.
She should be at work.
The thought slipped in uninvi
