Morning came quietly.
Too quietly.
Amelia woke to a stillness that felt unnatural in Ethan’s penthouse, as though the walls themselves were listening. Pale sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains, brushing across marble floors and casting soft shadows that did nothing to ease the tension coiled in her chest.
Five days.
The number hovered in her thoughts like a countdown etched into her bones.
She sat up slowly, drawing the blanket tighter around herself. For the first time since she’d entered Ethan’s world, there was no confusion about what was coming. No denial left to cling to.
The Convergence.
A public declaration.
A choice that would redraw every line of power.
A soft knock sounded at the door.
“Amelia,” Ethan’s voice came through—low, controlled. Awake already. Of cours
